Resources For Schools

The Ada Lovelace Day Education Pack is a series of resources for teachers and parents, focused on students aged 11-14, ie Key Stage 3 in the UK or US Grades 6-8. They are free to download, print, use and share.

Our aim is to help teachers tackle the gender stereotypes that hold both girls and boys back, and to particularly address girls’ relationship to and confidence with STEM subjects. You can read the contents on the individual pages, or you can download PDFs to print for the classroom.

The pack includes:

  • Notes for Teachers: A look at the key issues facing girls and an exploration of the permanent changes we can make to help encourage girls into STEM. PDF 487.9 KB
  • Introduction to Teaching Scenarios: An overview of how scenarios can be used as the basis for lesson plan and projects. PDF 429.1 KB
    • Teaching Scenario 1: The Ultrobot: Students are encouraged to explore questions around how gender is used as a marketing tool, how colour-coding toys (and other items) as ‘for boys’ or ‘for girls’ limits children’s opportunities. PDF 509.8 KB
    • Teaching Scenario 2: The Recruitment Fair: Students are asked to consider how language can influence their perceptions about which jobs are ‘for men’ or ‘for women’, and thus which jobs they can imagine themselves doing, and how job descriptions can be written to be more inclusive. PDF 486.3 KB
    • Teaching Scenario 3: The Charitable Trust: Students are encouraged to think about the ways in which STEM makes a positive difference to our lives, how there is a very broad spectrum of opportunities in STEM, and that STEM careers are not reserved just for the ‘super-geniuses’ or ‘brainiacs’. PDF 526.3 KB
  • Useful Resources: A list of online resources for teachers and parents. PDF 790.1 KB
  • Posters:
    • The Amazingly Enormous STEM Careers Poster: How many different careers become available to graduates of STEM degrees? This poster drives home the point that STEM opens doors. (Also available to buy.)
    • Ten Types of Scientist: Based on research by the Science Council, this poster looks at ten different types of science career. (Also available to buy.)
    • Ada Lovelace: Who was Ada Lovelace? What were her greatest achievements? Why is she known as the first computer programmer? (Also available to buy.)
    • Mary Anning: Groundbreaking palaeontologist Mary Anning discovered the first plesiosaur, as well as unearthing fantastic ichthyosaur specimens and the first pterodactyl outside of Germany (Also available to buy.)

We are very grateful to our sponsors ARM, and to Professor Averil Macdonald, the WISE Campaign, the Science Council, Practical Action, AGCAS and Prospects for their support and assistance in the preparation of this education pack.

People Like Me resources pack

Our pack is based on the evidence presented in Professor Averil Macdonald’s excellent Not For People Like Me report, published by WISE, which has now itself been developed into the People Like Me schools resources pack which complements well the Ada Lovelace Day materials. The People Like Me pack is also targeted at girls aged 11-14, and includes:

  • An explanation of the facts behind this approach and how it works
  • A set of top tips for teachers, to support with advising pupils on identifying their strengths and applying them to STEM careers, and with applying the ‘People Like Me’ approach to every day teaching
  • Session guidance with a lesson plan and suggestions for how the materials can be used
  • Quiz for girls to choose adjectives and define their ‘self-identity’
  • Glossary to help girls choose the adjectives that best describe them
  • Analysis showing girls how their self-identity maps onto roles where their personality would fit well and introducing them to careers where science or maths qualifications are an advantage
  • Supporting materials including a USB flash drive with a presentation to consolidate girls’ learning
  • Poster showing the 12 personality types [a follow-on poster from the Science Council’s ten types of scientist]
  • Flyer for parents/carers that can be photocopied and sent home

Code Club resources pack

Code Club, a nationwide network of volunteer-led after school coding clubs for children aged 9-11, has also produced a resources pack to celebrate Ada Lovelace Day, which includes:
  • Introduction
  • Assembly plan: This focuses on:
    • Understanding the story of Ada Lovelace and her achievements
    • Reflecting on the significance of computer science
    • Considering the future and problems that can be solved by computer science
    • Sharing stories of women in computing today
  • Ada themed Scratch project: As well as helping to develop core skills such as planning, problem solving and collaboration, the project also introduces the following programming concepts:
    • Sequencing Instructions
    • Variables
    • Repetition (loops)
    • Lists, and random list items