CS with MI

!!! SAVE 20% WITH THE COMPUTATIONAL THINKING BUNDLE !!! This Bundle includes four Computational Thinking lesson activities! Please click on individual units to view more detailed descriptions and previews.

These are my slides to successfully guide design students through IB MYP ePortfolio. Use them in your classroom as they are or edit them to fit your approach and the class the best.The slide set is useful for any design process for students 14 years and older. I enjoy teaching the ePortfolio unit, especially the more philosophical approach to design that the ePortfolio unit allows you to take. My favorite part is to guide students through the process from the vague client request (Statemen

This lesson activity is a sequel to the first Algorithmic Thinking activity: Obstacle Course. The activity continues to explore concepts such as algorithms and commands and introduces programming concepts, namely a programming language, a computer program, a compiler, composition, and touches on programming practices. The learner will play a game, in which the goal is to find a safe route, from start to finish avoiding predators and other obstacles. The activity is a paper and pen activit

What is Computational Thinking? It is a thought process, independent from any technology or programming. It is often associated with Computer Science, due to the type of problems Computer Science is used to solve. But it is important to realize that CT is merely a way to solve problems and approach complex situations. This is the first activity in the series of Computational Thinking (CT) activities. The two follow-up activities are: How to Make a Dino, and Lama to the Rescue.Plan a day tri

The activity continues to explore CT through a puzzle-like activity. The learner will create his/her favorite dinosaurs (or any other animal) from pieces of paper and translate them to standardized instructions. While making the instructions, the learner will think in terms of: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms.This is the second activity in the series of Computational Thinking (CT) activities. The two other activities are: A Day Trip to the Zoo, and Lama to the Re

This activity teaches the learner to think daily tasks in a way that it would be possible for a robot to execute them. The activity turns getting dressed into a computing problem by asking the learner to identify a computable task and to come up with an answer to automate the task. With this activity, the learner starts to think in terms of programmable units. Using a flowchart as a means, the learner presents his/her thinking and algorithmic solution. Furthermore, the activity can be used

This lesson looks at how insects are constructed; like engineers would look at an artifact or an object. The lesson provides a theory on: insect body parts, and how they differ from us, humans. The theory is introduced using Reverse Engineering as a technique. Reverse Engineering is the process where an object is deconstructed to reveal its designs, architecture, or to extract knowledge from the object. The theory and the approach are further practiced on the exercise slides, together with f

This activity is the third activity on Computational Thinking (CT). It can be used as its own unit or as a sequel to the activities: A Day Trip to the Zoo, and How to Make a Dino.Learn CT by playing an old-school board game. Well, almost :). Create a solution for a lama to bring her friends back home. Instead of dice and token, the player will create an algorithm to complete the game. While creating a solution, the player will think in terms of: decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction,

Continue exploring Computational Thinking and at the same time, learn to design according to a Design Process. Design objects using only paper and building blocks. Design and develop in three iterative rounds keeping in mind the steps of the process. In this activity, the learner continues to identify similarities and to think about what is essential to complete the task. The activity will strengthen the understanding of concepts such as pattern recognition, abstraction, and decomposition. A per

Game-like activity to learn about Information Processing. This activity explores how information is processed by a computer, and the human brain respectively. The learner will play a simple game with dice to simulate three stages of information processing: receiving input, processing the information, and producing output. After the game, the learner is engaged in a discussion of how the laptop processes different input it receives. The exercise can be further used to introduce binary thinking.

In this Systems Thinking activity, the learner will create a system, and while doing so learn about critical components, and the ones that are nice-to-have but not crucial. Questions such as: What are the main parts of a smartphone? What is needed to make a phone? Which parts of a smartphone are similar to a computer? are investigated. In this activity, the learner further develops Systems Thinking abilities by focusing on parts of the system and these parts working together. Furthermore, to

A pen and paper activity to learn about technology from a systems perspective. Go around the school/house and observe the technology systems visible to the eye. Can you see what they have in common? Systems concepts covered: input (matter, energy, information),output (matter, energy, information), parts working together, boundaries, and feedback. This activity is designed to understand how all technological devices work, on a systemic level. The activity helps to see the common aspects of

I use the Cardinality Caterpillar with my youngest learners to show them: how numbers increase and decrease, how to add and subtract without number presentations, how to approach problems from an algorithmic point of view. Children follow with their fingers the arrows as many times as the number they need to add or subtract. This Math tool was inspired by the Finite State Machine. If you like it, I can make the caterpillar longer and 'dices' up to ten. Follow me on:instagram facebook for more

This lesson activity is an introduction to Computer Science, or more like how to think in terms of algorithms, programming, and commands. The activity furthermore demonstrates basic ideas behind technology concepts such as automation and robotics. The activity is a paper and pen activity that is easy to do at home. It is ideal for learners from four years of age to nine-years-old. This activity is my go-to whenever people ask me to show them what it is to program. I've taught this to a classro

CS with MI no-tech technology and Computer Science activities mapped with Next Generation Science Standards. The next addition will be activities mapped with grades 3-5 standards. I will update to this document new activities once they are added to my listings. Please leave me feedback/suggestions!instagram, facebook, or send me an email cswithmi(a)gmail.com. Terms of Use:Copyright © 2020 Marja-Ilona Koski All rights reserved by the author. Permission to copy for classroom use only. Elect

I created this document to explain the thinking behind CS with MI activities. But also to provide an approach to how technology can be easily implemented in all levels of education and in all classrooms. The document can be downloaded for free. The idea is that as many teachers as possible would become comfortable in teaching technology and the method presented in this file could help in doing so. Please let me know how it works! Follow me on:instagramfacebook for more behind the scenes discus