How to Implement

• Watch Code.org Pair Programming video (2:50) as a group to introduce the method of pair programming, the act of coding with another person at your side. In pair programming one person is the “driver,” the person who operates the computer and does the programming, and the other person is the “navigator,” the person who pays attention to the big picture and makes sure the code seems logical. The girls should switch partners and teams throughout the program so they have a chance to get to know everyone and experience different perspectives.
• You can introduce the activity by telling the girls they are going to now practice pair programming by giving each other "algorithms" to finish a puzzle.
• Have girls get into pairs, deciding who is going to be the navigator and who is going to be the driver.
• Pass out the tangram pieces or have the the girls cut them out.
• Have the girls sit back-to-back and then pass out algorithm cards to each person, making sure that those in a pair do not have the same cards. Each girl should have an easy puzzle (two pieces) and one that is more challenging (four pieces).
• The person who is the navigator will explain how to build the image to the other without letting them actually see it. The other person will be the driver and will build their tangram design based on the description given by the navigator.
• When the navigator is done, the driver will show her tangram design and see if she created the right image. Have the pairs discuss why they may not have come up with a similar picture. How could the instructions have been clearer? How might this apply to coding and the way a computer understands directions?
• Once they have done both cards, have them switch roles and repeat.

Wrap Up Discussion

• Was it easier or harder than you thought it would be to describe an image to one another?
• Did any pair end up with arrangements that matched what was on each card?
• Can you share some tricks that you came up with that helped your group match the Image Card exactly?
• The discussion can lead naturally to the fact that using a sequence of steps may have helped them be more precise. You’ll want to call out the computational thinking concept sequence, identifying a series of steps for a task.
• Have the girls note the new concept in their design journals. Ask them if they have ever used a sequence to complete a daily routine and show them the brief how to tie your shoe video (0:43).
• Talk about the use of sequences in computer programming. Explain that when you tell a computer to do something with code you are creating a sequence called an algorithm. They will have a lot of practice using sequences to create algorithms throughout the program.