A-3 Computer: a history

A-3 The History of Computers

In this lesson, students will learn about the history of computers, from the first electronic machines in the mid 1900s up through the development of smartphones and wearable technology.

Do Now (5 minutes)

TEACHER GUIDANCE:

• • This video discusses some complex concepts fairly quickly, so be sure to drive home the main point about transistors making the computer work much faster and more efficiently, especially compared to the original computers they will learn about in today’s activity.

  • Electric voltages are used by computers to store, process, and output data. A high voltage is represented as “true” or a 1, a low (or no) voltage is represented as “false” or a 0.

  • Early computers like the ENIAC used vacuum tubes, including diodes and triodes. These vacuum tubes were unreliable (they burned out frequently), bulky (they made the ENIAC large and heavy), and consumed a lot of energy.

  • Transistors, which use a semiconductor instead of electrodes, replaced vacuum tubes. It’s advantages are its small size and efficiency (more durable, uses less power, lasts longer).

Mini-Lesson (5-10 minutes)

1. Review information learned about what makes a computer a computer from the prior Intersession B lessons.

2. Provide a brief overview of the Timeline of Computer History from the Computer History Museum website

3. Students work independently on the scavenger hunt.

TEACHER GUIDANCE: An answer key for the Timeline of Computer History scavenger hunt can be found here.

Close-Out (5 minutes)

• 1. Discuss the following questions:

     • What was the original use of computers?

     • How have computers changed from when they were first developed?

• • What were some obstacles that prohibited access to the first computers? How did people overcome these obstacles?

TEACHER GUIDANCE: Computers were originally used solely for solving mathematical equations. Computers have become significantly smaller, faster, more affordable, and more user-friendly since they were first developed. Some obstacles that prohibited access to the first computers include the size of the machine (often the size of an entire room), weight (they weighed several tons), and cost. Plus, computers were originally owned by universities and laboratories; only when computers became smaller, faster, and less expensive were they readily available for personal use and ownership.

Standards CSTA

• • CSTA 2-CS-02: Design projects that combine hardware and software components to collect and exchange data.

  • CSTA 2-IC-20: Compare tradeoffs associated with computing technologies that affect people's everyday activities and career options.