Session 9: Curriculum Investigation
75 minutes
lesson exploration
Purpose
The purpose of this session is for participants to investigate Unit 5 and reflect on how they will implement the lessons with their students. Although it is not possible to cover all unit content within the time allotted, core concepts are highlighted within this investigation. The overall goal of this session is for participants to reflect on the “Learning in Context” with a specific emphasis on how they will support students in understanding “why” data is important before learning “how” to represent data and use data to solve problems. Participants will also continue to reflect on differentiation and begin to think about how students might use the Problem Solving Process for Data to support their learning in Chapter 2 of Unit 5.
Objectives
- Participants have been exposed to the essential content knowledge necessary to plan and implement selected lessons in Unit 5
- Participants develop the skills necessary to continue to build their CS content knowledge outside of the walls of the workshop through resources within Code Studio and the Code.org lesson plans
- Participants reflect on ways to support students in drawing conclusions from data using the Problem Solving Process for Data
- Participants identify ways that they can support students in understanding the “why” and the “how” of the concepts they are learning
Supplies & Prep
Room Setup:
- Participants seated in pods
- Consider having participants sit in affinity groups (ex: teacher who will be teaching unit 4 and teachers who will not be teaching unit 4; 6th grade teachers, 7th grade teachers, etc.; standards based grading, A/B/C/D grades, mastery; etc.)
Facilitator Supplies:
- Your local copy of the CSD - Workshop 3 - Slides Template - 2019
- Your local copy of the CS Discoveries Q3 - Notes Template (19 - 20)
Teacher Supplies
- Computers
- Unit 5 Activity Guide - Curriculum Investigation (linked in the group notes doc)
Agenda
Introduction (1 minute)
Investigation Part 1 (20 minutes)
Problem Solving Process (5 minutes)
Investigation Part 2 (20 minutes)
Investigation Part 3 (20 minutes)
Wrap Up (9 minutes)
Facilitation Guide
Introduction (1 minute)
(1 minute) Context Setting
Remarks
In this session, you will have time to investigate lessons within Unit 5. The Unit 5 Activity Guide - Curriculum Investigation is intended to guide you investigation. We will stop periodically to discuss the individual lessons as a group. You are encouraged to work with an elbow partner during this time.
Investigation Part 1 (20 minutes)
(15 minutes) Investigate Lesson 6
Remarks
Lesson 6 follows the lesson that was modeled this morning. Up to this point, learners have focused on how data is represented and stored by a computer. Lesson six extends this conversation into how stored data can be kept private through a process called encryption.
Investigation Goal: Understand how to encrypt and decrypt a binary message.
Investigation Task:
- Read the lesson warm up
- Complete the first page of the “Keeping Data Secret” - Activity Guide
(5 minutes) Discussion
After fifteen minutes, the facilitator brings the group’s attention to step 2 of the Unit 5 Activity Guide - Curriculum Investigation. Participants are instructed to discuss the prompts with a partner. After the five minute discussion, participants are encouraged to move on to the next lesson investigation.
Prompts:
- Learning in Context: How might you incorporate student experiences and current events into this lesson?
- Differentiation: Where are there opportunities within this lesson to support and extend learning for the diverse learners within your classroom?
Problem Solving Process (5 minutes)
(1 minute) Opening Remarks
Remarks
In Chapter 2 of Unit 5, the focus shifts from representing data information to solving problems using data. This progression mimics the progression in Unit 1: Problem Solving and Computing. In Unit 1, students first learned that computers need to input and store information. This is similar to Chapter 1 of Unit 5 where students learn how computers store data in binary. In Unit 1, students went on to learn that computers process and output information. This is similar to the data analysis and conclusion drawing that students will do in Chapter 2 of Unit 5 as they work to solve problems using data. In Chapter 2, students will again use the Problem Solving Process. However, the focus of this process will now be on using data to solve problems and draw conclusions.
