Use in the curriculum
As an introduction to using machines to compute things. This video resource is best used after the binary numbers system has been introduced. (This iOS app is a great resource for learning the binary number system)
Discussion prompts:
What information is this machine storing?
How is it storing information?
Are computers the only machines that can compute?
Do traffic signals compute?
Is a coocoo clock a computer?
Is a compass (used to find direction) a computer?
What is a computer?