OVERVIEW

Activity Overview:

Through six mini lessons, kindergarten students will be introduced to Computer Science. Beginning with a working definition of CS using actions and words, students will build a new skill in each lesson. Students also learn to persevere in difficult challenges, just as computer scientists in the real world

Meta description

• Subject Area: Computer Science
• Grade Level : K-2
• Computer Science Domains:
  • Algorithms and Programming
• Computer Science Principles:
  • Fostering an Inclusive Computing Culture, Collaborating Around Computing, Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts, Communicating About Computing
• Materials:
  • None
• Considerations:
  • This lesson can be done over six short periods, as one long computer science lesson, or in stations managed by multiple primary teachers

Lesson Plan

Overview

Through six mini lessons, kindergarten students will be introduced to Computer Science. Beginning with a working definition of CS using actions and words, students will build a new skill in each lesson. Students also learn to persevere in difficult challenges, just as computer scientists in the real world

ASSESSMENT PRE/POST-TEST

1. What is computer science?
2. What is an algorithm?
3. What is a pattern?

OBJECTIVES

1. Students will be able to explain the impact of computer science.
2. Students will be able to understand the difference between input and output.
3. Students will be able to understand how sequence of events can affect the final product.
4. Students will be able to recognize patterns visually.
5. Students can break down larger problems into smaller problems.
6. Students can follow algorithms and show perseverance.

CATCH/HOOK

Before teaching any of the lessons, ask students, ‘What is a computer scientist? What do you think a computer scientist looks like? What does a computer scientist do?’ After taking several ideas through speaking, writing, drawing, or pointing to ideas, tell students, ‘Actually, you are a computer scientist because you can do COMPUTER SCIENCE!’

Each of the following lessons begin with a quick review of our working definition of computer science.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS Use the Google Slides to guide your instruction (the cover page is linked to each activity). Activity 1 (15-20 minutes):

1. Begin with the hook.
2. Explain Computer Science using the actions on the slide - model using ‘I do, You repeat, We do together, You do by yourself three times.’
3. Ask, ‘What is a computer?’ Have students take five minutes to draw, write, and/or label what they think is a computer.
4. Have students look at their drawings and discuss what makes it a computer, what are similarities, differences…use the slide to guide you.
5. Show the ‘How Computers Work Video.’
6. Finish by telling students all computers have INPUT and OUTPUT which they will learn in the next lesson.

Activity 2 (20-25 minutes):

1. Begin by asking students, ‘What is Computer Science?’ Some may remember your definition and actions. Have the whole class stand up and say and act it together three times, with you, you do actions they say words, and you say words they do actions.
2. Introduce the words hardware, input, and output and teach the definitions using the hand actions. Explain that input is what you do to the computer and the output is what the computer does.
3. Play IS THIS A COMPUTER. Show students the rubber duck and ask, ‘Is this a computer?’ They will all say no. Then say, ’ This is not a duck. This is a computer that can tell me if a swimming pool is too hot or too cold. The input is that you put it in the swimming pool and press the temperature button. The output is that it spits out the water if it’s not the right temperature.’ Give students time to think of an object or find something in the room and magically turn it into a computer. Go around the room and let each student say, ‘This is not a computer…’ following the template on the board.
4. Give each students the handout to create their own computer or use the computer idea from the game.
5. Finish by telling students that computers follow SEQUENCES to output information which they will learn in the next lesson.

Activity 3 (20-25 minutes):

1. Begin by asking students, ‘What is Computer Science?’ Some may remember your definition and actions. Have the whole class stand up and say and act it together three times, with you, you do actions they say words, and you say words they do actions.
2. Introduce the word sequence and teach the definition using the hand actions. Give an example of a sequence using your class schedule, ‘First we do math, then we do science…’
3. Watch the Secret Handshake video from Koo Koo Kangaroo. Remind the students to watch the sequence of the actions in the handshakes.
4. Have the students cut and glue the images for the handshake actions into the sequence chart. Follow the directions on the chart and the slides. Be sure to look for similarities and differences in sequences. For example, if two people start with wave, they can still have a different secret handshake.
5. (If time) watch the next two secret handshake videos and have students find the sequence.
6. Finish by telling students computer look for PATTERNS in information and we will learn more about that in the next lesson.

