Through dynamic and fun learning, grasp how everyday objects work – from light and images, to telecommunications and sound, to electricity and magnetism, and more!

Total Classes: 14

Duration: 45 minutes

Prerequisite: The Way Things Work, Part One or equivalent

Suggested Grade Level: 6th to 9th grade

Suggested Credit: One full semester Engineering or Applied Science

Instructor: Inshal Chenet

Instructor Email: inshalj@gmail.com

Course Description: Using David Macaulay’s book The Way Things Work Now, we will explore how everyday objects work. Too often, the technology around us seems like magic; in this course we will learn everything from doorknobs to sewing machines to computers!

Course Outline: 

Week 1: Light
Week 2: Images and Photography
Week 3: Printing
Week 4: Sound and Music
Week 5: Telecommunications
Week 6: Electricity
Week 7: Magnetism
Week 8: Review for Midterm
Week 9: Sensors and Detectors
Week 10: Making Bits
Week 11: Storing Bits
Week 12: Processing Bits
Week 13: Sending Bits
Week 14: Review for Final

Course Materials: The Way Things Work Now by David Macaulay, ISBN: 978-0544824386 (https://amzn.to/3qoQTt1 or BookFinder.com).

Homework: Each week students will be required to read a selection from the textbook, take a short 10-question quiz, and try to find and examine a machine in their own house that uses the principles talked about in class.