7th Grade History Of Computer Lesson Plan Example

Topic: History of Computer

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to identify and explain the different milestones in the development of computers.

Materials

• Computer with internet access or a computer-based presentation
• Handouts with information on the different milestones in the development of computers

Warm-up

• Ask the students to list the different kinds of computers that they are familiar with.
• Write the names of the different computers on the board.
• Ask the students to share what they know about the development of computers.
• Write their responses on the board.

Direct Instruction

• Begin by explaining that before there were electronic computers, there were mechanical computers.
• Show the students the different mechanical computers, such as the slide rule, pascaline, and leibniz calculator.
• Explain how these devices work and the limitations of each.
• Next, introduce the concept of the punched card.
• Show the students examples of punched cards and explain how they were used to control the operation of mechanical computers.
• Next, introduce the concept of the computer program.
• Explain that a program is a set of instructions that tells the computer what to do.
• Explain that early programs were written by hand, but later they were created using the programming language.
• Next, introduce the concept of the computer hardware.
• Explain that hardware is the physical components of the computer, such as the CPU, memory, and input/output devices.
• Finally, introduce the concept of the computer's operating system.
• Explain that the operating system is the set of processes and services that make up the foundation of the computer's operation.

Guided Practice

• Have the students work in pairs or small groups to complete a series of questions about the history of mechanical computers.
• These questions could be written on a handout or on the board.
• After the students have had time to work on the questions, have them share their answers with the class.
• As a class, go over the answers and discuss the concepts discussed.

Independent Practice

• Assign each student or group a specific mechanical computer to research and create a project on.
• This project can be in the form of a written report, a presentation, or a demonstration of the computer in action.
• Allow the students a period of time (possibly a couple of weeks) to complete their projects.

Closure

• Review the main points of the lesson, emphasizing the key developments in the field of mechanical computers.
• Ask the students to share their projects with the class.

Assessment

• The students will be assessed on their participation in class activities and the completion of their projects.
• The evaluation of the students' understanding of the topic will be based on a quiz or a written and oral presentation.