Lesson Ideas
Ada Lovelace
She was known by many names, but whatever you call her, she was one talented lady! In this BrainPOP movie, Tim and Moby introduce you to Ada Lovelace, whom many historians credit as being the first computer programmer. You’ll learn all about her early years, including her famous father, her battle against a major illness, and her early studies in mathematics. You’ll also discover how Lovelace’s teachers introduced her to a world rarely opened to girls and women in the 19th century. And you’ll meet mathematician and inventor Charles Babbage, whose calculating machines inspired Lovelace and led to her most famous contribution to computer science. It’s a lovely story, so click on the link and learn!
Women Who Made a Difference: Tell a Story Lesson Plan
This lesson plan, adaptable for grades 3-12, invites students to explore BrainPOP resources to learn about a great woman in history, the share her story by describing the effects of her actions. This lesson plan is aligned to Common Core State Standards. See more »
Digital Citizenship Creative Coding Lesson Plan
In this lesson plan, adaptable for grades 3-12, students explore BrainPOP resources to learn about topics related to digital citizenship. Then they’ll show what they know about the topic by completing one of BrainPOP’s four Creative Coding projects: Stop Motion Animation, Meme, Newscast, and Doodle Augmented Reality. This lesson plan is aligned to Common Core State Standards. See more »
Computer Coding Lesson Plan: Blockly Maze Game
In this lesson plan which is adaptable for grades 3-12, students use BrainPOP resources (including an online game) to explore computer coding, algorithms, and programming. This lesson plan is aligned to Common Core State Standards. See more »
Logo Programming Game Lesson Plan: Turtle Academy
In this lesson plan which is adaptable for grades 3-8, students use BrainPOP resources (including an online game) to explore the popular computer programming language Logo.
This lesson plan is aligned to Common Core State Standards. See more »
Creative Programming Lesson Plan: 15 Blocks Game
In this lesson plan which is adaptable for grades 3-12, students use BrainPOP resources (including an online game) to learn about programming. Through the game Tynker: 15 Blocks Challenge, students will create a simple computer app using no more than 15 blocks. This lesson plan is aligned to Common Core State Standards. See more »
Computer Programming Basics Lesson Plan: Tynker Games
In this lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades 3-12, students use BrainPOP resources (including online coding games) to learn about computer programming. This lesson plan is aligned to Common Core State Standards. See more »
Inventions Lesson Plan: The Origins of Computers and Other Technology
In this lesson plan which is adaptable for grades 6-8, students use BrainPOP resources to explore the history of the computer and how it has changed our lives and affected other inventions. This lesson plan is aligned to Common Core State Standards. See more »
Great Women in History Lesson Plan: Women’s Rights and Female Historical Figures
In this lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades 3-12, students use BrainPOP resources to explore how women's rights have evolved throughout history. Students will select an important woman in history and identify key accomplishments in her life, then share research findings through a presentation and/or web 2.0 tools. This lesson plan is aligned to Common Core State Standards. See more »
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3 comments
I think it is important for students to learn about the contributions women have made to STEM fields. It could inspire the next Ada Lovelace. I would have students watch the BrainPOP movie, play the Time Zone X game to expand their knowledge and make it interactive. Then I would have students create their own VR application using Blockly or JavaScript programming in CoSpaces Edu. Students could also work in Code.org App Lab to create their own app or remix an existing one. This could also lead to a writing activity for students to get curious and creative, predicting or inventing their own technology they would like to see exist 50 years from now. A “What if…?” prompt would work well.
I love how the lesson plans don’t just stop at exploring computer programming. They’ve got history lessons and ela lessons involved here as well. I would love to see connections to other STEM content areas as well. Connect it to solving math problems, or the science behind the computer (for older students) perhaps.
This year I used Ada Lovelace to introduce the biography genre. She is also an inspiration to anyone who has overcome a disability or illness. After reading the book, I had the students create a list of questions they would ask her if she were alive today. The students then researched to see if they could find an answer to their question. Using the new Make-a-Movie activity will definitely be added to next year’s plans.