STEM: Engineering, Physics, Electronics, Programming Hands-On Course - Beginner

If you are looking for a deep dive consistent course for hands on engineering, physics, electronics, and programming, you found it! This is truly a unique offering! Please read the complete description below to understand this ccourse. 

This course is a deep dive into understanding of design concepts with physics, electronics, (and eventually computer control in the advanced course). We will be using weekly real world hands-on projects, designed mostly by the students themselves, to demonstrate principles and concepts of electricity, physics, and computers. We will be moving slowly, giving plenty of time for discussion and questions to make sure the concepts are fully understood. The goal here is understanding of how things work, and how parts work together to create a whole, utilizing things like physical gears and levers and motors, driven by electricity, controlled by electronic components like switches, accelerators, resistors, batteries, and eventually adding in computer control of those devices. 

This is not a simple "follow these instructions and build this thing" course.  The students will be expected to design and build their own projects to the requirements given and using the principles discussed in class. To do this will require full understanding of the concepts  and principles of engineering. 

At the heart of the course is the kit called "LAB-BOX" which contains the electronic components and connections.  THIS KIT IS A REQUIREMENT FOR TAKING THIS COURSE, BE SURE TO ORDER SOON ENOUGH TO HAVE IT FOR FIRST CLASS SESSION!  There will be extra common materials required for each project, at the discretion of the learner and their own design for the project. This fosters individuality around a common understanding and project. The extra materials should be readily available around the house or a local hobby or hardware store and deciding on these materials is part of the design process of engineering. 

In this course, the learners will build relationships with each other and the teacher. Group discussions and brainstorming is a key component, followed by individual activity and creation between live classes.  The class size is kept relatively small to foster more relationship and more individual attention for all. 

There are three levels between this course and follow-up courses.  This is the beginner course where the foundation is built. Next is the intermediate course, another 10 weeks and an expansion kit to bring in more components to build with. Then finally the advanced kit, that brings in a computer controller to add computer logic and programming to the final 10 weeks.  Each 10 week course is purchased separately and requires an expansion to the original LabBox Kit.  All together the three courses give 30 weeks of total instruction across an entire year on a common and expanding theme.

In the background of the official three main projects, each student will be expected to create a "secret class project" of their own design, to be unveiled in the final class on week 10. This is where more advanced students can really shine and explore on their own beyond that we do in class. 

General Course Flow:
There will be three major group projects within the 10 week course, plus one private "secret class project".  Each major project will start simple, and then expand in additional phases, just as engineering often happens in the "real world". The initial designs must be sturdy enough to withstand change and improvement in subsequent phases. 

For each major project:
First Week:
     Introduction of initial project
     Explanation of new components and concepts
     Discussion on design concepts
     Commissioning of build time
Subsequent Weeks: 
     Review of initial designs
      Introduction of next project phase
     Explanation of new components and concepts
     Discussion on design concepts
     Commissioning of build time

Outline of the Course Projects:
Week 1: Introductions and LabBox principles and basic electricity flow
              Begin First Project - Build a flashlight
              Basic flashlight design and concepts of power, battery, LED's, lenses

Week 2: Flashlight version 2.0
               Make flashlight dimmable
               Create automatic on/off on touch
               Multi-color control

Week 3: Review flashlight build
               Draw a proper schematic for the flashlight circuit
               Draw a dimensional diagram of the flashlight build
               Review all previous concepts

Week 4: Learn how Servo motors work
               Pulse Width Modulation
               Speed vs torque
               Positional vs Continuous servos
               Project Two: Build something using servos to move something

Week 5: Project Three: Window blind 
               Build a model with a window and shutter on servo

Week 6: Window Blind Auto light control
                Add a light sensor to automatically control the window
                Change polarity to light / dark
      
Week 7: Project Four - Remote Control Car
               Design a simple car based on gear motors
               Ability to move forward / backward

Week 8: Add Remote Control 
               Add Steering
               Create remote control via light

Week 9: Project Five - Secret (mad scientist) Class Project !
               Using what has been learned, create any self designed project 

Week 10: Secret Class Projects Demonstration
                 Q & A
                 Review