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Module 1 Lesson 5 - Modeling the Spread of Disease

In this lesson students will convert their Colliding Turtles model into a simple Epidemic model by adding slider widgets for transmission rate and recovery rate. The Contagion model represents a very simplified version of an epidemic or spread of a disease. Two variables will be created: transmission rate and recovery rate. Students will later use this model to run experiments to determine if disease will spread throughout a virtual population in different scenarios.

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

Journal of Computational Science Education (2012)

Beaker with silver nitrate solution and copper pipe

Silver Nitrate Production video

A short video showing "Silver Production from Silver Nitrate using a Copper Pipe" - used if wet lab activity not available for CS in Science Module 4 (Chemical Reactions)

Pair Programming video

This short video (2:51 minutes) features two middle school girls describing and practicing pair programming. It is a great introduction to this method of learning programming and creating models.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology video - image of birds flocking

Complex Adaptive Systems Modeling Video

This short video (3:13 minutes) introduces complex adaptive systems and agent-based modeling concepts to middle-school students. It shows beautiful footage of birds flocking as an example of a complex adaptive system.

Sample rubric for ecosystem module

This rubric was previously posted on the Code.org site and many teachers have found it to be helpful. You can save a copy and modify as fits your curriculum.

Skill Building Deck

A slide deck of exercises to build CS and decoding skills

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

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

ACM InRoads (2014)

Module 1 Lesson 4 - Probability with Dice and Data and Colliding Turtles

In this lesson students will participate in two activities. In the first activity, students will learn about probability, how it is implemented in StarLogo Nova, and use probability to implement chance behavior in agent movement. In the second activity, students will create a Colliding Turtles project in which turtles react to other turtles upon collision. The wrap-up discussion covers what probability is used for in computer modeling and simulation.

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.

Making Sense of Models one page description

This is a document that describes the Making Sense of Models project.

Module 1 Lesson 1 - Introduction to Complex Adaptive Systems and Computer Modeling and Simulation

The introductory lesson in Module 1, consisting of two activities. In the 1st activity, students will do a participatory simulation called "Turn & Walk" that will expose them to the characteristics of complex adaptive systems. In the 2nd activity, students will be led “under the hood” and get an overview of some of the parts of a computer model.

Module 1 Lesson 2 - Introduction to StarLogo Nova and Building Flower Turtles

In this lesson students will participate in two activities. The first activity is a guided introduction to the StarLogo Nova simulation environment. In the second activity, students will learn a few simple commands and then create their first computer program. Students will progress from single turtle explorations to instructing many turtles to follow their commands in parallel.

Module 1 Lesson 3 - Conditionals with Trailblazer and Bumper Turtles

In this lesson students will participate in two activities. In the first they will
learn about conditionals, logic, and Boolean expressions as they guide an
agent through a puzzle. They also consider the best path / solution and the degree of universality of their solution. In the second activity, students will learn a few simple commands and then starting with a basic project, implement a Bumper Turtles program in which agents respond to their environment.

The Greenhouse Effect

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

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