ELL-W101: Summer Electronics Course for Youth

Join us for 6-week summer electronics course for youth ages 12-15.  The course is based on the book Make: Electronics (2nd Ed.) by Charles Platt.  (The book can be purchased for $25 or it's free for a PDF version).

• Week 1 - Electricity is a Flow: (Experiments 1–2) Taste electricity safely (9V battery on tongue), learn what voltage and current mean. Analogy: electricity is water flowing through a pipe. Introduce the multimeter — measure voltage on batteries and household items.
• Week 2 - Resistance and Ohm's Law: (Experiments 3–5) Use resistors to control current. Build simple circuits on a breadboard. Measure resistance; confirm Ohm's Law (V = IR) with hands-on readings. Analogy: a resistor is a narrow spot in the pipe.
• Week 3 — Switches, Relays, and Automatic Control: (Experiments 6–8) Wire toggle and pushbutton switches. Build a relay circuit — let a small current control a big one. Explore a simple oscillator that blinks an LED. Analogy: a relay is a drawbridge you raise with a small handle to let big trucks cross.
• Week 4 — Capacitors, Transistors, Light & Sound: (Experiments 9–11) - See how a capacitor stores and releases charge (the water-tank analogy). Use a transistor as a switch and amplifier. Build a circuit that makes light and sound react to signals.
• Week 5 — Magnetism and Coils: (Experiments 25–26) Explore permanent magnets and electromagnetic fields. Wind a coil and watch it respond to a changing magnetic field. Analogy: a coil is like a spinning waterwheel — movement makes electricity.
• Week 6 — Generating Your Own Power: (Experiment 28 + Wrap-Up) Build a tabletop generator; feel the resistance when a load is connected. Recap all six weeks — from Ohm's Law to generating electricity. Students demo one concept of their choice to the class.

**Safety note** All experiments run at 9V or less.

All materials will be provided.  Students will work in teams and share kits. If a student would like to work on experiments at home, they can purchase their own kit from Amazon for $100 to $160. (Kit Pack 1 mirrors Experiments 1–11 in Chapters 1 & 2 of the book and includes a digital multi-meter and batteries.)

This course is intended for students aged 12-15. 

The class will meeting in the basement classrom of the Leesburg location.  

Parents must sign this waiver and include the name and grade of the child participating in this class. Complete the Waiver Form prior to coming to class. To fill out the form online, go to: https://waiver.fr/p-NVPOj.

Questions? Contact the instructor Jeff Irland.