Session 4: Context for Unit 7 Lesson Exploration
20 minutes
discussion-based
Purpose
This session both provides context for Unit 7 and prepares participants to think about their roles in creating inclusive classrooms during the lessons they look at during the lesson exploration.
Objectives
- Participants can describe how the content builds on itself between units.
- Participants have identified areas they would like to improve to make their classrooms more inclusive.
- Participants have identified barriers in their classrooms, school, and teaching practice that limit inclusion in CS.
- Participants have identified the responsibility they want to claim to support equity in CS education.
Supplies & Prep
Agenda
Introduction to Unit 7 (5 minutes)
Grounding Reflections (15 minutes)
Facilitation Guide
Introduction to Unit 7 (5 minutes)
Have participants navigate to the Unit 7 Curriculum Landing Page. Participants can find more information about the unit by clicking the ‘i’ next to the title, “Parameters and Return Values” on this page. As they navigate to the landing page, set some context for Unit 7.
(2 minutes) 💷 Set Context for Unit 7
Use the slides to guide your overview including:
- This unit follows Unit 6 - Algorithms, which is an unplugged, 6 lesson long unit.
- This is the last unit where students learn new programming concepts.
- After this unit, students will be guided through how to complete the Create Performance Task to College Board standards.
- At the start of Unit 7, students will be about 15 school weeks into the school year. Since Unit 6 should be your first unit in semester 2, this unit is approximately 1 week into your second semester.
(3 minutes) What is in Unit 7?
Review what is in Unit 7 at a high level by going to the Unit 7 Curriculum Landing Page. Again, the unit information can be found by clicking the ‘i’ next to the title, “Parameters and Return Values”. Participants should be looking at the landing page along with you.
- There are only 2 EIPM sequences in this unit - one on Parameters/Return and one on Libraries. Today we will be focusing on the parameters/return EIPM sequence.
- Students need to use a function with a parameter and a return for the Create PT.
- Libraries force students to think about the uses of functions with a parameter and return in a context that computer scientists use frequently - libraries.
- The project in this unit requires students to create a library, or a group of functions. One of the requirements of the library is that one of those functions include a parameter, return, a loop, and an if-statement. Students will need to be able to create a function that has all of these features. This is one way we are preparing students for the Create PT - they will need to write a similar function for the Create PT too.
Grounding Reflections (15 minutes)
(2 minutes) Review the Morning Task
Review the high level plan for the Lesson Exploration. The goal here is to focus participants on the task that comes after the break. Below are some talking points for you to consider as you review the morning task:
- The lesson explorations are going to be focused around the Parameter/return EIPM sequence. Specifically, participants will look at the Explore, Practice, and Make lessons for this.
- While looking at each of these lessons we want to consider the computer science content taught, but we also want to think about creating an inclusive classroom in each of these lessons.
- In our last workshop we talked about recognizing student skills that they bring to the CS classroom and publicly recognizing those skills. This was done to help students recognize how they individually contribute to the classroom in meaningful ways. Really, this was to help build a classroom of inclusion.
- For each lesson we look at today, we are going to further reflect on what decisions you can make to build a more inclusive classroom.
(12 minutes) What does it mean to have an “inclusive classroom”?
(2 minutes) Defining “Inclusive Classrooms”
Remarks
💷 When we talk about an “inclusive classroom,” that means different things to different people. Every classroom is likely to be inclusive to SOME of your students, but our goal is for the classroom to be an inclusive space for EVERY student.
In 2019, Microsoft, in partnership with CSTA, Code.org, NCWIT and other organizations compiled a “Guide to inclusive computer science education”. In this report, they defined “Inclusion” as “Creating learning environments that are accessible and welcoming of students’ identities, backgrounds, differences and perspectives without barriers or judgment. This means actively attending to gender, race, ethnicity, ability or socioeconomic status.”
(10 minutes) Think-Pair-Share
💷 (2 minutes) Journaling prompt: In our last workshop, you identified ways to gather qualitative and quantitative data you could use to understand barriers to access, diversity and inclusion, specifically when it comes to recruiting students to your classroom.
- What data have you uncovered or learned more about?
- What are the barriers (if any) keeping students from feeling included in CS education at your school?
💷 (3 minutes) Partner share
💷 (2 minutes) Journaling prompt: Based on the definition for inclusion, what steps can you take to build an inclusive CS space at your school? What does this look like or sound like to you?
💷 (3 minutes) Full Group Share Out
(1 minute) 💷 Wrap Up
Remarks
After the break we are going to start diving into lessons. As we look at the computer science content and consider how we will implement these lessons in your classrooms, plan for how you can make progress toward making the classroom more inclusive. Keep the specific area you wanted to focus on in mind.