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MSM Unit 1: Things Break Apart

This is the page for Making Sense of Models Unit 1: Things Break Apart.

Assessing Youth's Computational Thinking (2011)

AERA conference proceedings 2011

Daisy world

A model demonstrating the albedo effect of black or white surfaces. Use as a part of the Climate Change and Agriculture Project GUTS Curricular Unit, or as a stand-alone model, activity, and video.

An Example of CT in the Workplace

This is an example of how a computer modeler uses various aspect of computational thinking while designing, creating and using a computer model as a tool to think with.

Computational Science video

A short video (1:27) on the computational science cycle, used in Project GUTS CS in Science (Modules 2-4).

The Greenhouse Effect

A short video on the basics of the greenhouse effect, used in CS in Science, Module 2 (Greenhouse gas model).

My Robotic Friends (cups activity)

This is the cups activity by Thinkersmith (later part of Code.org)

What's Represented?

These exercises ask the learner to identify abstractions in the computer model as compared to a diagram or image of a natural phenomenon.

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.

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

Journal of Computational Science Education (2012)

Dice and Data Activity for Virtual Instruction

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

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

ACM InRoads (2014)

Reclaiming the roots of CT (2016)

CSTA Voice 2016

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

ACM SIGCSE 2017

Profile of a CT Integration Specialist (2017)

Computational Thinking Education 2017 conference

Developing a framework for computational thinking from a disciplinary perspective (2018)

Proceedings of the International Conference on Computational Thinking
Education 2018. Hong Kong: The Education University of Hong Kong.

NGSS Standards

Document highlighting the conceptual shifts in the Next Generation Science Standards

Developing and Using Models - NGSS Science and Engineering Practices

A K-12 progression of the NGSS Science and Engineering Practice of Developing and Using Models.

Performance Expectations that make use of this Science and Engineering Practice - https://ngss.nsta.org/Practices.aspx?id=2

Trailblazers Activity for Virtual Instruction

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

Toss-Up

As a virus spreads through a community, epidemiologists might study how far a disease has spread, how quickly it spreads and how infectious it can be as well a numerous other pieces of data in order to understand the disease and its potential impact on a community. In this activity, students will simulate the spread of a virus such as the flu. Students will work in pairs to accumulate data using graph paper, a data chart, and a die. Before starting, groups will need to decide on three variables.