Objective:

Students will compare and contrast the treatment of similar themes in traditional stories, myths, or literature from different cultures. They will use flowcharts to organize the key events and patterns in the stories, applying computational thinking skills such as pattern recognition and algorithmic thinking to identify similarities and differences in how the themes are treated.

Materials Needed:

• Traditional stories or myths from two or more cultures

• Flowcharts or story mapping tools for organizing events

• Chart paper and markers for group work

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Begin by asking students, "What is a theme, and how do you find it in a story?" 

  • Explain how themes like good vs. evil, friendship, or perseverance often appear in stories from different cultures. Introduce the concept of computational thinking by comparing the process of identifying themes to problem-solving in computer science. 

  • Just as a programmer looks for patterns in code to solve problems, readers look for patterns in events and character actions to identify themes.

• Group Activity:

  • Divide students into small groups and assign each group two stories or myths that share similar themes (e.g., a hero's journey or trickster tales). 

  • Using a flowchart, students will map out the key events in each story. They will focus on how characters' actions and decisions contribute to the development of the theme. 

  • The flowcharts help students break down the stories into distinct sequences, mirroring how algorithms in computer science are structured to solve problems step by step.

• Computational Thinking Integration:

  • Encourage students to look for patterns as they compare the two stories, noting how similar themes emerge from different actions, settings, or resolutions. 

  • This process involves decomposition—breaking down each story into smaller events and actions—and abstraction, where students focus on the core elements of the theme. 

  • For example, a group comparing two trickster tales may note that while one trickster relies on deception and the other on humor, both achieve their goals in similar ways.

• Testing and Refining:

  • After completing their flowcharts, students will refine them by adding details or clarifying their explanations. 

  • This mirrors the debugging process in computer science, where students review their work to ensure it accurately reflects the key components of the theme. 

  • They will also share their flowcharts with other groups, providing feedback to help refine their comparisons.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Each group will present their flowchart to another group, explaining how the stories develop similar themes and what differences they observed in the events. 

  • Lead a discussion on how the computational thinking process of decomposition and pattern recognition helped them analyze and compare the stories. 

  • Highlight how similar processes are used in programming when breaking down and organizing code to solve complex problems.

Equity and Access:

Provide pre-labeled flowchart templates for students who need additional support and offer simplified versions of the stories to help all students participate fully. Pair students with varying levels of experience to encourage collaboration.

Real-World Application:

By comparing themes across different cultures, students develop critical thinking, pattern recognition, and organizational skills—key computational thinking skills that are used in coding, programming, and solving complex real-world problems.

CS Practice(s):

• Developing and Using Abstractions: Students abstract the key events in each story and use a flowchart to model the structure of the narrative and its theme.

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students identify patterns in how similar themes are treated across different stories and cultures, applying this process to literature as they would to problem-solving in programming.

Standard(s):

• CA CCSS ELA-Literacy.RL4.9

• CA CS 3-5.AP.13

Objective:

Students will use a coding platform such as Scratch to create interactive animations that represent the themes of stories, dramas, or poems. They will code characters and scenes to highlight key details from the text and summarize the story, applying computational thinking by organizing and sequencing story elements in a logical flow.

Materials Needed:

• Tablets or computers 

• Selected stories, dramas, or poems with strong thematic elements

• Story maps or graphic organizers to outline key details

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Begin by introducing the concept of theme, asking students, "What is a theme, and how do we find it in a story?" 

  • Discuss examples of common themes, such as friendship, courage, or good versus evil. 

  • Explain that students will use a coding platform to create an interactive animation summarizing a story and highlighting its theme.

• Group Activity:

  • In pairs, students will select a story and identify its key details, focusing on the actions of characters and the events that develop the theme. 

  • Using a coding platform, they will create scenes where characters demonstrate the theme in action. 

  • For example, a scene might show a character overcoming a challenge, illustrating a theme of perseverance. 

  • Students will code the animations to progress in sequence, ensuring the theme is clearly communicated.

• Creating and Coding:

  • Encourage students to use coding blocks to animate their scenes, such as making a character move or speak a line that expresses the theme. 

  • They will also include text or dialogue that summarizes the key points of the story. 

  • This reinforces computational thinking by breaking down the story into parts and arranging them in a clear, logical order.

• Testing and Refining:

  • Once students have completed their animations, they will test them to ensure the theme is clear and the summary flows logically. 

  • They can revise their animations by adding details or adjusting the timing of events. Encourage them to debug any issues, such as incorrect timing or missing scenes.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Each pair will present their animations to another pair of students, summarizing the story and explaining how their animation demonstrates the theme. 

  • Lead a discussion on the different ways students represented similar themes, comparing the techniques used to illustrate the central message.

Equity and Access:

Provide pre-made templates for students who need extra support, allowing them to focus on animating the theme without starting from scratch. Pair students with varying levels of coding experience to promote peer collaboration.

Real-World Application:

Students practice summarizing key details and organizing information to present a clear message, a skill useful in creating presentations, reports, or even digital content in the real world.

CS Practice(s):

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students use a coding platform to create animations that represent the theme of a story.

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students identify how to best represent the theme of a story through coded sequences.

Standard(s):

• CA CCSS ELA-Literacy.RL4.2

• CA CS 3-5.AP.12

• CA CS 3-5.AP.13