Instructional Video

Great Minds: Margaret Hamilton

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Don't push that button! Margaret Hamilton wrote the computer codes that saved Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 from various glitches, including an astronaut pushing the wrong button at the wrong time. The video describes her groundbreaking work and keen mind that is still solving problems today. 

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Instructional Ideas
  • Research what Margaret Hamilton is currently working on
  • Discover other computer scientists who worked on NASA projects
Classroom Considerations
  • Comments section contains many things not appropriate for the classroom
  • Video is the third in a 25-part series
  • This video is hosted on YouTube
Pros
  • Offers many cross-curricular connections to history, computer science, astronomy, and more
  • Focuses on a female scientist, a rarity in her field
  • Includes closed captioning, which can help hold pupils' attention
Cons
  • None