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CS Discoveries, 08-29-2023

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Today's to-do list includes the following items:

  1. Password Resets
    1. Every PGCPS student must reset their password before September 6th.
    2. Fortunately, Mr. Smith created some temporary passwords for you to use just this once. If you don't change your password from the temp one, you WILL be locked out again but still be held accountable for missed assignments.
    3. Go to IDM and prepare to log in with your username and temp password while Mr. Smith hands them out.
    4. When you've reset your password and set up your security questions, move on to the Warm-Up.
  2. Warm-Up: 
    1. ✳️💬Lesson 1 Warm Up/Journal Prompt
      1. "What makes someone a good problem solver? Be ready to share three ideas with the class."
      2. (A working username and password are needed to log into Canvas and complete this work.)
      3. Proofreading answers is an important part of any written assignment, and grades will reflect a failure to do so.
      4. Warm-Ups are usually a 5 point Independent Work grade if a written response is expected, or a 5 point Assessment grade if the Warm-Up is a quiz. They are due at the start of class and not eligible for late submission or resubmission.

  3. Lesson 1- Activity: Building an Aluminum Boat

    1. Today you are going to be building aluminum boats. You'll have an opportunity to build at least two boats and use your experience with each one to improve your designs. Before we get started, decide as a group what kind of design you'd like to make with your first boat. Record your ideas and any possible weaknesses of this design on your activity guide.
    2. GoalBuild a boat that holds the most possible magnets, using a piece of aluminum foil. You will build two boats (time permitting) and will try to improve your design between the first and the second.
    3. Rules
      • You may only use a single piece of foil to build your boat
      • You may not touch or adjust your boat once it is in the water
      • You must add magnets one at a time to see how much weight the boat can hold.

    4. Develop a Plan

      1. Put the name of everyone in your group on the paper provided by Mr. Smith.
      2. What kind of boat does your group plan to make?
        1. Write a description or draw a picture on your paper.
      3.  What are the strengths of this design? What possible weaknesses might this design have?
        1. Write your thoughts about this on ... you guessed it ... your paper.

    5. Test Your Boat

      • Document your group's answers to the following questions:
        • How many magnets did your boat hold?
        • Why did your boat eventually sink? What needs to be improved?

    6. Evaluate and Improve

      • Document your group's answers to the following questions:
        • What are the most common kinds of problems you see among the boats tested?
        • What ideas seem to be working well?

       

    7. Reflect

      • How did working in a team make this activity easier?
      • How did it make the activity more challenging?
      • What helped your group overcome these challenges?

      Take a clear, recognizable photo of your paper and upload it to this assignment. Type out the names of the people in your group just in case they cannot be read on the paper.

    8. Assignments are usually a 4 point Classwork grade. They are due the day they are assigned and may be resubmitted ONCE for a higher grade unless otherwise stated. The grade for this assignment is for submitting your documentation. You will not be given an opportunity to redo this activity due to time constraints.

  4. 🔗🌐CSD Pre-Course Survey

    1. A major goal of CS Discoveries is to broaden participation in computer science. It is crucial therefore to have insight into students' attitudes and beliefs about computer science before the course so that we can measure the amount of change that occurred after the course is over. Completing it also helps us understand important improvements we can make to the curriculum to improve the teacher and student experience. Please help by contributing to this vital dataset. Your voices make the difference! A link to the survey can be found in Code Studio as the first item on the Unit 1 overview page.
      1. Log into Clever.
      2. Find and click the Code.org button.
      3. Scroll down and find the section called "22024-06538-867310-805-CompSciDiscoveries"
        1. (You have already been added to this section.)
      4. Click on and complete the assignment named "CS Discoveries Pre-survey."
      5. Mr. Smith can see if it has been completed but will not be able to see your answers.
      6. Anything requesting student feedback is usually a 4 point Assessment grade. Because timing is essential for critiques and surveys, they are not eligible for late submission or resubmission. (How valuable is a pre-survey if you take it after you've been given instruction?)