Understanding the world through computational thinking.
TCH 2-13a – I understand the operation of a process and its outcome. I can structure related items of information.
Benchmarks 📃
- Compares activities consisting of a single sequence of steps with those consisting of multiple parallel steps, for example, making tomato sauce and cooking pasta to be served at the same time.
- Identifies algorithms/instructions that include repeated groups of instructions a fixed number of times and/or loops until a condition is met.
- Identifies when a process is not predictable because it has a random element for example, a board game which uses dice.
- Structures related items of information for example, a family tree (MNU 2- 20b).
- Uses a recognised set of instructions/ an algorithm to sort real worlds objects for examples, books in a library or trading cards.
Suggested Learning 📝
- Understand and explain why sometimes programs consist of a single sequence of steps running one after the other compared with others that will have parallel processes to carry out more than one activity at the same time.
- Deconstruct a problem into smaller steps and recognise how they may be similar to previous problems.
- Use logical reasoning to detect problems in an algorithm and use problem solving skills to resolve any problems.
- Identify why a program will produce random results.
- Deconstruct a problem into smaller steps and recognise how they may be similar to previous problems.
- Create a data structure such as a family tree to identify the relationship between different members of a family such as the royal family.
- Create an algorithm that will sort objects into a specific order.
- Identify several ways that data or objects can be structured and how they differ from each other i.e. books in a library/ house numbers and postcodes.
- Confidently classify data using various sorting tools.
- Confidently predict, interpret and discuss data sorting results.
- Use logical reasoning to detect problems in an algorithm and use problem solving skills to resolve any problems.
Resources and Lesson Ideas 💻
- Barefoot Computing- Logical number sequences pupils explain the rule for a number sequence and predict which number(s) comes next
- Barefoot Computing – Logical Reasoning unplugged – Pupils work in pairs to complete sudoku puzzles.
- Barefoot Computing – Patterns unplugged: Recipes – Pupils spot patterns in pairs of similar recipes to identify common steps that they can reuse in new recipes that they create .
- Barefoot Computing – Variables unplugged – Pupils learn about variables by keeping score.
- BBC Bitesize 2nd Level Computing Science for videos and explanations of key concepts.
- CS Unplugged – Programming Languages – In pairs students give instructions to draw a shape to their partner.
- Code-IT Jam Sandwich – Students give instructions (to a teacherbot!) on how to make a jam sandwich using only a fixed set of allowed words.
- Computational Fairy Tales: Goldilocks and the Two Boolean Bears – A twist on the class Goldilocks story in which two bears have exactly opposite preferences. The pupils could draw a truth table for the bears’ preferences.
- Computational Fairy Tales: The Town of Bool, The Gates of XOR, The Valley of NAND and NOR – The Town of Bool illustrates how real life doesn’t tend to work with binary logic. The Gates of XOR and the Valley of NAND and NOR illustrate more advanced logical operators which might appeal to learners who have found the logic material easy to grasp.
- Computational Fairy Tales: The Tortoise, the Hare, and 50000 Ants Explores parallel algorithms.
- Computational Fairy Tales book: Bullies, Bubble Sort, and Soccer Tickets Explores a type of algorithm.
- Computational Fairy Tales book: Bog dragons don’t support multi-threading Explores a complex algorithm.
- CS Unplugged – Searching Algorithms This activity explores the main algorithms that are used as the basis for searching on computers, using different variations on the game of battleships.
- CS Unplugged – Sorting Algorithms In this activity students compare different algorithms to sort weights in order.
- CS Unplugged – Sorting Networks In this activity students compare different algorithms to sort weights in order.
- Logic grid puzzles A large variety of logic puzzles. These can help learners improve their logical thinking that is invaluable for coding.
- CS Unplugged – Information Theory This activity uses some intriguing variations on the game of 20 questions to demonstrate how we can quantify information content, which in turn shows us how to store and share it efficiently.
- CS Unplugged – Finite State Automata This fun activity is based around a fictitious pirate story which leads to the unlikely topic of reasoning about patterns in sequences of characters.
- NRich: A bit of a dicey problem and NRich: Rock, paper, scissors Unplugged activities in which learners reason about chance with games.
- Design a board game – Sessions 1+2 are most useful. The emphasis should be on the rules of the game, whether it involves chance, and whether and how it ends.
- Investigate a program for the micro:bit and work out what the steps were.
- Create a flowchart using T and F branches.
Understanding and analysing computing technology
TCH 2-14a – I can explain core programming language concepts in appropriate technical language.
TCH 2-14b – I understand how information is stored and how key components of computing technology connect and interact through networks.
Benchmarks 📃
2-14a
- Explains the meaning of individual instructions (including variables and conditional repetition) in a visual programming language.
- Demonstrates an understanding that all computer data is represented in binary for example, numbers, text, black and white graphics.
- Predicts what a complete program in a visual programming language will do when it runs, including how the properties of objects for example, position, direction and appearance change as the program runs through each instruction.
- Explains and predicts how parallel activities interact.
2-14b
- Describes the purpose of the processor, memory and storage and the relationship between them.
- Demonstrates an understanding of how networks are connected and used to communicate and share information, for example the internet.
Suggested Learning 📝
2-14a
- Explain what a variable is and when I would need to use one to achieve a required output.
