Lesson Plan: Computers Pervade Canada

Lesson Plan

Before Exploring

Draw a family-tree style flowchart or word web on the board or chart paper. Describe the flowchart or word web for the students and have them pair up to make their own family trees using the methods you've demonstrated.

Outline the Opportunity

Direct students to the topic Computer Invasion: A History of Automation in Canada on the CBC Digital Archives website. In pairs, have students review the clips titled:

"Meet ENIAC", "Mechanical brains", "Computer matchmaker", "A model employee", "IDA, the money machine", "TV-like machines replace...", "Kids and their computers", "A network called 'Internet'" and "David Suzuki discusses computer revolution."

Pairs can divide the clips between them to gather the facts they need to create a web or flowchart illustrating the pervasiveness of computers in Canadian society.

Pairs should select a topic on which to focus their presentation, such as how computers affected dating, education, or manufacturing. Students can prepare either a bristol board or a web page presentation.

Revisit and Reflect

Have students deliver their presentations to the class. After each presentation, ask the class: What has been the main effect of computers in this element of society? Do you think computers brought positive or negative changes? How do you think computers might further change this element of society in the future?

Extension

Students can choose any of the topics presented by their classmates and create a navigation chart for a website based on that topic (for example, a dating service, distance education, and so on). They can use a flowchart to show the route from the home page to the main pages to the secondary pages on the site.