Summary
Nearly 200 years ago, Ada Lovelace imagined that a machine could follow written instructions to do more than math — making her the world's first computer programmer.
Viewer safety
All ages
Our rating is a quick teacher-to-teacher guide — preview before showing.
Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
Nearly 200 years ago, Ada Lovelace imagined that a machine could follow written instructions to do more than math — making her the world's first computer programmer.
- What did Ada Lovelace imagine a machine could do?
- Why is it amazing that she had these ideas before real computers existed?
- What is a 'program' or set of instructions for a machine?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: program, instructions, computer.
Try it: Write a short list of exact steps ('turn left, take 3 steps') to guide a friend across the room.