Ada's Ideas: The Story of Ada Lovelace...

Beautifully illustrated in the style of Japanese watercolor, Ada's Ideas: The Story of Ada Lovelace, the World's First Computer Programmer by Fiona Robinson uniquely presents the story of one woman’s passion for learning and inventing for children between the ages of six and nine. Although Ada Lovelace was born during a time where the advancement of women in society was limited, the book shows how she persevered and overcame numerous obstacles in order to pursue her passions. To achieve her dreams, Ada goes down a more creative route than her mother desires, while juggling many other responsibilities. The story emphasizes that inspiration and opportunities to ask questions can be found everywhere; one example shows a young Ada investigating the possibilities of flight by examining a crow’s feather. In addition to emphasizing perseverance and curiosity, Ada’s work alongside Charles Babbage is shown as a useful and equal collaborative effort. This is an excellent model of the way good teamwork can be completed when everyone respects the ideas and efforts of other people! Also, the creation of the Difference and Analytical Machines is aimed at solving a real, human problem (i.e. ships going off course due to human navigational error), which emphasizes the role of engineering in solving critical world problems. Children and parents will love diving into this inspirational story, and kids will have ample opportunities to follow Ada’s example in their own creative lives. 

Teacher Guide: scribd.com/document/341092371/Ada-s-Ideas-Teaching-Guide

Engineering thinking and design practices the gift encourages children to do or learn about:

Define a problem, make observations, create a prototype or process, analyze a solution, refine ideas, recognize patterns, apply mathematics, work in a team

Engineering text or context explicitly provided by the gift: A problem to be solved by developing a new or improved object, tool, or process, a user, criteria, constraints

Additional practices and skills needed by engineers that were addressed by the gift: 

Critical thinking, creative thinking, programming, working collaboratively, perseverance, logical thinking

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    • Ada Lovelace's story shows children how there are places all around to look to for inspiration and to ask questions (ex: Ada examines a crow's feather). I think it is also cool that her work alongside Babbage is presented as a useful, effective, equal collaborative effort. I also like that the story is interactive in parts.