Summary
How did we get from punchcards to PDAs? Find out in this BrainPOP movie, as Tim and Moby guide you through the history of computers. See examples of early counting devices and discover what the earliest programmable machines did. Find out how punch cards became the earliest form of programming, and how this technology was used during the United States’ 1890 census. Learn about three of the very earliest computers, and watch as developing technology shrank the computer down from 10,000 pounds to the size of your fingernail. Finally, discover two inventions that made computers practical and accessible, and learn about the technology that’s just around the corner!
Viewer safety
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Computer History:
- What is one new thing you learned about computer history?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining computer history.
- Draw or give one example of your own.