Objective:

Students will role-play different jobs involved in the production and sale of goods and services, decomposing the process from producer to consumer into smaller, manageable steps. They will practice computational thinking by sequencing these steps and identifying the key roles involved in the economic process.

Materials Needed:

• Name tags representing different jobs (e.g., baker, truck driver, store owner)

• Toy objects representing goods (e.g., bread, toys, fruits)

• Large poster or whiteboard for sequencing steps

• Markers and sticky notes

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Begin by asking, "How do we get the food we eat or the clothes we wear?" 

  • Discuss the different jobs involved in producing, transporting, and selling goods. 

  • Explain that, just like when solving a problem with a computer, these steps need to be organized in a specific sequence. 

  • Tell students they will act out these jobs and also break down the entire process step by step.

• Group Activity:

  • Divide the class into small groups and assign each group a product, such as bread or toys. 

  • Have students brainstorm the jobs involved in getting their product from the producer to the consumer, decomposing the process into steps like "making the bread," "loading the truck," "delivering to the store," and "selling to the customer." 

  • Each group will write down their steps on sticky notes and arrange them in sequence on the large poster or whiteboard, focusing on identifying where each person plays a role in the system.

• Role-Playing and Sequencing:

  • Students will take on different job roles (e.g., baker, truck driver, store owner) and act out their sequence, following the steps they created. 

  • As they role-play, they will move through each task, reflecting on how each step builds on the previous one. 

  • The focus will be on understanding how sequencing applies in both their role-play and in computer programming—where order is crucial to success.

• Testing and Refining:

  • After role-playing, students will revisit their sticky notes on the board and discuss whether the sequence made sense. 

  • They can modify or refine the steps as necessary, just like debugging a program that doesn't work as expected. 

  • The teacher will guide a discussion on how this process mirrors the way computers handle tasks.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Each group will present their role-play to the class, explaining how they decomposed the process and arranged it in a logical sequence. 

  • The teacher will encourage students to reflect on how sequencing in computer science is similar to sequencing tasks in real-world systems, such as getting a product to market.

Equity and Access:

Provide visual aids and guided prompts for students who may need support in understanding decomposition and sequencing. Ensure all students can participate by offering flexible roles and encouraging collaboration among students with different strengths.

Real-World Application:

In everyday life, many processes—like getting groceries to your local store or manufacturing toys—follow a step-by-step sequence, just like in computer programming. Understanding how to break down complex tasks into smaller steps helps students see how different jobs come together to provide goods and services, reinforcing the importance of teamwork, sequencing, and logical order in the real world.

CS Practice(s):

• Collaborating Around Computing: Students work in groups to decompose the process, assign roles, and sequence tasks, learning how collaborative problem-solving mirrors teamwork in computing.

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students identify and break down the steps needed to complete the economic process, applying similar thinking to how computers process complex problems.

• Communicating About Computing: Students share and present their sequencing tasks and role-play, reflecting on how the order of steps is crucial in both real-world and computing contexts.

Standard(s):

• CA History-Social Science 1.6.2

• CA CS K-2.AP.10

Objective:

Students will use Scratch Jr. or another coding platform to create interactive animations that model the concept of exchange and the use of money to purchase goods and services. By designing scenes where characters buy and sell items, students will understand the flow of goods in a free-market economy and use basic coding skills to animate these interactions.

Materials Needed:

• Tablets or computers 

• Images of goods and services (e.g., toys, food, etc.)

• Character icons for buyers and sellers

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Begin by asking the class, "How do we buy things like toys or food?" 

  • Discuss the role of money in exchanging goods and services. 

  • Explain that today they will use Scratch Jr. or another coding platform to create animations showing how money is used to buy and sell items.

• Group Activity:

  • In pairs, students will select a simple scenario (e.g., buying an apple at the market). 

  • They will then use a coding platform to design a scene where a character hands over money in exchange for goods. 

  • Students will use coding blocks to animate the sequence of actions, such as a character walking up to a vendor, handing over coins, and receiving the item in return.

• Creating and Coding:

  • Students will develop their animations step by step, coding the character movements and exchanges to reflect the concept of purchasing goods. 

  • They will debug and test their code to ensure the sequence works as intended.

• Testing and Refining:

  • Once the animations are completed, students will test their programs to ensure the steps of the transaction are represented accurately. 

  • They will refine their projects by adding more details or adjusting the sequence of actions.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Students will present their animations, explaining how the transaction took place and how they used coding to model the exchange of goods for money. 

  • The teacher will facilitate a discussion on how money works in real-life transactions, making connections to local businesses or home experiences.

Equity and Access:

Provide coding templates for students who need extra assistance, and pair experienced coders with less experienced students for collaborative learning.

Real-World Application:

When using technology, such as shopping online or tracking a package, programming helps manage these tasks by processing and organizing data. By learning how to create sequences and solve problems in a coding platform, students begin to understand the same principles that power apps and programs they encounter in daily life, from video games to online stores. This builds a foundation for recognizing how coding supports real-world systems.

CS Practice(s):

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students design animations to represent real-life transactions.

• Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts: Students test and refine their programs to ensure accuracy in representing exchanges.

Standard(s):

• CA History-Social Science 1.6.1

• CA CS K-2.AP.10