Year 6 Computers: Past, Present and Future
Pupil Activity Code: CAQ4 – What is it?
Progression of skills in this pack:
1. Show awareness of how computers and digital technology helps us today.
2. Understand how technology has changed over time and represent it as an interactive timeline.
3. Understand the impact (positive/negative) technological changes have on society.
4. Predict how technology will change in the future.
National Curriculum Content
Design and create digital content to accomplish goals.
Use search technologies effectively and be discerning in evaluating digital content.
Introduction
These activities and resources allow pupils to think about and investigate how computers has changed over time. Pupils can also predict how computers will develop into the future.
đź› What do pupils and teachers need?
Pupils will share their findings using desktop publishing software such as Word, PowerPoint or Publisher. Pupils will need to access the Internet for research.
For teachers, there is a History of Computing display and PowerPoint sides which can both be downloaded below. There is also a Drone Lifeguard video and a video from the 1970s of a prediction being made about technology plus a video showing how robots are using in warehouses and a Technology; Then and Now video.
✅ Assessment ​
Pupils will create a document that demonstrates their understanding. Pupils should:
Find suitable images from the Internet
Combine images with text in desktop publishing software
Understand how technology improves tasks or makes tasks easier
Understand how technology changes over time and predict how it will change further
Show awareness of the limitations of technologyÂ
(Only Pupil Activity 1 and 2 below are included in the Pupil Activity Pack)
Pupil Activity 1 – Computers (Present)
Discuss with the pupils how they use computers and services in their lives now. Use the first slide in PowerPoint above as prompts. Watch the Drone Lifeguard video and video showing how robots are using in warehouses. Compare how the lifeguards and warehouses would work without the technology and how it is helping.
This video also compares many different pieces of technology, such as cars, cameras and computers, from the past with now.
Pupil Activities
Pupils can use the Internet and a desktop publishing tool to present the ways computers helps their lives and their family lives by finding images of the different devices/services, adding it to a document (Microsoft Word/PowerPoint, Google Docs, Apple Pages) and then using a text box to describe how they use that technology or their family does. Alternatively, pupils could use the unplugged worksheet below and draw the technology and write in the description.
History of Computers video timeline (large file, may take a while to load).
Discuss with the pupils if the computers they use today existed 30 years ago. Look at the History of Computing display (above), watch the video documentary timeline and discuss some of the inventions/developments. The display and documentary provides some really good talking points and key questions such as:
– How did children purchase and download computer games in the 1980s and 1990s (pre-Internet)? – Games were purchased on cassettes/floppy disc/cartridges/CDs in boxes from shops and inserted into computers.
How did people use computers when they always had to be connected to a wall?
Which inventions from the display/video do we still use now? Mouse, Windows, Mac etc.
Timeline Task
Pupils can create a timeline of their own computing history (the different computers/games consoles etc they have at home). Pupil can find images of the devices they have had at home and then research when/who/what/why. Alternatively, pupils could select 6-8 important moments from the History of Computing display/video to focus more research on. Pupils could use program such as PowerPoint, Word, Google Docs or Book Creator (see Year 5 Ebook Creation Activity Pack) to create a timeline.
How has technology changed in 30 years?
Below is a PDF worksheet for pupils to research 5 pieces of technology from the 1980s, pupils can write down what the technology was used for in the 1980s and how the same task is achieved now. e.g a walkman was used to listen to music on the move from a cassette while the same task is achieved now with an MP3 player or smartphone. Â
Teacher Input and Key Questions
Look at the slides 2-4 of the PowerPoint above which has scenes from Back to the Future II film. Explain that the film was made in 1985 and tried to predict what life would be like in 2015. Go through each image and discuss if the film predicted correctly.
Image 1: Fly Cars -Incorrect. We are now using electric cars and the beginning of self-drive cars but not flying cars
Image 2: Finger print payments– Correct. We now have services such as Apple Pay and Touch ID
Image 3: Hoverboards– Incorrect. This technology has been developed but not as described in the film and not used in the public.
Image 4: Automatic Lace-up trainers. Correct. These have now been made as of 2019,
Image 5: Plastic Surgery: Sort of. Plastic surgery is common but not, as described in the film, to peel off a face.
Image 6: Robotics and drones: Nearly correct. This is developing fast with drone deliveries from Amazon etc. Here you could watch the video of the Drone Lifeguards above and discuss how robots are going to be used more in the future.
Image 7: 3D Cinema. Correct
Image 8: Wearable technology. Correct. Google Glasses was introduced but failed to take off. Wearable technology is more on the wrist with smart watches.
Image 9: Video conference. Correct. Services such as Skype and FaceTime are used all over the world.
Image 10: Tablet Computing. Correct. In one scene, a tablet computer type device can be seen. However, the film failed to predict the smart phone.
You may also want to look at the Year 6 Machine Learning and AI activity pack, which includes aspects of the consequences of computers becoming more and more powerful in the future.
Pupil Activities
In small groups, pupils can discuss how the tasks/hobbies they perform today could be improved by technology in 30 years time. Will manual tasks we do today be done by technology/robots in the future?
The National Museum of Computing
The museum in Milton Keynes is an excellent educational visit opportunity and really supports this activity pack.
The Code Show
The Code Show is a visiting workshop to schools that provides hands-on access to vintage computer technology to new generations of children, bringing this activity pack to life.