Week-Long History of Computers Unit Study for High School (FREE PRINTABLE)

The History of Computers

This unit is appropriate for grades 9-12, but can be tailored to fit a family-style learning format.  It is designed to be used in a single week OR in a Fun Friday format, completing one day of the unit each week of the month.  Visit the Subscribers Page for a printable PDF version. 

For extra enrichment, try your hand at building a computer!  To tailor for additional middle or elementary school family members, work with the Everything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook.

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Day 1: From Counting Tools to the First Machines

Activities:

• Read/Watch:

  • Brief History of Computers

  • Watch: The First Computer: Crash Course Computer Science

• Research Focus:

  • Who was Ada Lovelace, and why is she considered the first programmer?

  • What was the Analytical Engine, and why was it important?

• Journal Prompt:

  • “What do you think it would be like to invent a machine no one had ever seen before?”

• Creative Option:

  • Draw or digitally sketch an early computing device and label its parts.

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Day 2: The Rise of Electrical Machines (1800s–1940s)

Activities:

• Watch/Read:

  • Video: Crash Course Computer Science: Early Programming

  • Read Turing, Churchill, and Colossus

• Mini Bio Research:

  • Choose a historical figure: Alan Turing, Grace Hopper, or Herman Hollerith.

  • Create a short bio card: picture, time period, what they invented or contributed.

• Interactive Option:

  • Try a Turing Test-style challenge or code-breaking puzzle online.

• Journal Prompt:

  • “How did wartime needs drive innovation in computer technology?”

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Day 3: The Birth of Modern Computers (1940s–1960s)

Activities:

• Watch/Read:

  • Video: Crash Course – Electronic Computers

  • Read: The Women Behind ENIAC

• Visual Timeline Activity:

  • Create a timeline from ENIAC to IBM 360, including photos or illustrations

• Explore:

  • Research how computers shifted from government labs to business applications

• Journal Prompt:

  • “What made computers go from experimental machines to tools used in business and science?”

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Day 4: The Personal Computer Revolution (1970s–1990s)

Activities:

• Watch/Read:

  • Video: The Personal Computer Revolution – Crash Course

  • Read: Who Stole Technology?

• Comparison Chart:

  • Compare Apple I, IBM PC, and Commodore 64 — features, cost, audience

• Journal Prompt:

  • “How did personal computers change everyday life for families and students?”

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Day 5: From the Web to AI – The Digital Age (1990s–Today)

Activities:

• Watch/Read:

  • Video: Crash Course – The Internet

  • Read: A Short History of the Web

• Discussion Prompt:

  • “What are the biggest challenges and benefits of today's connected world?”

• Final Project:

  • Create a timeline, infographic, or slideshow showing:

    • 5–10 key moments in computer history

    • Include images, captions, and why each moment matters

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Optional Resources & Tools

Video:

• The Imitation Game 

Books:

• Code: The Hidden Language of Computer Hardware and Software by Charles Petzold (advanced)

• The Innovators by Walter Isaacson

• Girls Who Code by Reshma Saujani

Pick up the ENTIRE SERIES right now - plus several bonus units - in our Cottage Shop.

These units are appropriate for grades 9-12, but can be tailored to fit a family-style learning format.  They are designed to be used in a single week OR in a Fun Friday format, completing one day of the unit each week of the month.  Each day takes 1-2 hours. This bundle includes the basic twelve, tailored to each month of the year, plus EIGHT bonus units!