Activity 4 (20-25 minutes):

1. Begin by asking students, ‘What is Computer Science?’ Some may remember your definition and actions. Have the whole class stand up and say and act it together three times, with you, you do actions they say words, and you say words they do actions.
2. Introduce the word pattern and teach the definition using the hand actions. Give an example of a pattern in your classroom such as each desk has a nametag.
3. Provide students a printed copy of the pattern recognition challenges. Do the first two or three together, then let them try one or two with a partner, and one by themselves.
4. Play the two music videos and have the students look for patterns, or parts that repeat.
5. Finish by telling students that computer scientists use DECOMPOSITION AND MODULARITY which we will learn in the next lesson.

Activity 5 (20-25 minutes):

1. Begin by asking students, ‘What is Computer Science?’ Some may remember your definition and actions. Have the whole class stand up and say and act it together three times, with you, you do actions they say words, and you say words they do actions.
2. Introduce the words decompose and modularity and teach the definitions using the hand actions. Give an example of decomposing, ‘I wanted to rearrange the desks but that was a big problem. I had to decompose the problem and move one desk at a time.’
3. Show students the video of the vegetable life cycle and tell them to look for the small parts. After the video, ask what small parts or steps did they see.
4. Have students arrange the plant cycle cards in the correct order to eat vegetables.
5. Explain to the class, ‘We’re going to watch an awesome robot dance. The computer scientist didn’t tell us the part of the dance so we are going to have to BREAK IT DOWN! Look for the small parts and after we watch it we will put it back together.’ Watch the video. Let students stand and try to follow the movements to learn the dance.
6. Have students each show one move from the dance and then put them together.
7. Explain that modularity is taking the small parts and putting them back together. Give students small paper squares and have them glue the squares on paper to create and robot. Let students share their robots.
8. (If time) watch the music video and have students listen for small parts that repeat int he song.
9. Finish by telling students that computers follow ALGORITHMS and computer scientists have to show PERSERVERANCE when using algorithms, which they will learn the next day.

Activity 6 (20-25 minutes):

1. Begin by asking students, ‘What is Computer Science?’ Some may remember your definition and actions. Have the whole class stand up and say and act it together three times, with you, you do actions they say words, and you say words they do actions.
2. Introduce the words perseverance and algorithm and teach the definitions using the hand actions. Give an example of perseverance in school.
3. Show students the origami art. Ask, ‘What kind of art is this?’ After establishing that it is origami and it is made by folding paper, ask, ‘Do you think it is easy to do origami? Does it take many steps in the right sequence?’
4. Read aloud or listen to ‘More-igami’ by Debi Kleber. Ask the students to watch how Joey shows perseverance when origami is difficult.
5. Explain that computers follow algorithms. More complicated algorithms make really great outputs. Students will be the computers and follow algorithms to create an origami piece. Before the lesson, print off multiple copies of the different origami directions and have each student select one. Remind students that this will be very challenging. They might feel frustrated but they need to show perseverance. Let them work for 3-5 minutes based on the focus level in your room. Walk around and encourage kids to show perseverance and keep trying. Have extra paper available if they want to try again.
6. Have students share what they tried to make and to follow by saying they showed perseverance. After each student, the whole class can give air fives or two claps to celebrate using perseverance. Remember: the goal is to build perseverance so celebrate the effort, not the product.
7. Finish by repeating the definition for computer science with the actions.

Supplements

Any items in this section are the property & under the license of their respective owners.

REVIEW

Repeat actions and words for each of our Big FANCY Words definitions.

STANDARDS