Today, third graders participated in Hour of Code, in an unplugged activity, which had them learning about ALGORITHMS. After watching a brief video, the students and I talked about the definition of algorithm: a list of steps you can follow to finish a task. They shared algorithms they use every day to get ready for school: getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing teeth, taking the bus, etc. We focused on the tooth brushing algorithm because it is a universal activity, it is a tangible way to talk about the algorithms, and some of the steps can be switched around. For instance, one can wet the toothbrush and then add paste or add paste and then wet the toothbrush, but one cannot add the toothpaste after brushing.
It was a fabulous activity and the reflections by the students were thoughtful. The complete lesson is here. Since we reflected on the learning as a group, I sent home the assessment as a tool for the students to share with parents what they learned today. Have a look and a listen at the collaborative learning and coding happening in the library and today:
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