Physics of Everyday Life: Computers and Communication

Computers. They are everywhere. You're even using one right now. Have you ever thought about how they work?

Join me for 4 weeks of fascinating discussions as we explore diverse questions about how computers work and communicate. We will ask questions like:
-- What is a computer?
-- How do computers store information?
-- What does it mean to "write code"?
-- Why can computers combine with communications technology?
-- How was the internet invented?
-- Why are computers getting more and more powerful?

We will get to know the scientists and the engineers who worked to bring about the information age. This class features dynamic class discussions oriented towards answering students' questions and hands-on experiments between class meetings to explore how circuits work. Class discussions center on an organizing question and include video clips to illustrate key ideas. As the discussion facilitator, I adjust the trajectory of our conversations to follow students' curiosity, making this a great class for kids who love to go deeper with their learning. 

In general, our discussions will flow along the following outline*
Week 1: What challenges did scientists and engineers encounter when they developed the first information and communication technologies?
Week 2: What is a computer? Why are computers a part of information and communication technologies?
Week 3: How can ON and OFF be transformed into information?
Week 4: What are some current controversies in information and communication technologies?
* Note: The exact organizing question of a given week might be slightly different across sections to accommodate specific learner interests. Learners who are especially eager to explore the science and history of computing would be welcome to repeat this class as the outline is organized by category of inquiry rather than a specific question. Example of more specific questions might be "How did the US census require advances in computing?" which would fall under the category of a Week 1 question and "Why are some forms of computer memory more durable than others?" which would fall under the category of a Week 3 question.

To complete the hands-on activities, students should have access to basic electronics supplies. If students already have an electronics kit like Snap Circuits, the Electronic Playground, or an Arduino Starter Kit, those electronics components will work for this class. If you're looking at equipping your learner with a starter electronics set, I recommend the Junior Genius Blinky Lights Kit at https://juniorgeniuskits.com/store/blinky-lights as this resource does a great job supporting students with building circuits on a breadboard.