Resources
This site provides access to an introductory computer science unit that was collaboratively designed by two 5th grade teachers in Utah (Megan Jeffrey and Danielle Bingham) and a team of researchers at Utah State University. This project was funded by the National Science Foundation.
In this seven-week unit, students first play a fun tabletop board game, Code on the Brink, that highlights several fundamental computing concepts (for example, procedures, abstraction, conditionals, loops). Students then play the same board game implemented in the block-based programming language, Scratch. Finally, students program their own game levels and challenge other students to play them.
By locating the introduction to computing concepts in a familiar context, board game play, we hope to invite a broad range of students in seeing how programming can be a fun and creative process. Early evaluation finding suggest that this unit provides a unique and effective way to introduce youth to computing. The unit shows alignment to CSTA K-12
| Lesson | Overview |
|---|---|
| Lesson 1: What is Computer Programming? | Students are introduced to computer programming and how to play CODE: On the Brink. Students play the introductory levels. |
| Lesson 2: Conditional Statements | Students deconstruct the rules of the board game and are introduced to Scratch. Students identify conditional statements within the Scratch environment |
| Lesson 3: Procedures, Algorithms, and Abstraction | Students use a step-by-step approach to solve the board game mechanics and apply what they have learned by solving the board game levels in scratch. |
| Lesson 4: Prototyping | Students build prototypes of their games and are introduced to programming in Scratch. |
| Lesson 5: Building Prototypes in Scratch | Students review how the Scratch environment works, color their stage, and prepare their game to be built. |
| Lesson 6: Programming New Procedures | Students learn how to build procedures to match the movements that they designed for their game |
| Lesson 7: Test and Share | Students are given the opportunity to show their Scratch levels in the classroom |