I taught community education (evening, adults) classes in 'motorcycle and small engines' decades ago as a way to learn public speaking and teaching. I think I did it about 6 or 8 times. Still have all the gngines wrapped in garage and hope to get back to kids after school classes this fall.
Mine were not a 'shop class' per say, but designed to familiarize people with the basics, undeerstand terms, and take on some home mpr0ojects, mainly motorcycles .
Having hardware and cutaways s important, not just paper and lecture. I had assorted pistons, cams, rods, etc, and about 15 cutaway engines I made. I had two and four stroke mowers, small cox engine, larger RC model airplane engine, motorcycles two and four, small honda twin, a Harley Sprint four stroke, (many would be valuable now b ut junkyard then). Each one had a handout sheet with description, and color codinmg across the models (e.g. all exhaust ports or valves were red, etc.)
I ran 6 or 8 sessions, about 2 hrs each, one night a week. 6 would probably work now, with ignitions and carbs basically gone. Each week hadd a one page handout of the basic circuits, or skegtches of what was presented that night.
1. B asic engine parts, and four stroke cycle.
2. Review parts, and two stroke cycle. Combustion, normal, preignition, and detonation
3. Fuel delievery. Carburetors. Briggs engine, and Mikuni motorcycle ones, also cutaways. Fuel filters,.octane, Now would add fuel injection, and ethanol fuels.
4. Ignitions. Battery coil points, with a panel and circuit drawn where I could test light/VOM each point in a points system for testing. Dual coils. Spartk plugs, cutaways, heat range, 'reading' plugs. Now would add electronics, coil on plug.
5. Clutch, transmissions, final chain drives, shock absorbers, other motorcycle topics. Tires and ratings
6. Oil and fluids, selection and reading labels,. Basic maintenance and tuneup.
7 8 can't recall. One time I had open sessions for students to bring a project, did not work too well in my 'school room' situation.
What I do this fall will probably be a few sessions same as above, then a second series of hands on where they can bring a proje t. In that situation they can leave it there from day to day. In that situation, we have already done basic tools, bolts, threads, nailing, solderingh, etc for kids of all ages after school.
Lot of work, but I learndine so much orgainizing it and cutting up engines. It is one thing to know a lot and answer any question or problem. It is quite another to organize it and teach from a to z in a logical building order, with varying learningh styles and students. But I enjoyed and want to give back again.
good luck
kcj
