During this lesson, students will act as computers while they practice identifying and applying rules in growing patterns. Students will compete to accurately extend their growing pattern the longest within the time frame given. When the event occurs… time’s up!

This is an unplugged version of how computer data packets travel through computer networks using rope, binder clips, envelopes and index cards.

In this first part of a three part series, students will explore the ideas around Brute Force algorithm/programs to further understand the importance of password development, use, safety, and safekeeping while completing several unplugged activities over the course of three class periods (approximately 30-45 minutes each).  These activites can be completed seperately with a few adjustments as well.  Part 1 introduces Brute Force using a playing cards demonstration to sort as desired.  Part 2 introduces Decrease (or Divide) and Conquer to sort Quadrilaterals from Non-Quadrilateral shapes.  Part 3 uses the methods of both Brute Force and Divide and Conquer algorithms to decrypt (unscramble) passwords using commonly recognizable number patterns and words (completed on paper, or unplugged).  These activitess are intended for upper middle school students, but could also be adjusted for lower level highschool or simplified/adjusted for other ages as well with the editable copies provided.

In this second part of a three part series, students will explore the ideas around Decrease, or Divide, and Conquer algorithm/programs to further understand the importance of password development, use, safety, and safekeeping by completing several unplugged activities over the course of three class periods (approximately 30-45 minutes each).  These activites can be completed seperately (stand-alone) with a few adjustments as well. Part 1 introduces Brute Force using a playing cards demonstration to sort as desired.  Part 2 introduces Decrease (or Divide) and Conquer to sort Quadrilaterals from Non-Quadrilateral shapes.  Part 3 uses the methods of both Brute Force and Divide and Conquer algorithms to decrypt (unscramble) passwords using commonly recognizable number patterns and words (completed on paper, or unplugged).  These activitess are intended for upper middle school students, but could also be adjusted for lower level highschool or simplified/adjusted for other ages as well with the editable copies provided.

In this final part of a three part series, students will practice Brute Force and Decrease (or Divide) and Conquer methods to try to crack a password puzzle to further understand the importance of password development, use, safety, and safekeeping by completing several unplugged sorting activities over the course of three class periods (approximately 30-45 minutes each).  These activites can be completed seperately with a few minor adjustments as well. Part 1 introduces Brute Force using a playing cards demonstration to sort as desired.  Part 2 introduces Decrease (or Divide) and Conquer to sort Quadrilaterals from Non-Quadrilateral shapes.  Part 3 uses the methods of both Brute Force and Divide and Conquer algorithms to decrypt (unscramble) passwords using commonly recognizable number patterns and words (completed on paper, or unplugged).  These activitess are intended for upper middle school students, but could also be adjusted for lower level highschool or simplified/adjusted for other ages as well with the editable copies provided.

Students will learn about the functional parts of plants and how they help a plant to survive. Students will use block-based programming language to code a path from plant parts to their matching function.

This lesson sequence offers students and teachers a way to develop data science skills using low technology skills through a series of “unplugged” activities, where students engage in data science learning without using computational tools. This material was created by Sara Fergus, Christa VanOlst, & Jon Stapleton for CodeVA with support from Capital One.

This activity will show the sorting process using the Quick Sort Divide and Conquer algorithm that is used by a computer when sorting data without using a computer.

The students will learn about materials that can be recycled by participating in an unplugged activity of sequencing steps to sort materials that can be recycled. The students will work in groups of 2 to pick out a piece of trash from a bag. The pair of students will discuss if the material is paper, plastic, or metal. They will then take turns “programming” each other in order to direct each other to the correct bin according to what type of material they are holding. They will do so by creating an algorithm using the words forward, turn left/right, back, etc. After the activity, the teacher will discuss that it is important for the materials to be sorted so that they can be properly recycled in a recycling center. The students will be given the opportunity to name materials that they remember that can be recycled to show what they have learned at the end of the lesson.

Begins with an oral discussion using a familiar game with the students- “Simon Says.” Students will transfer the pattern of cue and action to a cue which indicates something other than the text, like computers do.. Think binary 1,0,1,1 having meaning other than the amount 1 or 0! This begins the learning of the concept of variable… one symbol or letter/word really having a different value as well.

After reviewing tips for following instructions, students will use plane figures to create a mystery image using their teacher's algorithm. Unfortunately, the teacher's directions are not very precise. Students will lend a hand by giving detailed feedback to debug and clarify the set of ordered instructions to successfully build a snowman.   

Students will show off their computer science debugging skills, through this unplugged grammar lesson. Just like computer scientists must debug, correct, analyze or improve algorithms, students will use this same concept in helping them to edit grammatical errors in simple sentences. Using the Squash the Bugs worksheet, students will use their revision knowledge to “squash” the bugs or edit the sentences properly.

Students encounter patterns throughout their day-to-day lives. Identifying patterns helps students make predictions about what will happen next in a series of events, and helps them understand the sequential nature of many routine activities. Students will be introduced to the concept of algorithms as being repetitive commands or actions that execute a program, similar to how we use patterns throughout our day to carry us from one activity to another. Students will identify, create and extend patterns using manipulatives (toy cars and a grid), and discuss ways that computer programs move through a similar process of repeating steps using algorithms and loops.

During this lesson, students will work to debug incorrect algorithms (repeating patterns) and use the corrected algorithm to extend the pattern. This lesson will provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their knowledge of patterns and apply computer science principles and vocabulary to build background knowledge and understanding about algorithms, loops, and events.

This activity can be done in numerous ways: during a whole group setting, during a reading small group instruction or during the students Language Arts center rotation time. Students will listen to the story LEXIE the Word Wrangler, by Rebecca Van Slyke. Using this mentor text will allow students to see how easily words and letters within words can be manipulated to form and build new or bigger words. Students will then be using color coded cards with letters (red- vowels, blue- consonants, green- silent e, orange- digraphs) to build words, provided by the teacher, from their spelling content, or come up with word,s using the directed patterns, on their own. This activity will help students to understand and practice the steps of pattern manipulation and coding, just like computer scientists due in so many programs we utilize today!