How To Write An Informative Speech On Ada Lovelace

Topic: Ada Lovelace

General Purpose: To inform

Specific Purpose: To inform the class about Ada Lovelace. She is considered to be one of the pioneers of computer science and modern technology.

Attention-Getting Device: Most of us use smartphone, and whenever we have a discussion about the contribution of different people in making this device, we often talk about Steve Jobs, Tim Cook or Bill Gates. If someone is really nerdy, they might go back to the 19th century and talk about Charles Babbage. But we always forget one name while having these discussions; mainly because, most of us never heard that name, and that name is Ada Lovelace.

Introduction: Ada Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer. She worked with Charles Babbage on

his early mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. Her notes on the engine include, what is recognized as the first algorithm intended to be carried out by a machine. Because of this, she is regarded as the first computer programmer.
Thesis: All the technologies that we use today would have been impossible to invent without the contribution of Ada Lovelace.

Yet, hardly anyone knows about her contribution to computer science, her struggle in life and how she can be an inspiration for millions of girls, who want to follow her footsteps.

Preview Main Points - see underlines in thesis

I. Eda Lovelace was one of the pioneers of Computer Science.

A) While working with Charles Babbage, Babbage and Ada flew back and forth filled with fact and fantasy. In her article, published in 1843, Lovelace's prescient comments included her predictions that such a machine could be used to compose complex music, to produce graphics, and would be used for both practical and scientific use. She was absolutely right.

B) A software language developed by the U.S. Department of Defense was named "Ada" in her honor in 1979.

II. From childhood, her life was full of personal and physical struggle.

A) Ada Lovelace comes from a broken home. Her parents got separated only a week after her birth. Her mother got the custody of her. She never saw her father ever again. Her mother encouraged her interest in math, logic and science, enrolling her in a rigorous tutoring

curriculum.
B) Ada's health suffered, after a bout of cholera in 1837. She had lingering problems with asthma and her digestive system. She reportedly experienced mood swings and hallucinations. She had suffered a variety of illnesses. Ada Lovelace died at the age of 36, probably of uterine cancer.
III. Every year, the second Tuesday of October is celebrated as the Ada Lovelace Day. It marks both the mathematical prowess of the woman dubbed the “first computer programmer” and the cultural barriers she faced. This international day of celebration helps people learn about the achievements of women in STEM, inspiring others and creating new role models for young and old alike.
A) She had varieties of physical problems and mental illness. Still she did not give up on
her passion for mathematics. Not only had she worked with Babbage on his Analytical Engine, but she also conducted research to try and map how the brain gives rise to thoughts through mathematical models, even though she was sick.