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Resources: Ada Lovelace Worksheet, Ada Lovelace Answer Key
Warm-Up (5 minutes) 1 Ask students to describe the first computer they ever used and say how it is different
from ones we use today. Then ask what computers had looked like before that.
Students should pay particular attention to size in their descriptions of the first
computers. Also elicit that the early computers were not personal computers.
2 Allow students to discuss in groups and make guesses, especially in relation to the
dates.
Reading (20 minutes) 3 To encourage scanning, give students a time limit of three minutes to complete this
activity.Key:
3 a Charles Babbage, b 1837, c early 1940s, d Ada Lovelace, e 1843
4 Elicit that dates are much easier to scan for than ages because numbers stand out
against the text. Point out that the dates are not in chronological order in the text but
that a timeline must be. Ask them what kind of reading they should be doing when
they are creating the timeline. Elicit that they have scanned for the date but need to
read the sentences around the date more carefully. Key: 4 1815 – Ada was born in London
1816 – Ada’s parents separated 1824 – Ada’s father died
1833 – Ada met Charles Babbage 1837 – Babbage began work on plans for the Analytical Engine 1843 – Ada published a description of the Analytical Engine 1843 – Ada developed a computer programming language 1852 – Ada died
1871 – Babbage died Early 1940s – first computers were built 1980s – Programming language developed for the US Department of Defence and named after Ada.
5 Students will be able to explain many of the connections from their timelines. Key: 5 Composing music – Ada predicted that computers would be able to compose music
Mathematics – Ada’s mum taught her to love mathematics Charles Babbage – Ada wrote a description of the Analytical Engine; she understood
the importance of his invention; she wrote a language which could be used to program his Analytical Engine.
The English poet, Lord Byron – He was Ada’s father The US Department of Defence – They use a programming language named after her
Modern computers – she understood that computers would one day have the power to change the world
Vocabulary (10 minutes) 7 Students use the context and their knowledge of word parts to put the words in the
correct columns. Point out that –ing is not always the sign of an adjective. ‘Program’
is not the American spelling of ‘programme’ – TV programmes in the UK have a
different spelling, but computer ‘programs’ are spelt the same in the UK and the US.
Elicit that a ‘programmer’ is a person but that a ‘calculator’ is not. Discuss how the
-able suffix gives the meaning of ‘something which can be’. Elicit other words with this
ending: breakable, washable, understandable, reasonable, etc. Elicit that -ific
indicates a word is an adjective. Elicit other words with this ending, e.g. horrific,