4th Six Weeks | Engineering / Transportation | 5 class periods (50 min each)
Week Purpose
Students use the Find Your Future wildlife-tracker brief to design a drone system, compare three real occupations that may use or support drone technology, distinguish indoor classroom flight from outdoor FAA operating rules, and test a simplified inspection system through an equal live-drone, simulator, or tabletop route. The week ends with a private evidence brief, not a five-team presentation marathon.
Learning Target
I can explain how a user need changes a drone-system design, compare preparation and labor-market evidence for three related occupations, identify which rules must be verified before an outdoor educational flight, and use test evidence to improve a system.
Success Criteria
- My wildlife-tracker blueprint labels flight, power, navigation, data, communication, and one environmental protection feature.
- My occupation table keeps the BLS source, date, geography, and measure attached to pay and growth.
- My rule decision separates indoor flight, outdoor educational/recreational flight, and Part 107 work.
- My test log records a constraint, result, revision, and evidence rather than rewarding speed or access to a drone.
- My individual evidence brief uses the student-visible 16-point rubric.
TEKS Alignment
- d(1)(B), d(1)(C): Explore the Engineering and Transportation cluster connection and identify occupations that design, test, operate, or interpret drone-enabled systems (Days 1-5).
- d(1)(D): Research and evaluate emerging drone-enabled work without treating “drone pilot” as one stable occupation with one salary (Days 2 and 5).
- d(2)(A): Describe current preparation, training, and certification evidence, including the correct boundary for an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate (Days 2-3 and 5).
- d(4)(B): Explain how precision, communication, data interpretation, and iteration transfer across at least two occupations (Days 4-5).
- d(5)(B): Classify three occupations with a published same-source classroom rule and dated BLS evidence (Days 2 and 5).
Source and Claim Boundaries
- FYF pp. 103-105 supply the Engineering opener and Protecting Wildlife design brief.
- FYF pp. 108-109 are the district HQIM context for Engineering Design, Drone Engineering, postsecondary options, IBCs, CTSOs, and work-based learning. Keep the workbook names in student and teacher materials rather than introducing a competing pathway story during the lesson.
- FYF p. 110 and H&L are optional cluster exploration. Live Hat names, ratings, salary, and pathway availability are not required evidence.
- FAA guidance states that Part 107 does not apply to operations conducted only indoors. Outdoor educational flights still require the school to identify and satisfy the applicable operating rule. A K-12 program that is not a qualifying JROTC, higher-education, or FAA-recognized CBO-chartered program may need to operate under Part 107.
- The FAA Remote Pilot Certificate is for Part 107 operations. Current eligibility includes age 16, English proficiency, safe physical/mental condition, the initial knowledge test, TSA vetting, and recurrent training every 24 calendar months. Do not publish a universal test fee or promise certification through the course.
- BLS does not publish a single wage or growth series for “drone careers.” Students compare occupations whose workers may design, test, collect, map, or interpret drone data.
Fixed Occupation Evidence
All values are May 2024 U.S. national medians and 2024-2034 projections from BLS, accessed August 2026.
| Occupation | Drone connection | Typical entry preparation | National median | Growth | Annual openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surveying and Mapping Technician | May use drones to take site photos and process mapping data | High school diploma; moderate-term OJT; some employers prefer GIS/technical education | $51,940 | 5% | 7,600 |
| Cartographer / Photogrammetrist | Integrates imagery, LiDAR, GIS, CAD, and field data into maps | Bachelor's degree | $78,380 | 6% | 1,000 |
| Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologist / Technician | Runs, tests, records, and maintains equipment used to develop and sustain aircraft systems | Associate degree typical; some employers consider certificate/HS routes | $79,830 | 8% | 900 |
Published Classroom Classification Rule
This is a course comparison rule, not an official government designation:
- High wage: May 2024 national median exceeds the May 2024 all-occupations median of $49,500.
- High demand: 2024-2034 growth exceeds the all-occupations 3% projection; annual openings remain visible so a small fast-growing occupation is not confused with a large hiring market.
- High skill: typical preparation includes postsecondary education or moderate/long-term training and the work requires specialized technical duties. Students cite the preparation and duty evidence.
Five-Day Structure
| Day | Focus | Core evidence | Canvas interaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Engineering design for wildlife | FYF p. 105 blueprint, redesign, and occupation work product | Workbook first; optional companion/annotation route |
| 2 | Drone-enabled occupations | Five-question fixed-evidence check | Posted two-page reference plus retryable Quiz |
| 3 | Rules and readiness | Four-question rule check plus team gate when used | Posted decision guide, Quiz, one team sheet only if needed |
| 4 | Test and iterate | Shared three-trial log plus individual iteration/transfer | Two team pages plus one individual page; live, simulator, tabletop equal |
| 5 | Evidence brief | Private 16-point synthesis, self-score, and revision | Four-page paper/enlarged route or private typed/media submission |
Equipment and Safety Gate
Live indoor microdrone flight is optional. It occurs only when the teacher confirms:
- campus approval and the exact model-specific SOP/manual;
- teacher authorization/training and appropriate supervision;
- intact aircraft, propeller guards when the model supports them, batteries, charging equipment, and controller;
- a clear indoor space, spectator boundary, one active aircraft per zone, and an immediate stop procedure; and
- an equal simulator or tabletop route available from the start.
Students do not fly outdoors, near airports, over people, blindfolded, beyond sight, or for a real inspection in this unit. No grade depends on piloting, hardware availability, speed, or successful flight.
Assessment Plan
- Formative: Day 1 workbook blueprint check; Day 2 five-question evidence Quiz; Day 3 four-question rule check plus team gate when used; Day 4 shared run log and individual response.
- Minor 2 after importer verification: 16-point Drone Systems Evidence Brief combining design response, occupation evidence, rule/safety reasoning, and test-based revision. The importer preserves the existing 100-point
Minor Assessments (40%)mapping and keeps it unpublished. - Do not grade H&L clicks, public speaking, artistic quality, live flight, hardware access, or a student's interest in aviation.
Teacher-Readiness Standard
Each Canvas Teacher Guide must provide exact prep, a feasible 50-minute flow, source links, keys, safety/equipment gates, grading boundary, and absence route. Each Student Guide must show the next visible steps, embedded licensed visuals only where useful, separate writing jobs, a Done When checklist, and equal paper/digital/equipment-free routes.