The following curriculum is inspired by our mission to inspire creativity and innovation for all ages through engagement with technology. These lessons are designed to be adaptable and scalable across grade levels. The timeline below, featuring many of the computers currently on display from the Paul Gray Personal Computing Museum’s permanent collection, is the anchor piece for each lesson. You can take a virtual tour of our current exhibitions here.
Lesson 1, The Future Is Now, is inspired by The Computer Lifestyle exhibit which introduces how personal computing developed as technology and user expectations changed. In this lesson, students will describe how computers have evolved over time, then apply that understanding to make predictions about future innovations.
Lesson 2, How Small Can You Go, is inspired by the Portability exhibit which focuses on mobility and the arrival of the portable computers. In this lesson, students will (1) compare the weights of the personal computers over time using physical models, (2) utilize line graphs to illustrate trends in portable computing, and (3) engage in a facilitated debate with their peers to apply their learning.
Lesson 3, A Feast for the Eyes, is inspired by the Multimedia Computers exhibit that provides examples of early multimedia computers, which offered color and high definition graphics to people then used to only a black and white experience. In this lesson, students will create a multimedia advertisement for an innovation they predicted in Lesson 1.
Lesson 4, A Team of Rivals, is inspired by the IBM Versus Apple exhibit which tracks the key rivalry that shaped the personal computing world, the products and sensibilities offered by IBM and Apple. In this lesson, students will compete in a series of team engineering challenges, then apply the experience to discuss how competition and collaboration fuel innovation.