(4 minutes) Problem Solving Process for Data
- The facilitator displays the “Problem Solving Process” diagram and asks participants to open to page 53 (the last page) of their curriculum guide. (There is a digital copy of the curriculum guide linked in the group notes doc for people to use if they do not have their curriculum guide.)
- (2 minutes) Participants are asked to read the section titled “The Problem Solving Process for Data”
- (2 minutes) Quick popcorn style share out
Discussion Goal
The goal here is for participants to compare “Problem Solving for Data” process to previous applications of the problem solving process used in other units of this course. This process should feel familiar and anchoring for both teachers and students. The key takeaway here is that the emphasis on this application of the Problem Solving Process is on using data to solve problems and draw conclusions.
Prompt: How is this application of the “Problem Solving Process” different from the problem solving processes used by students in previous units?
Remarks
As we can see, the four major steps of the problem solving process will be familiar to students. However, the way students engage with this process in Unit 5 will be different than in previous units. In Unit 5, problem solving will be centered around using data to draw conclusions and solve problems.
Investigation Part 2 (20 minutes)
(15 minutes) Investigate Lesson 9
Remarks
Lesson 9 is the first lesson in Chapter 2. In this lesson, students will use the Problem Solving Process for Data to solve a date problem.
Investigation Goal: Identify opportunities for students to use data to draw conclusions and solve problems that they care about
Investigation Task:
- Read the “Overview”, “Purpose” and “Assessment Opportunities” sections of the U5L9 Lesson Plan
- Read the “Solving a Data Problem - Activity Guide” exemplar
- Reflect on ways to modify the scenario to make it more relevant to the students in your classroom
(5 minutes) Discussion
After fifteen minutes, the facilitator brings the group’s attention to step 2 of the Unit 5 Activity Guide - Curriculum Investigation. Participants are instructed to discuss the prompts with a partner. After the five minute discussion, participants are encouraged to move on to the next lesson investigation.
Prompts:
- Learning in Context - Problems should be purposeful. How might you modify the scenario in this lesson to be more relevant to the students in your classroom?
- Drawing Conclusions - How might students use the Problem Solving Process for Data to draw conclusions in this lesson?
Investigation Part 3 (20 minutes)
(15 minutes) Investigate Lesson 13
Remarks
Throughout Chapter 2, students will continue to build their understanding of using and interpreting data. In lesson 13, students will learn to use cross tabulation tables to draw conclusions based on the relationships between multiple data sets.
Investigation Goal: Understand how to use a cross tabulation table to find patterns and relationships in data
Investigation Task:
- Read the lesson “Overview” and “Purpose”
- Complete the first cross tabulation table on the “Interpreting Data” - Activity Guide using the data from the “Interpreting Data” - Resource
(5 minutes) Discussion
After fifteen minutes, the facilitator brings the group’s attention to step 2 of the Unit 5 Activity Guide - Curriculum Investigation. Participants are instructed to discuss the prompts with a partner. After the five minute discussion, participants are encouraged to move on to the next lesson investigation.
Prompts:
- Learning in Context - Students should understand “why” the problem is important before deciding “how” to solve the problem. Why is the problem presented in Lesson 13 important for students to solve? How will you present this problem in a way that motivates student learning?
- Drawing Conclusions - How might students use the Problem Solving Process for Data to draw conclusions using data in this lesson?
Wrap Up (9 minutes)
(3 minutes) Unit Reflection
Remarks
At this point, we have done one model lesson and investigated three additional lessons in Unit 5. Now, let’s shift to thinking about the unit as a whole as we continue to dig into the idea of supporting students in understanding the “why” before moving on to the “how”. Go to the last page of the Unit 5 Activity Guide - Curriculum Investigation. Reflecting on the unit as a whole, answer the “Learning in Context” question.
Prompt: Problems should be purposeful. How can you help students understand “why” data is important before they dig into “how” to represent data in Chapter 1 and problem solve with data in Chapter 2 of Unit 5?
(6 minutes) Share Out
Participants share their ideas with the whole group while the facilitator adds notes to the group notes doc.