History of timepieces

In the beginning of the lecture, students will learn about the history and roles of different kinds of timepieces. Clocks, which are useful in many aspects of our daily lives, are not natural; they were created by humans. What kind of quest did humankind undertake in order to understand the concept of Time? In this lecture, children will learn about the evolution of ancient time measurement, starting with the first timepiece, a sundial created roughly 7,000 years ago.

10 second experiment

If the timepieces we take for granted today were to disappear, how would we be able to measure time? We will conduct an experiment to create an accurate 10-second measure of time using everyday objects such as a scrubbing brush, sand, water, string, and a tape measure. Based on the results of the experiment, students will learn the law of producing accurate time (cycles x number).

Pendulum and clock

Students will learn about the history of humankind’s quest to create more accurate clocks, how the “isochronism of the pendulum,” which is taught in 5th grade science courses, led to the creation of accurate clocks, and how they evolved into portable timepieces and then increasingly accurate timepieces.

Inside a mechanical watch

Students will use a magnifying glass to see the movements of the tiny parts that make up a mechanical watch. By learning the names and seeing the number of parts in a sample watch, they will come to understand the complex mechanism that makes an accurate timepiece such a rare item. They will also set the time on a mechanical watch and learn about the structure and different types of watches that exist.

Watchmaker experience

Students will come to understand first-hand the the exceptional manual skills of a master watchmaker who operates within the intricate micro-structure of a mechanical watch. The students will play a game, using tweezers to pick up the same kind of small screws used in mechanical watches and inserting them into a tiny hole with a diameter of less than 1 mm. They will compete to see who can insert the most screws in 30 seconds.