Introduction | The Task | Resources | The Process
Learning Advice | Conclusion

Introduction

You are beginning your study of the history of computers, and the people and products which made that history. You are going to use the new information you will obtain from the Internet and classroom resources to complete various tasks.

The Task

As a group, you are going to create a class presentation of the person for whom your table is named, i.e. Gates, Babbage, Hopper, etc. This presentation will be the first of many this year, as well as a good introduction or review of computing history.

Resources

Aside from the resources available in the classroom, you are going to use various resources available to you on the Internet.
bulletA Top Ten List?: This a where you can start your research with links specific to your needs. Are these ten people the most important in computing history? You decide.
bulletThe Machine That Changed the World - Did it change the world even more than the automobile?
bulletA History of Computers - Just what it says, an outlined history of computers.
bulletVisionaries of the Decade - The people whose ideas have had a profound impact on computing in the 1990s--and whose influence will be felt well into the next century.
bulletGroundbreaking Ideas - The consumer products that have had a powerful influence on computing in the 1990s--and that will continue to do so well into the next century
bulletBiography.com - Search the A&E television network's database from their series Biography.
bullet"They said what?" - Some fun and surprising quotes from computing history.
bulletFounders Gallery - Gallery of computing founders, and what they found.

The Process

  1. Using the resources available in the classroom make notes about the person for whom your table is named.
  2. Visit the locations on the Internet listed above and make notes from information found at each site.
  3. Make a chronological list of the important of points in your person's life and career.
  4. Additionally, each group must select a Person or a Product which you think had the greatest impact on computing today and in the future. After your group has selected that person or product, briefly explain why you think they are considered a visionary person or an influential product.
  5. Once your group has all the information you consider most important, prepare a 5 minute presentation in which you all present your findings to your classmates.

Learning Advice

  1. Remember to make sure that you present their biographical history in the correct chronological order. Be sure to use your best researching, note taking, and cooperative group skills while preparing for the presentation.
  2. During the presentation, all group members must have a speaking part (Remember, use your best speaking voice.) in the presentation. Make your presentation as creative and imaginative as you like.

Conclusion

By using various resources and through your group's presentation, you and  your classmates, have introduced each other to how these ten individuals have contributed to the history of computing, and a glimpse at what lies in store for the future of computing. Additionally, you have learned how best to use the Internet as a research tool.

Class Resource Page

 

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