What Were The First Computers Like?

 

 

Could this be one?

You are a member of a group of historians from a large university. The Dean of the History Department has assigned  the department the task of investigating the history of computing. Every member of the History Department will be involved in the task. Groups will be assigned and each group will have a goal of discovering and presenting information about a person, an event, or a thing that made or was a significant contribution to the history of computing. Groups will consist of two or three members and will be determined by "luck of the draw."

           Pcclone2.wmf (7174 bytes)    The Task

Dr. Historybuff has assigned members of his department to research and report on significant contributors/ contributions to the evolution of computing. To help expand the understanding of the history of computing, the professor has asked you to select from the following choices:

  • Charles Babbage
  • Ada Lovelace
  • The abacus
  • John Atanasoff
  • John Mauchly                                                                 
  • Blaise Pascal                                                                 
  • Dr. John Von Neumann
  • Jacquard's Loom
  • Joseph Leibnitz
  • Stonehenge
  • Herman Hollerith

Each group is to choose three of the above and examine their importance and how they might be linked to each other.

                    Resources

Department members are to use the following links to research and expand their understanding of the contributors or the contributions importance in the development of computers.

Here are the sites you may find helpful:

Charles Babbage this site contains biographical information.
Ada Byron King Countess of Lovelace contains biographical information and pictures.
John W. Mauchly an Exhibition in the Department of Special Collections at the University of Pennsylvania Van Pelt Library, University of Pennsylvania
Blaise Pascal French mathematician who invented first calculator


Stonehenge this site contains biographical information and pictures.
History of Computing/The Abacus electronic computers made simple.
Dr. John Von Neumann this site contains biographical information.

Jacquard's Loom this site contains biographical information.
Past Notable Women of Computing & Mathematics a site devoted to notable women of computing history.
A Chronology of Computer History: a timeline on the history of the computer.
The Virtual Museum of Computing take a peak at this museum and take a look at the past.

A Brief History of Computer Technology a great site for information.
John Atanasoff a look at this pioneer's life and contributions to the history of the computer.
John Louis von Neumann this site contains information biographical information.
Yahoo! Search Engine

Offline Resources                                                          

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Compton's Multimedia Encyclopedia
Grolier's Encyclopedia
Local Libraries
Computer Science Teachers/ Professors

                        The Process 

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1. To assist you in your research endeavors, explore the above sites and sources.
2. Document all pertinent information in your research journal. You must explore at least 5 web sites per topic and two print sources, and  must  include a bibliography of all your sources in the ALA style.
3. After completing your research, prepare a report to be presented at the annual history conference. You may use the presentation tool of your choice.

 " ">   Conclusion

This task will enable you to expand your and your students' understanding of how computing has reached the importance it now plays in our lives.

This page written by Anthony Freund

March 2005 by Trisha Armstrong