Lesson Notes By Weeks and Term v4 - SHS 1
AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
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AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
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Subject: Engineering
Class: SHS 1
Term: 2nd Term
Week: 12
Grade code: 1.4.1.LI.2
Strand code: 4
Sub-strand code: 1
Content standard code: 1.4.1.CS.1
Indicator code: 1.4.1.LI.2
Theme: AUTOMATION AND EMBEDDED SYSTEMS
Subtheme: AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES
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This lesson introduces learners to the universal language of engineering: technical drawings and schematics. In Ghana, from the local mechanic at Suame Magazine interpreting a car's wiring diagram to the engineers at the Bui Dam monitoring control systems, the ability to read these drawings is fundamental. This skill is the bridge between an idea and a functioning automated system. This lesson will equip learners with the foundational knowledge to read, interpret, and use various types of schematics (electrical, pneumatic, hydraulic, and functional block diagrams) to understand and build simple automated systems.
This section contains the core content needed to teach the topic without a textbook. Initiating Talk for Learning (5 mins)
Start by asking the class: "If you buy a new piece of furniture from Melcom or a new phone, what comes in the box to help you set it up? Why is that instruction manual with pictures so important?" Relate their answers (e.g., "to know which screw goes where," "to connect the cables correctly") to engineering. Explain that for large, complex systems like a factory machine or the electrical wiring of this school, engineers use a special, more precise type of instruction manual called a technical drawing or a schematic. These drawings are a universal language that any engineer in the world can understand.
Part A: What are Technical Drawings and Schematics? Technical Drawing: A broad term for any drawing or diagram that communicates how something works or is constructed. It includes all the details needed for manufacturing or building. Schematic Diagram: A specific type of technical drawing that uses standardized symbols to represent the *function* and *connectivity* of a system's components, rather than their physical appearance or layout. It shows *what connects to what* and *what it does*, not necessarily where it is physically located.
Example: Imagine the electrical wiring for a room. A layout diagram would look like a floor plan, showing the actual position of the switch on the wall, the light in the ceiling, and the path of the wires inside the walls. A schematic diagram would just show a symbol for the power source, a symbol for a switch, and a symbol for a lamp, connected by lines. It’s simpler and focuses only on how the circuit works. Part B: Types of Schematics in Automation