Computational Thinking Lessons

Our approach to computer science, computational thinking, and computer programming is interdisciplinary. We believe that “Computer Science for All” requires that these areas be woven throughout K-12 experiences to ensure that, in today’s technology-driven society, all students gain equitable access to opportunities now and in the future.

At The Tech we place a special emphasis on computational thinking (CT) since it is fundamental to computer programming and problem-solving, skills that allow youth to be creators, not just consumers, of digital content. CT is a problem-solving process that can be broadly applied across content areas and everyday life.

CT Resources

Computer Science Education Principles
Key principles for teaching computational thinking and computer programming in any setting.
PDF

Computational Thinking Tech Tip
Learn the four elements of computational thinking to solve problems big and small.
Computational PDF

Computer Programming Tech Tip
Practice and share the building blocks of computer programming -- no experience required!
Programming PDF

Computational Thinking Posters
Classroom visuals that define computational thinking and its elements. These foundational skills support computer science education for students of all ages.
PDF (English) PDF (Español)

CT Lessons and Activities

Butterfly Algorithm
Students apply their computational thinking skills to explore the life cycle of a butterfly. They’ll create a simple algorithm to model the life cycle of a butterfly, then write this algorithm using conditionals and program it on a computer.
Duration: 70 minutes
Grades: K-3
Lesson Plan

Puzzling Procedure
Create an algorithm (instructions) for others to solve a jigsaw puzzle using computational thinking.
Duration: 40 minutes
Grades: 3-5
Lesson Plan Tech at Home activity

Get in the Game
Use computational thinking (decomposition, pattern recognition, abstraction, and algorithms) to design your own board game!
Duration: 90 minutes
Grades: 3-8
Lesson Plan Tech at Home activity

Demonstrating Change Over Time
Apply computational thinking to create or modify a computer program in Scratch that shows how the moon appears throughout the lunar cycle.
Duration: 180 to 240 minutes
Grades: 3-5
Lesson Plan

Decontamination Algorithm
Create a sequence of questions to help you figure out what surfaces are contaminated after you or someone else does a task.
Duration: 20-60 minutes
Grades: 3-8
Tech at Home activity

Responsible Reservoirs
In this activity, you’ll play a game that shows this complicated cause and effect relationship involved in major environmental decisions.
Duration: 20 minutes
Grades: 5-8
Tech at Home activity

Pictures of decomposition, algorithm, pattern recognition