Module By Sara Vogel and Aankit Patel on behalf of Wyman Khuu and Candace Sharrow, providers of the summer camp “Unplugged Computational Thinking: Screen-Free CT.”
This part should take you approximately 2 hours to complete.
Key Terms
Prepare
Computational Thinking is “a way of solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behavior that draws on concepts fundamental to computer science… a fundamental skill for everyone, not just computer scientists.” (Wing, 2006).
Take a look at this resource from Digital Promise which also defines Computational Thinking, and watch their explanatory video below.
There are many computational skills and practices that students might apply to enhance their learning across different disciplines and settings, including:
Read the excerpt below from Digital Promise’s report to define those terms. You can also find this pdf here (see pages 11-12).
From: Mills, K., Coenraad, M., Ruiz, P., Burke, Q., & Weisgrau, J. (2021). Computational Thinking for an Inclusive World: A Resource for Educators to Learn and Lead [Technical Report]. Digital Promise. https://doi.org/10.51388/20.500.12265/138
CT can be integrated across a wide variety of subject areas and domains to enhance instruction in those areas. See case studies from various contexts and disciplines here.
Explore / Apply
You don’t need a computer to practice computational thinking!
Check out one or more of the “unplugged” lessons below, which help students learn about algorithms and debugging. Then, try the activity yourself!
Jam Sandwich Algorithm
In this video, students provide their teacher with verbal instructions (an algorithm) so their teacher can make a butter and jelly sandwich. Please note how the students debug their instructions in order to better their algorithm. Many teachers use this activity to introduce the vocabulary terms of ‘algorithms’ and ‘debugging’ to students.
Your turn: How would you write an algorithm for preparing your favorite food?
Plant A Seed Algorithm
In this lesson plan, students will relate the concept of algorithms back to everyday real-life activities by planting an actual seed. The goal here is to start building the skills to translate real-world situations to online scenarios and vice versa.
Your turn: How would you write the algorithm for planting a seed?
Binary Bracelets
Your turn: Try the activity yourself by decoding the binary message below
Consolidate
After completing at least one of the activities in the Explore / Apply section, head to the discussion board to reflect:
