Programming and Performance Tasks: Addressing Computational Thinking

UPDATE :  I have posted both the performance tasks (History 3.4 and Science 6.5)  and I'm now working on two additional tasks: SCIENCE 4.2 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals have structures that distinguish them from one another and play vital roles in their ability to survive. The CS standards that will be integrated are CS 2 and 12. World History & Geography to 1500.  WHI.6 The student will apply social science skills to understand ancient Rome from about 700 B.C. (B.C.E.) to 500 A.D. (C.E.) in terms of its impact on Western civilization.  The CS standards addressed will be those associated with Algorithms and Programming. UPDATE:  Science 4.2, Photosynthesis, is now completed and available on the Performance Tasks page. UPDATE :   World History & Geography to 1500, WHI.6, is now complete and available on the Performance Tasks page. UPDATE :   The next example Performance Task will be one th...

     There's an introduction to the Microbit on the Data and Analyses page of this site.  The Microbit is a very good option for learning about coding and hardware, and it's relatively inexpensive.  A local Physics teacher developed a great project built around the Microbit and you can see a description of the project, the code he used, and even an .stl file for 3D printing some materials he designed for the project here as the featured post:  http://stemlabsnn.blogspot.com/  (The STEMLabs site was developed for an earlier grant-based project and there's a lot of information about the Microbit, 3D printing and design, and a lot of other interesting tech.)

     I'm developing a post that walks through the development of a Performance Task.  It's available now, in an Under Construction condition, on the Performance Tasks page.  It's for 3rd grade History SOL 3.4, the kingdom of Mali, and integrates CS standards 3.1 and 3.2.  The task is developing a story-telling Scratch program for a well-known proverb.  I'm doing it as a detailed walk through, so it's a bit lengthy.  Eventually, it will include a completed Scratch Program as an example of how a 3rd grader might complete this assignment.   I'm doing the same for a 6th grade Science SOL: 6.5 - The student will investigate and understand that all matter is composed of atoms. Key ideas include:  a) atoms consist of particles, including electrons, protons, and neutrons; and the CS Standard will be: 6.1 The student will construct programs to accomplish a task as a means of creative expression or scientific exploration using a block based or te...

     This blog is meant to serve as a resource for educators looking for ways to assess computational thinking.  It is developed specifically for Virginia K-12 teachers who will be integrating the new Virginia Department of Education K-12 Computer Science standards in their classrooms.  Some of the key concepts discussed will include Algorithms and Coding, Data and Analysis, Computational Thinking, Physical Computing, and Authentic Assessments (Performance Tasks.)  Hardware and software addressed will include the Scratch and Arduino-based programming languages, Microbit and Snapinos boards, and Vernier sensors.  This blog will reflect the emphasis on across-the-curriculum integration of the CS standards, especially for K-8 grade levels.