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Computer Science in K-12

An A to Z Handbook on
teaching programming
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Introduction Video

Discussion Questions

Discussion/Reflection Questions & Activities
  • How can you bring culturally relevant pedagogy to help develop a deeper understanding and discussion of algorithms? What everyday examples can you use to connect algorithms to students’ backgrounds and cultures? Note that a lot of relevant examples of algorithmic art abound in every culture (See the companion page for loops and recursion for links on Fractal art, for example).
  • There is a lot of discussion around “algorithmic harms” and “algorithmic bias” these days, especially in the context of AI and machine learning. These issues provide an opportunity to discuss with students that algorithms are not neutral, reflect the programmers’ preferences, and are influenced by coders’ backgrounds and cultures. (See the work of Algorithmic Justice League, for example)
    Discuss ways in which you can weave these conversations into the classroom. What examples will you choose? and Why?
Discussion Questions - Sujatha Gunja

The key concept of Specification requires students to define problems, identify requirements and break down the problem into manageable pieces. Stimulus can be provided to students to kick-start the problem definition process.

Consider the following real world problems: 
   –  keeping adolescents fit and healthy
   – practicing social distancing

Identify and describe the specifications (i.e. problem definition, constraints, decomposition) that would help better understand ONE of the two problems above.

What might a potential solution look like? Note, you do not need to design or code a solution, but simply describe it in very broad terms.

Discussion/Reflection Questions & Activities- Dr. Christine Liebe (CSTeach course, Colorado School of Mines)
  • What if you could communicate algorithms with your written and spoken words effectively? Will this be more important for
    future programmers than knowing how to type?
  • What are ways in which you can teach algorithms without computers?
  • Unplugged activity – creating an algorithm for making a paper airplane
  • What problem solving skills were needed to create the algorithm.
  • If there is more than one algorithm to achieve a desired goal, what might make one algorithm better than another? What are some strategies one can use to improve an algorithm?
  • What are some routine activities on computers that would demonstrate algorithmic searching? Sorting?
  • How could a robot use searching / sorting algorithms to get through a maze more efficiently?
A-Z Handbook #CSK8 Twitter Chats Moderated by Vicky Sedgwick
  • Why is it important to explicitly teach algorithms outside of programming in K-8 Computer Science? #csk8
  • The author quotes Donald Knuth “An algorithm must be seen to be believed, and the best way to learn what an algorithm is all about is to try it.”
    What could (or does) this look like in elementary and middle school CS classes? #csk8

Assessments

Algorithms questions on edfinity.com

Edfinity problem set with 100+ problems on Algorithms (aggregated from various sources).