North Smithfield Public Library

Computational Thinking: STEM Literacy in a Digital Age

2/5/2019

Introduction: What is Computational Thinking?
It is a process that can be used to develop and implement solutions to big complex problems. Simply, it is a set of skills that are used to solve problems. These skills are:

Pattern Recognition: Looking for similarities or trends; patterns, matching, identifying and classifying
Decomposition: Breaking something down into smaller parts; breaking larger actions into smaller, easily completed steps
Abstraction: Focusing on what's important, ignoring what is unnecessary; thoughts and ideas
Algorithmic Design: Create a step-by-step instructions to complete a task; following a specific order of actions or sequence. Instructions, plans, recipe

All these work with everyday problems and are also part of the process of learning to read.

Pattern Recognition

Activities:

color or shape scavenger hunt
"that word sounds like....." (rhymes)
sorting activities
fitting shapes into the correct holes
matching games
spot the difference
learning days of the week and months of the year, counting

Literacy Link:
English is printed and read left to right. this pattern is called print awareness.

Decomposition

Activities:

be a chef: follow directions to make your lunch
break it down: explain tasks as you do them (laundry, dishes, making the bed, etc.)
draw a map of your house or yard
write a shopping list
find a story's beginning, middle and end
answer: What did you do today?

Literacy Link:
Letters and sounds are the building blocks of syllables and words. Breaking sentences into words and words into syllables is the decomposition of language.

Abstraction

Activities:

used recycled materials to make something specific
play "What noise does this animal make?"
draw a picture of your family
what is today's weather?
play "I Spy" so that only 1 object could be it
draw a map your your house or yard
music: how does that song go again?
what is the plan for today?

Literacy Link:
Each letter has a specific shape. Identifying these shapes as letters is called letter recognition.

Algorithm Design

Activities:

draw a map
make patterns with colored blocks, pompoms, etc
turn a picture into a color by number
write a shopping list or a recipe
make up your own dance routine
do a dot-to-dot
build a pirate ship from blocks or LEGOs
cook or bake following a recipe

Literacy Link:
Telling a story and sequencing an order of events is a narrative skill. Guessing what may come next in a sequence is an important component.

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