Year 9 - Digital Tech - Term 1 - Week 1

Year 9 - Digital Tech - Term 1 - Week 1

Task 1

In teams of 2 - 3:

1. Create a giant (A3) paper airplane

2. Use ONLY the materials you have been given

3. Your plane must use ALL of the A3 paper

4. You have 10 minutes

There will be prizes for airplanes that:

o Fly the furthest

o Fly the longest

o Look most stylish

o Team uses best problem solving skills

Task 2 - Paper Airplane Instructions

• create written instructions for someone else to follow to create an A3 paper airplane

• they must be accurate and easy to follow (without any guidance from anyone else)

• you can use any format you wish (list, flowchart, etc.)

• you only have 10 minutes

• I will randomly pick two or three people's instructions to see if they can be followed

Learning Objectives

• to understand computational thinking

• to develop computational thinking skills

• to write an algorithm

Computational Thinking

Computational thinking means considering a problem in a way that a computer can help us to solve it.

We need to:

1. understand what the problem is

2. consider possible solutions

3. use a computer to help solve the problem

Computational Thinking

There are 5 main components to computational thinking:

1. Decomposition

2. Abstraction

3. Pattern recognition

4. Algorithms

5. Evaluation

Decomposition

Breaking down a complex problem into smaller parts

Each of these parts can then be considered in detail

Think about all the different elements of creating a computer game...

Decomposition

How did you use decomposition in the giant paper airplane challenge?

Decomposition

You decided how to fold the paper to make the main shape, then the wings, then how to decorate it.

Abstraction

Reducing unnecessary detail and focusing on the important parts of a system

Creating a representation or generalisation

Abstraction

How did you use abstraction in the giant paper airplane challenge?

Abstraction

You created a representation of an airplane.

Pattern Recognition

Recognising and finding patterns or trends

Looking for similarities

Pattern Recognition

How did you use pattern recognition in the giant paper airplane challenge?

Pattern Recognition

You recognised what planes usually look like (the shape)

You identified common features

Algorithms

Developing instructions to solve a problem.

The steps or rules to complete a task.

e.g. multiplication or division rules in Maths. What are the rules/steps for multiplying decimals by 10?

You move the decimal point one space to the right - that is the algorithm!

Algorithms

How did you use algorithms in the giant paper airplane challenge?

Algorithms

The instructions you created for someone to follow to create a giant paper airplane is an algorithm.

Evaluation

Evaluation means considering if a solution is 'fit for purpose'.

Is it:

1. suitable for the user?

2. easily understood

3. efficient

4. the best that can be done with the resources available.

Evaluation

How did you use evaluation in the giant airplane challenge?

Evaluation

• Checking that your plane flies

• Making the best use of the resources you have

• Ensuring your instructions (algorithm) was easy to follow

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT one of the main components to computational thinking?

• Evaluation

• Decomposition

• Creating

• Algorithms

Multiple Choice

Computational thinking means:

• the steps or rules to complete a task

• developing instructions to solve a problem

• considering if a solution is fir for purpose

• considering a problem in a way that a computer can help us to solve it

Multiple Choice

Decomposition means:

• reducing unnecessary detail and focusing on the important parts of a system

• Breaking down a complex problem into smaller parts so that each part can then be considered in detail

• recognising and finding patterns or trends

• considering if a solution is fit for purpose

Multiple Choice

Abstraction means:

• considering if a solution is fit for purpose

• developing instructions to solve a problem

• recognising and finding patterns or trends

• reducing unnecessary detail and focusing on the important parts of a system

Multiple Choice

Pattern recognition is:

• Writing an algorithm

• Evaluating your work

• Looking for similarities

• Reducing unnecessary detail and focusing on the important parts of a system

Computational thinking in other subjects

How do you use these concepts in other subjects?

o Decomposition

o Abstraction

o Pattern Recognition

o Algorithms

o Evaluation

Computational thinking in other subjects

1. Decomposition: Breaking down the study of climate change in the history of the Earth into smaller timescales to examine each more closely in Geography

2. Abstraction: Creating a mind map for an English or History essay; or creating a model of the heart in Biology

3. Pattern Recognition: Analysing a graph to find trends in the data in Science or Maths

4. Algorithms: Following or creating instructions for an experiment in Science, a recipe in Food Technology or a score in Music

5. Evaluation: Evaluating data in Science or Maths; or weighing up arguments in an English Essay

How can computers help create a 'better' paper plane?

Perhaps:

adding a lightweight motor to the plane that turns on when it senses it is dropping below a certain speed

being able to control the plane remotely

creating a computer simulation to find the 'ultimate' design

Multiple Choice

An example of using abstraction in another subject area could be:

• Creating a mind map for an English or History essay

• Breaking down the study of climate change in the history of the Earth into smaller timescales to examine each more closely in Geography

• Analysing a graph to find trends in the data in Science or Maths

• Weighing up arguments in an English Essay

• Following or creating a recipe in Food Technology

Multiple Choice

An example of using algorithms in another subject area could be:

• Creating a mind map for an English or History essay

• Breaking down the study of climate change in the history of the Earth into smaller timescales to examine each more closely in Geography

• Analysing a graph to find trends in the data in Science or Maths

• Weighing up arguments in an English Essay

• Following or creating a recipe in Food Technology

Multiple Choice

An example of using evaluation in another subject area could be:

• Creating a mind map for an English or History essay

• Breaking down the study of climate change in the history of the Earth into smaller timescales to examine each more closely in Geography

• Analysing a graph to find trends in the data in Science or Maths

• Weighing up arguments in an English Essay

• Following or creating a recipe in Food Technology

Multiple Choice

An example of using decomposition in another subject area could be:

• Creating a mind map for an English or History essay

• Breaking down the study of climate change in the history of the Earth into smaller timescales to examine each more closely in Geography

• Analysing a graph to find trends in the data in Science or Maths

• Weighing up arguments in an English Essay

• Following or creating a recipe in Food Technology

Multiple Choice

An example of using pattern recognition in another subject area could be:

• Creating a mind map for an English or History essay

• Breaking down the study of climate change in the history of the Earth into smaller timescales to examine each more closely in Geography

• Analysing a graph to find trends in the data in Science or Maths

• Weighing up arguments in an English Essay

• Following or creating a recipe in Food Technology