1. Yasemin Allsop Senior Lecturer in Computing Education

2. “The role of the teacher is to create the conditions for invention rather than provide ready-made knowledge.” Seymour Papert

4. Why teach CT with board games?

5. Why teach CT with board games?

6. Boolean Logic
Boolean logic is named after 19th Century mathematician George Boole. It is a type of data with two values: ‘true’ or ‘false’. In a binary number system, each bit has a value of ‘1’ or ‘0’, therefore Boolean logic fits well into computer science. You start with a coding statement that can be either true or false. Boolean logic uses AND, OR, NOT and related operators to evaluate whether your statement is TRUE or FALSE.
Computer programs make use of Boolean logic all the time. Let’s say you are trying to log onto your account, the computer will check that you have entered the correct user name AND password before it allows you to sign into your account. If either one of these conditions is false, you will not be able to log onto your account. .

7. Space Race
Computational thinking features developed
Logic, Algorithms, Evaluation, Tinkering, conditional
Cross-curricular links
Science: Learning about the planets and their position in space. You could also set targets involving specific characteristics of the planets rather than their images. E.g. Target is the planet that is closest to the Earth.
Mathematics: Targets can be set using the coordinates, which would help students to practice reading coordinates. By using different angle values for turning left and right, they can also learn about types of angles and directional language. E.g. Turn left 45 degrees.
Age range for activity
This activity can be used both in KS 1 and KS2 with modification. Tasks and program cards can be re-designed to create more complex algorithms.
*This activity is part of ‘Games’ chapter written by me for Helen Caldwell and Neil Smith’s book ‘Teaching Computing Unplugged in Primary Schools’
published by SAGE.

8. Space Race

10. Computing with cards
Computational thinking features developed
Logic, Conditionals, Evaluation
Cross-curricular links
Science, History, and Geography: The starter activity can be introduced during science, history and geography sessions as the questions can be linked to various topics. E.g. Materials, Romans, Habitats.
Mathematics: Mathematical principles could be used to create conditions for the card game. For example ‘if the number ≤ 7 then miss a turn, else receive 2 points’.
Age range for activity
This activity can be used both in KS 1 and KS2 with modification. ‘If statements’ and ‘else statements’ could be re-designed to create conditionals with different range of difficulties.
*This activity is part of ‘Games’ chapter written by me for Helen Caldwell and Neil Smith’s book ‘Teaching Computing Unplugged in Primary Schools’ published by SAGE.

11. How to code with cards?

12. Conditionals
Conditionals: An instruction in a program that only executed when a specific condition met.

13. Thank you! @yallsop yallsop@msn.com