touque.ca > Education Commons > 2018-06

Hardware Project

Working in pods, you’ll explore the physical components of a computer. Your final product will be a validated, standards-compliant website which documents your exploration with an interesting and educational story; the story will use the terms of the basic computer glossary, basic network glossary, and other terms. Work will be evaluated according to this markscheme.

Step 0: Priming the pump

Watch Jayme Gutierrez’s musical revelation that sometimes it’s a lot more complicated than you’d think to clean a laptop’s fan!

Step 1: Understanding your responsibilities

Each pod will be responsible for writing its own text and code, and for acquiring its own still and (optional) moving images.

Note that video production requires a lot of time. If you decide to include moving images in your story, you are encouraged—but not required—to concentrate your efforts on a curated collection of still images presented with the Ken Burns effect.

Step 2: Planning

  1. Brainstorm and discuss possible story lines.
  2. Sketch the outline of your story: characters, setting, plot, conflict, resolution. You may find this brief summary Adobe Reader icon helpful.
  3. Discuss possible styles, for your website, which will complement your story.

Step 3: Adoption

  1. Adopt a system unit and monitor.
  2. Obtain the requisite supplies from the Computing Clubhouse.
  3. Find and download the manufacturer’s technical manuals for your system unit. Ensure that each pod member has her/his own copy of the manuals.
  4. Document the technical specifications of your equipment for inclusion within your story.
  5. As instructed in class, confirm that your system unit boots correctly.

Step 4: Tear-down and build-up

If you are uncertain at any time, ask before you act!

  1. Use the technical manuals to plan the tear-down of your system unit. Note: the monitor will not be torn down.
  2. Disassemble the system unit and, in your notes, describe each part.
  3. Take care to secure all connectors, cables, clips, screws, and other small components.
  4. Take many, many photos so that you’ll have lots of raw material for your website.
  5. Take particular care with the CPU and RAM: their ribbon connectors are easily broken.
  6. Note again: Take particular care with the CPU and RAM. Their ribbon connectors are easily broken.
  7. Do not separate the CPU from its heat sink.
  8. Note again: Do not separate the CPU from its heat sink.
  9. Once the system-unit shell has been emptied, document this fact and gain approval from your teacher.
  10. Rebuild the system unit.
  11. Demonstrate to your teacher that your system unit boots correctly.
  12. Take many, many photos so that you’ll have lots of raw material for your website.

If you are uncertain at any time, ask before you act!

Step 5: Storage & clean-up

  1. Return your hardware and supplies to the Computing Clubhouse.
  2. Restore the lab to its normal configuration.

Step 6: Documentation

  1. Polish your pod’s validated, standards-compliant website.
  2. Post your website on the World Wide Web.
  3. Mark your website according to the markscheme.
  4. Mark the website of two other pods.
  5. Submit in writing the link to your website, your pod’s self-evaluation, and the evaluation of the two other pods’ websites.

Supplies

Each pod will be provided the following supplies:

touque.ca > Education Commons > 2018-06

[This page last updated 2020-12-23 at 13h09 Toronto local time.]

red horizontal rule
© 2007–2024 Hersch, Bear & Company Limited. All rights reserved. “Grammar Authority,” “grammarauthority.com,” “touque.ca,” and “Canada’s Thinking Cap” are trademarks of Hersch, Bear & Company Limited. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.
Privacy Policy | Licence to Copy | How to cite | Contact us