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Dice and Data Activity for Virtual Instruction

Dice and Data Activity from Module 1 Lesson 4. Adapted for use in a synchronous instructional setting.

Crash Course on Design Thinking

A 90-minute "virtual crash course" on Design Thinking, by Stanford University. A resource for teachers. "Using the video, handouts, and facilitation tips below, we will take you step by step through the process of hosting or participating in a 90 minute design challenge. Through this experience we hope you will take away some of the basic principles of Design Thinking and start to adapt them into your personal and professional routines"

Math Challenges in StarLogo TNG

This activity reviews the use of angles, heading, x, y, and z coordinates, and random ranges in StarLogo TNG. It corresponds to the coding challenges for StarLogo Nova (see related link). .

Battleship activity in StarLogo Nova

This activity uses the idea of the classic "battleship" game to review x and y coordinates in StarLogo Nova.  Students do a pen and paper simulation of the game, and then use a base model in StarLogo Nova to review the coordinates.

Decoding a model

Decoding a model is an on computer activity in which students are challenged to decode a model.

Project GUTS MOOC

Project GUTS presented the CS in Science curriculum modules in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). The links below will allow you access to the original MOOC site, to see not only the written curriculum but also screencasts of building the related StarLogo Nova models and other background information for teachers and facilitators. The MOOC was also translated in Spanish (see link below).

For the 2017 course, please go to guts-2017.appspot.com

Battle of the Agents

A take on the classic board game Battleship, this paper and pencil activity is a fun way to help students understand the use of x and y coordinates in StarLogo Nova. After the activity, students can use the StarLogo Nova model to experiment with x and y locations in a game-like context.

What are the chances?

An off-line activity to introduce students to concepts of randomness and how to program percent chance using a slider in StarLogo Nova.

Scavenger Hunt for Teachers

This scavenger hunt asks teachers to locate various Project GUTS resources. A fun tool to increase familiarity with Project GUTS and what's available.

BCSC 5e Instructional Model

BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study) paper explaining the 5e instructional model. The model describes a teaching sequence that can be used for entire programs, specific units, and individual lessons. The BSCS 5E Instructional Model plays a significant role in the curriculum development process as well as the enactment of curricular materials in science classrooms.

Trailblazers Activity for Virtual Instruction

The Trailblazers activity from Module 1 - Lesson 3 modified to be done in a synchronous virtual learning environment.

Workshop Planning Guide

A list of factors to consider for facilitators and school districts or partner organizations in planning a workshop.

Block-based agent-based modeling tool based on Scratch

Cellular is an agent-based modeling tool that uses a Scratch-like interface and allows teachers and students to create models and simulations in a very easy way. This makes this tool suitable to introduce ABM into the Primary level but also in Middle & High School taking advantage of previous students experience with Scratch. Cellular is based on Snap wich it's also based on Scratch. And you can also work off-line!!

Alternate activities to introduce Project GUTS

Sometimes, teachers have a students who have already participated in Project GUTS introductory activities, and want to use something different, or want another activity to expand a lesson. Below are links to some alternate activities, both hands-on and on-line, for you to explore.

Computational Thinking for Youth in Action (2011)

This is an early paper of Computational Thinking that has a lot of traction. It's where we first describe the Use-Modify-Create trajectory.

Assessing Youth's Computational Thinking (2011)

AERA conference proceedings 2011

Application of the Occupational Analysis of Computational Thinking-Enabled STEM Professionals as a Program Assessment Tool (2012)

Journal of Computational Science Education (2012)

Integrating Computational Thinking Across the K-8 Curriculum (2014)

ACM InRoads (2014)

Preparing STEM Teachers to offer Computer Science for All (2017)

ACM SIGCSE 2017

Bumper Turtles for StarLogo TNG

A coding activity to introduce students to conditional logic -- this version follows the "Pixelated Paths" activity and builds the model in Star Logo TNG.