- Demonstrate an understanding of different types of loops used in programming and when they would be required i.e. forever/conditional/count controlled.
- Explain what Boolean logic is and identify what the operators are.
- Explain what binary code is and identify some of the ways it is used.
- Explain what parallel activities are and how they interact with each other.
2-14b
- Explain what binary code is and identify some of the ways it is use.
- Identify and describe the purpose of the main hardware components that are inside a computer i.e. memory.
- Describe how computer components interact with each other.
- Explain how computers communicate over a network/information is. transported over the internet and can identify key network hardware devices.
Resources and Lesson Ideas 💻
2-14a and 2-14b
- CSUnplugged – Binary numbers – This unplugged activity looks at how numbers are represented in a computer
- Binary Loom Bands – An unplugged activity to make loom band bracelets with letters in binary.
- CS Unplugged – Image Representation – This activity explores how images are displayed, based on the pixel as a building block.
- CS Unplugged – Text compression Unplugged activity exploring compression for efficient storage of data.
- CS Unplugged – Error Detection— This activity · uses a magic trick to show how to detect when data has been corrupted, and to correct it.
- CS Unplugged – Routing and Deadlock
- CS Unplugged – Minimal Spanning Trees
- CS Unplugged – Network Communication Protocols
- Barefoot Computing – Scratch Tinkering – This computer-based programming activity involves your pupils tinkering with Scratch to find out what it does and how to create programs in it.
- Barefoot Computing – Shapes and Flowers Repetition -In this computer-based programming activity, pupils design algorithms to draw patterns made of simple shapes before writing a Scratch program to draw their shapes.
- Barefoot Computing – Bug in the Water Cycle – In this computer-based programming activity pupils are challenged to detect and correct the error in a number of water cycle Scratch programs (debugging).
- Barefoot Computing – Introduction to HTML -This is computer-based activity introduces pupils to HTML.
- Barefoot Computing – Classroom Sound Monitor In this computer-based programming activity pupils create a sound monitor for their classroom.
- Computational Fairy Tales: Using Binary to Warn of Snow Beasts – A story which illustrates how information can be encoded in a binary representation to be more space efficient.
- Raspberry Pi—Year 4 – Repetition in Shapes This unit looks looks at repetition and loops within programming.
- Raspberry Pi – Year 4 – Repetition in Games This unit explores the concept of repetition in programming using the Scratch environment.
- Raspberry Pi – Year 5 – Selection in quizzes In this unit, pupils develop their knowledge of selection.
- Raspberry Pi – Year 6 – Variables in games. This unit explores the concept of variables in programming through games in Scratch.
- Raspberry Pi – Year 6 – Sensing movement. Brings together a range of programming elements.
Designing, building and testing computing solutions
TCH 2-15a – I can create, develop and evaluate computing solutions in response to a design challenge.
Benchmarks 📃
- Creates programs in a visual programming language including variables and conditional repetition.
- Identifies patterns in problem solving and reuses aspects of previous solutions appropriately for example, reuse code for a timer, score counter or controlling arrow keys.
- Identifies any mismatches between the task description and the programmed solution, and indicates how to fix them.
Suggested Learning 📝
- Sequence and plan a game to make a programmable device or an object in a game move to a specific destination using angles and distances or keeping a counter for instance.
- Hypothesise, make careful observations, solve problems of increasing difficulty and organise critical thinking in a game.
- Design a concept for a screen game or programmable device.
- Create a program for a screen game or a programmable device using variables and conditional repetition and demonstrate to others using appropriate language.
Resources and Lesson Ideas 💻
- Harvard University – Creative Computing A huge variety of computer-based Scratch programming activities. A great place to build from tinkering on Scratch to learning skills.
- Harvard University – Creative Computing: Unit 4 – Unit 4 focuses on making games and introduces data handling including lists
- Harvard University – Getting Unstuck – Intermediate Scratch Curriculum – A great way to extend Scratch learning for P6 and P7. This builds on the creative computing curriculum above.
- My micro:bit Lessons – Making use of the excellent coding devices all schools in Scotland have. If learners have not covered the ‘Starter Lessons’ that is step one. This should be followed up by ‘Beyond Basics’.
- Barefoot Computing – Scratch Tinkering This computer-based programming activity involves your pupils tinkering with Scratch to find out what it does and how to create programs in it
- Barefoot Computing – Kodu Tinkering – This involves your pupils tinkering with Kodu to find out what it does and how to create programs
- Barefoot Computing – Solar System Simulation – pupils create a simulation of the Earth orbiting the Sun using Scratch.
- Barefoot Computing – Classroom Sound Monitor
- Barefoot Computing – Make a Game project pupils create a simple game in Scratch.
- Barefoot Computing – Kodu Game – selection pupils create a simple game in Kodu.
- Code.org Course D and resources (for those who have done Courses A-C) covers debugging, looking at individual steps to find bugs, introducing loops, nested loops, conditionals, binary.
- Code.org Course E and resources (for those who have done Courses A-D) covers algorithms, loops, conditionals, events and functions
- Code.org Course F and resources (for those who have done Courses A-E) covers different kinds of loops, events, functions, variables and conditionals, and goes on to show learners how to create their own game
- Machine Learning for Kids Lessons – This free tool introduces machine learning by providing hands-on experiences for training machine learning systems and building things with them.
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