Week-Long Free-Software Class for Kids?

mmol_6453 asks: "I have the opportunity to submit a plan for a week-long class about 'Alternative Operating Systems' to our local community college's Computer Camp. The students will be aged 8-16. We've had classes attended by students who used Linux, but we've never set up a class with alternatives as options. We've found that students in this age range, when interested in the material, can absorb a great deal of information in a short time. This means there's a lot of potential to teach them about Linux, *BSD, and open-source. We often get extremely bright students here, the kind who are likely to go out and earn $80,000/yr in a post-90s economy. Some of them are even on Slashdot. I want to give the rest a boost in the right direction."

"Considering that the great deal of material to choose from, I need to ask the Slashdot Community its advice:

1. Do they need to know how to install the OS first, or should I let them look that up on their own while I make them power-users?
2. What distributions of Linux and BSD should they be first introduced to? (I'm only familiar with Debian, and I know virtually nil about *BSD.)
3. Initially, do they need to be more adept at the GUI, or do they first need to know how to use the shell?
4. Should I give away Debian CDs no-questions-asked, or should I talk with the almighty Parents so little Daniel doesn't install Linux over Dad's 'work computer.'
5. Are there any other key issue I need to think about?"

Comments

Help the kids

[workindev]

If you really want to help the kids, turn them around and take them outside. Give them a ball to play with and invite some girls over. Any 8 year old that spends time thinking about the Linux kernal is destined to be a lifelong virgin.