Objective: 

Students will decompose the problem of human adaptation into key components and create flowcharts that model how early humans solved challenges related to survival in their environments.

Materials Needed:

• Poster paper and markers

• Pre-printed cards with adaptation challenges (e.g., food, shelter, tools)

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Begin by explaining how early humans faced a series of environmental challenges and how these challenges can be broken down into smaller problems, similar to the way programmers break down problems in coding.

• Group Activity: 

  • Assign each group a specific region and ask them to identify three key survival challenges (e.g., food, water, shelter). 

  • Using flowcharts, students will model the step-by-step decisions early humans would have made to overcome each challenge.

• Decomposition: 

  • Guide students to decompose each challenge further by asking probing questions (e.g., "What happens first when building a shelter?"). 

  • Encourage them to think of each step as a building block in their flowchart.

• Presentation and Reflection: 

  • Each group presents their flowchart, explaining how early humans solved each challenge. 

  • Discuss similarities in the problem-solving process across groups and draw connections to how modern computational thinking helps solve complex problems.

Equity and Access:

Provide flowchart templates and pre-defined problems to assist students who may struggle with open-ended tasks. Group students with varying strengths to ensure collaboration and shared problem-solving.

Real-World Application:

Connect early human adaptation to modern problem-solving strategies in urban development and resource management, highlighting how breaking down problems into smaller parts leads to more effective solutions.

CS Practice(s):

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students break down complex adaptation issues into manageable parts and identify solutions.

• Developing and Using Abstractions: Students use flowcharts to abstract and represent the problem-solving processes of early humans.

Standard(s):

• CA HSS 6.1

• CA HSS 6-8.AP.10

Objective: 

Students will create a basic survival-themed game using MakeCode Arcade, Scratch, or another coding platform, applying computational thinking to simulate early human adaptation challenges.

Materials Needed:

• Computers or tablets

• Scratch paper for initial game design planning

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Students explore the concept of early human survival and how it can be simulated using computational models. 

  • Explain that students will use a coding platform to create a game where a player navigates challenges like gathering food or avoiding predators.

• Game Planning: 

  • Students will start by brainstorming the key challenges early humans faced (e.g., food, shelter, predators). 

  • In groups, they will sketch out their game on paper, deciding how to represent these challenges through game mechanics.

• Building the Game: 

  • Students will design a game where the player controls a character who must perform tasks like collecting food or building shelter. 

  • They will use block-based coding to program the character's movements, actions, and interactions with objects.

• Testing and Refining: 

  • After building their game, students will playtest it, looking for bugs or challenges in the gameplay. 

  • They will iteratively refine their game logic to ensure it accurately reflects the survival tasks early humans would have faced.

• Presentation: 

  • Students will present their games to the class, explaining the coding logic behind their game and how it simulates early human adaptation. 

  • They will discuss any challenges they faced in coding and how they overcame them.

Equity and Access:

Provide pre-designed assets and simplified coding templates for students who may need extra support. Encourage peer collaboration by pairing students with varying coding skills.

Real-World Application:

Discuss how games are often used to simulate real-world scenarios, like resource management or survival strategies. Connect this to modern simulation games or even training programs used in urban planning or environmental studies.

CS Practice(s):

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students create a playable game using a coding platform that models early human survival.

• Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts: Students test and refine their game by identifying issues in gameplay and fixing bugs.

Standard(s):

• CA HSS 6.1

• CA CS 6-8.AP.12