This is a performance task where students explore CS concepts, pseudocode, and flowcharts through the lens of order of operations on day 1 and design a math homework helper app on day 2.

The goal of this activity is to build critical thinking skills and excitement for Computer Science / Computational Thinking, while laying a foundation of fundamental programming concepts. By scaffolding basic concepts like sequencing and algorithms in an unplugged activity, students who are intimidated by computers can still build a foundation of understanding. In this lesson, students will learn how to develop an algorithm and encode it into a program.By "programming" one another to draw pictures, students experience some of the core concepts of programming in a fun and accessible way. The class will start by having students view a video of a simple program demonstrating how to develop instructions for building a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Students will start with simple shapes, and progress to the coding of a specific drawing that other students will then try to replicate (“running the program”). If there is a desire to have a more of a Math slant on the lesson, the drawing could take place on graph paper. Students would then use the coordinates to complete the drawing. 

Students will program a Sphero robot to travel around the exterior of a convex polygon. Students will then use the information in their code to determine the sum of the interior angles in a convex polygon.

Students will program a Sphero robot to travel around the exterior of a convex polygon. Students will then use the information in their code to determine the sum of the interior angles in a convex polygon.

Students will code a robotic device to locate elements on the Periodic Table given a specific description of an element.

In this lesson, students will experience the force of friction as they use block-based coding to program a Sphero Bot through a maze made up of materials with varying amounts of friction.

This lesson is part of the Virginia K-12 Computer Science Pipeline which is partly funded through a GO Virginia grant in partnership with Chesapeake Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools, and the Loudoun Education Foundation.  In this lesson, students will create examples of gravitational potential and kinetic energy transformations using Scratch.  

Students will preform three mini-lab activities with no previous knowledge of Newton's laws of motion. Each lab activity demonstrates one of Newton's laws of motions. Students will write their observations from the three mini-labs and then use these observations later to connect which lab went with which law of motion, after the teacher formally introduces Newton's Laws of Motion.

Students will investigate the Dakota Access Pipeline and the timeline of events surrounding it. They will collaborate to research the impact this new technology has had, and continues to have, on Native People in that area, as well as create a decision making model to compare and contrast the supporting and opposing perspectives.