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A COMPLETE SAMPLE · AGES 7–9

The Quiet Workshop

About 5 minutes · Helping others · Imagined scenes are marked; real facts link to their sources.

READY WHEN YOU AREPart 1 of 14

The Quiet Workshop

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Imagined

In our imagined story, a young explorer came upon a quiet workshop at the edge of a dream. There were paper wheels, little wooden levers, and a notebook open on a table. Nothing hurried. Nothing rattled. A small sign, written in the explorer’s own handwriting, said: What could you make to help?

Al-Jazari designed automatic machines, including clocks and handwashing devices.

Imagined

The explorer imagined a machine for carrying a kind note across a table. A little wheel would turn. A folded paper tray would move. At the far end, someone would find a message that said: I am glad you are here. The explorer drew an arrow to show where the message should begin its journey.

His book described 50 mechanical devices, including water clocks.

Tomorrow’s wonder

What could you build to help someone at home?

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