This is one of our most popular classes, as it gives students a chance to see what’s going on “under the hood”. We will begin by explaining and demonstrating the safety precautions that must be taken when working with computers. We will then look at the major components of a computer, how they relate to each other, and what they do; we do this from a critical perspective so that students begin to develop an understanding for what makes some computers better than others. We will show, in particular, how motherboards have evolved since their introduction over 20 years ago. We will explain the difference between memory and disk, and students will be given a chance to install and remove memory. After the hands-on portion, we will present a video which demonstrates how one can build one’s own computer. Finally, we will present a checklist for building a computer, along with useful websites, stores, and other resources. Whether or not the student ever builds their own computer, this course is really fun and educational, because it gives students an appreciation for what’s in that “beige box”. It also demonstrates how the previously-learned fundamentals (such as those learned in Computer/Technology 201, 202, and even 203 and 204) come into play.