Compute & Create: Engineering a Machine from Raw Parts
Computer Guts, what really makes computers work. Phones, Ipads, laptops, gaming consoles, and desktops are our portals to being a successful student, talking to friends, playing games, and even paying bills. We interact with computers in many ways every day. What makes them work? What is inside these devices that shape our days? Where do they go when we move on to new devices? This course offers students the opportunity to learn about what is inside a computer, how it works, and how we break down old computers to help turn them into new computers for a more sustainable future. Students will also get a chance to build their own operational computer.
Monday - Sustainability and e-waste. What does this mean for computers? How do we get the most out of old computers and avoid the landfill. Tours and hands-on examples.
Tuesday - History of the computer – today’s phones are the supercomputers of the 1960s! A walk through the museum of yesterday’s computers at the Surplus Store.
Wednesday - What makes it all work? Motherboards, RAM, video cards, power supplies and more! What is inside a computer and how does it fit together?
Thursday - Let’s build a computer! Students will have the opportunity to build their own functional computers including monitor, keyboard, and mouse that they can take home.
Friday - Operating systems, the bridge between the human and computer world. We will finish building our PC and work to get the operating system up and running – Windows and Linux are available.
Photon Pathways: Experiments in Light and Laser Science
In this hands-on science class, students explore the fascinating behavior of light and lasers through experimentation and discovery. Learners investigate how light travels, reflects, refracts, and bends as it interacts with mirrors, lenses, prisms, and everyday materials. Using safe laser tools and optical equipment, students design experiments, test predictions, and analyze how light can be controlled and directed. Engineering challenges encourage creative problem-solving as students build models, navigate laser paths, and apply scientific principles to real-world technologies. By the end of the course, students gain a deeper understanding of optics and the role light plays in communication, medicine, and modern innovation.
Monday - What Is Light? Photons, Colors, and Diffused Refraction
Tuesday - Reflection & Mirrors
Wednesday - Refraction & Lenses
Thursday - Lasers & Precision Light
Friday - Optics in Action