The Beginning of the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Age

We are currently living in the information age. From smartphones to the satellites that transmit their data, information technology is all around us. Students need to understand how our technology works and how they too could be the future engineers that design it. In this lesson, students will simulate create a telegraph machine to understand how information can be transferred from one location to another.

Students will learn how modern day communications began with the telegraph. They will build a telegraph and use it to understand how code can be used to send information through an insulated wire. Students will understand what an open and closed circuit is and how this simple concept was used to send complex messages around the globe. In addition, they will learn about the drawbacks of this technology and why it is not often used today.