Objective: 

Students will identify and categorize natural, human, and capital resources used by local producers, applying computational thinking skills through organizing data, recognizing patterns, and creating models of resource use.

Materials Needed: 

• Resource cards (pictures of natural resources

• Human resources, and capital resources)

• Chart paper, markers

• Sticky notes

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Start by introducing the concept of resources used by local businesses. 

  • Ask, "What resources do local producers like farmers or manufacturers need to create goods?" 

  • List examples of natural, human, and capital resources, and explain that the class will be modeling how these resources are used by sorting and organizing data.

• Group Activity: 

  • Students work in small groups to sort the resource cards into categories: natural, human, and capital resources. 

  • They will then use sticky notes to map connections between the different resources and specific types of businesses. 

  • For example, they might link water and land to farms or machines and workers to factories. This models the relationships between resources and local economic activity.

• Pattern Recognition: 

  • After sorting, students analyze their maps to identify patterns in how different businesses depend on particular resources. 

  • As a class, they discuss which resources are more commonly used and why, using computational thinking to abstract these patterns across industries.

Equity and Access: 

Provide visual and simplified cards with labeled resources for students who need extra support. Use mixed-ability groups to encourage peer support and collaboration in analyzing patterns.

Real-World Application: 

Relate the resource maps to actual local industries, such as farms, tech companies, or stores in the community, explaining how these businesses use local resources to produce goods and services.

CS Practice(s):

• Developing and Using Abstractions: Students create a model of local resource usage, abstracting how different types of businesses rely on combinations of resources.

Standard(s): 

• CA HSS 3.5.1

• CA CS 3-5.DA.8

Objective: 

Students will use Scratch or another coding platform to create interactive stories that model economic decisions and trade-offs, applying computational thinking through sequencing, loops, and conditionals to show decision-making processes.

Materials Needed: 

• Tablets or computers 

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Begin by discussing economic trade-offs, explaining how every choice involves giving something up to gain something else. 

  • Ask, "Have you ever had to decide between spending your money now or saving it for something bigger later?" 

  • Introduce the idea that computational thinking helps us model these decisions through coding.

• Group Activity: 

  • In pairs, students will use a coding platform to create a story in which a character faces a trade-off, such as choosing between buying a toy or saving for a larger item. 

  • Students will use coding blocks to program the decision-making process. 

  • They will use sequences to show the character thinking about both options, loops to represent repeated decisions, and conditionals (e.g., "If" blocks) to model the character's final choice based on the benefits and costs.

• Testing and Refining: 

  • After creating their stories, students will test their programs to ensure the sequences and conditionals work correctly. 

  • They will adjust their code as needed to make sure the decision-making process is clear.

• Presentation and Discussion: 

  • Pairs will present their projects to another pair of peers, explaining the trade-offs their character made and how they used coding to represent different decision outcomes. 

  • Lead a class discussion on how computational thinking helped them model these decisions.

Equity and Access: 

Provide pre-made templates for students who need extra support, with basic sequences already in place. Encourage peer collaboration by pairing experienced coders with beginners for guidance and support.

Real-World Application: 

Connect the coding activity to real-life financial decisions, such as how families budget for groceries, save for vacations, or choose between needs and wants. Emphasize how understanding trade-offs helps people make better decisions in life.

CS Practice(s):

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students create digital stories that simulate economic decision-making processes.

Standard(s): 

• CA HSS 3.5.3

• CA CS 3-5.AP.12

• CA CS 3-5.AP.16