This illustrated demonstration from the NOVA Web site explains the concepts of buoyancy and density by showing what happens when different kinds of wood blocks are dropped in water.
Includes the basics of digital logical design, computer organization and architecture including assembly language, processor design, memory hierarchies and pipelining. Students examine the detailed construction of a very simple computer. Problem sets use Beta-Sim, a RISC simulator written by Mike Wessler. A higher level view of a modern RISC architecture is studied, using the Patterson and Hennessey introductory text, from both the programmer's point of view and the hardware designer's point of view. The distinction between RISC and CISC architectures is emphasized.
This diagram from the NOVA: "Kingdom of the Seahorse" Web site reveals some of the more remarkable traits of this enigmatic creature.
Teaches basics of designing a dynamic web site with a database back end, including scripting languages, cookies, SQL, and HTML with the goal of building such a site as the main (group) project Emphasizes computer-human interface and the graphical display of information. Crucial to the project is the identification of a client with whom the group must work with throughout the month, designing specifications, implementing them, reviewing and evaluating, and testing. This is a real-life client who intends to host the site for the purposes of building a community.
