Objective: 

Students will describe how body systems interact during physical activity and compare this to how computing devices and components connect to form a system, enhancing their understanding of interdependent systems.

Materials Needed: 

• Diagrams of human body systems (e.g., heart, lungs, muscles) and computing systems (e.g., CPU, mouse, monitor)

• Whiteboard

• Markers

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Students explore how body systems, such as the circulatory, respiratory, and muscular systems, interact to enable physical activity. 

  • For example, when running, the lungs supply oxygen, the heart pumps it to the muscles, and the muscles use the oxygen for movement. 

  • Introduce the analogy that just as the body relies on different systems working together, computers also depend on various components like the mouse (input), processor (processing), and monitor (output) to function.

• Group Activity: 

  • Divide students into small groups and provide each group with large sheets of paper or whiteboards. 

  • Each group will create two diagrams—one showing how the body systems work together during physical activity and the other demonstrating how computing components like a mouse, keyboard, and monitor connect to form a functioning system. 

  • Students will label each part, describe its function, and explain how information or signals move between components. 

  • Each group will then share their diagrams with the class, explaining the connections in both systems.

Equity and Access: 

Provide pre-labeled diagrams with simplified terms for students needing additional support. Assign clear group roles to encourage collaboration, such as "diagram designer," "explainer," and "recorder," ensuring all students participate and share their strengths.

Real-World Application: 

Relate this activity to teamwork in sports or group projects, where different people or roles work together to achieve a common goal, just like the body systems or computing components. Emphasize how cooperation and communication are essential both in physical activities and in technology.

CS Practices:

• Developing and Using Abstractions: Students model and compare two systems—biological and computational—to understand how interconnected parts work together.

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students identify how body systems and computer systems solve problems through interconnected components.

Standards:

• CA NGSS: 4-PS4-2

• CA CS 3-5.CS.1

Objective: 

Students will use Scratch or another familiar coding platform to model how light reflects from objects and enters the eye, allowing them to see, and how the brain processes this visual information. Students will also explore how computing devices connect to other components to form a system, drawing parallels to how the brain works with the eyes and nerves to process input and produce responses. Through coding, they will practice sequencing, testing, and problem-solving.

Materials Needed: 

• Computers or tablets

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Begin by asking students, “How does light allow you to see objects around you?” 

  • Lead a discussion explaining that light reflects off objects and enters the eye, where it is processed by the brain to form an image. 

  • Compare this process to how a computer system processes inputs from a device, like a mouse or keyboard, to produce an output. 

  • Explain that today, students will use a coding platform to simulate how light enters the eye and how computing devices, like the brain, connect with sensors (eyes) to process and respond to inputs.

• Group Activity: 

  • In pairs, students will create a coding project that simulates how light reflects off an object and allows the character to "see" the object on the screen. 

  • The project will model how the eye (input device) sends signals to the brain (processor) for processing, and how a visual response (output) is displayed on the screen. 

  • Next, students will simulate how different components (input, processor, output) connect to form a computing system and interact with each other.

• Creating and Coding: 

  • Students will use coding blocks to represent how light reflects from an object and enters the eye (input), and how the brain processes this information (processing). 

  • The output will show the object on the screen, demonstrating how the brain interprets the input and produces a visual response. 

  • Additionally, students will create a program to simulate the connections between input devices (keyboard, mouse), processing units (the character's brain), and output devices (screen display), modeling how computing devices connect in a system.

• Testing and Refining: 

  • Students will test their projects to ensure their characters correctly simulate the process of seeing an object. 

  • They will troubleshoot any issues, ensuring that the input (light) triggers the correct processing and output (seeing the object). 

  • Students will also test that their system's components—input devices, processors, and output—are connected and function as an integrated system, mimicking how computing devices work together.

• Presentation and Discussion: 

  • Each group will present their coding project to another group, explaining how light reflecting from objects enters the eye, how it is processed by the brain, and how this results in seeing the object on the screen. 

  • They will also describe how the system in their program represents a computing device connected to components (input, processing, output) to form a functional system, drawing parallels between how the brain and a computer system process information.

Equity and Access: 

Provide pre-made templates for students who need extra guidance, and encourage pair programming to promote collaboration between students of different skill levels. Ensure that each student has the opportunity to contribute to their project.

Real-World Application: 

Discuss real-world examples of systems where input devices (like cameras) capture light and send it to a processor (computer), which produces a visual output (on a screen). Help students see how systems in technology and biology, like the brain and eyes, work together through connected components to process and respond to information.

CS Practices:

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students use a coding platform to design a project that demonstrates how input and output devices interact in a computing system.

• Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts: Students debug their projects to ensure the input and output connections are functioning correctly.

Standards:

• CA NGSS: 4-PS4-2

• CA CS: 3-5.CS.1