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In this lesson, participants will engage with identity by developing shared understandings of safety and respect while engaging in community-building activities. Participants will also be introduced to computational thinking skills and circuitry.
Lesson Overview
Lesson Overview
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Safe Space
Computational Thinking
Decomposition
Algorithmic Thinking
Pattern Recognition
Abstraction
Conductive material
Materials
Materials
For Each Participant:
- Chart paper
- Markers
- Name Tags
- Sticky notes
General:
🙿 Gumdrops
🙿 Toothpicks
🙿 Whiteboard or Chart paper
🙿 M&Ms or toilet paper (optional for icebreaker)
Step 1: Introduction to Program Goals
Step 1: Introduction to Program Goals
- CompuGirls is a program that introduces girls to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and encourages them to consider how they might use these fields in their future and everyday lives
- Ask participants to ask any questions they might have about the program or logistics
- Explain to participants that they will be videotaped and photographed for research purpose
Step 2: Icebreaker
Step 2: Icebreaker
The icebreaker is designed to have participants share their names and some interesting facts about themselves. Below we've provided two options. "Cross the Pond" involves having participants move around and be active, while "Mix and Meet" allows participants stay where they are. Select whichever one is right for your available space or participants' abilities. If neither of these seem like they will work, see our list of alternative icebreakers.
Cross the Pond
Cross the Pond
- Participants sit on chairs in a circle, with one chair missing, so that the circle is one chair short of having seats for all the participants.
- The participant without a chair should stand in the middle of the circle and say both their name and ONE fun fact about themselves (ex: I was born in a different state).
- All participants who identify with the fact, including the participant in the middle, should “cross the pond” to find a new seat that is not immediately to their right or left.
- Note: If no participant stands up, have the participant share another fun fact.
4. One participant will be left standing in the middle because the circle is one chair short. They will now stand in the middle and share their name and a fact.
5. Repeat the process until at least everyone has participated.
Mix and Meet
Mix and Meet
- Each participant grabs some M&M's. Tell them not to eat them.
- Assign a different meaning to each color:
- Blue = family
- Green = life goals
- Yellow = friends
- Red = hobbies
- Brown = music/movies
3. Have participants share facts that correspond with the number of M&Ms they have grabbed. For example, if they have three green, they would have to share three facts about their life goals.
- Note: If there are food allergies, you can play with colored tiles. This game can also be played with toilet paper. Each participant rips off how much they would normally 'use', and then they have to say a fact about them per sheet of toilet paper they have.
Step 3: Constructing a Safe Space
Step 3: Constructing a Safe Space
The safe space activity is designed to set group norms for how the participants want to learn together. These group norms should be collaboratively developed by the participants.
You should stress the importance of having a supportive community that can provide constructive feedback.
A safe space is: “a place where anyone can relax and be fully self-expressed, without fear of being made to feel uncomfortable, unwelcome or challenged on account of biological sex, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, cultural background, age, or physical or mental ability; a place where the rules guard each person's self-respect, dignity and feelings and strongly encourage everyone to respect others” (Advocates for Youth).
Instructions:
- Pass out sticky notes
- Ask participants to list things they personally need to feel safe while participating in this program. Works best if the participants list 1 thing per sticky note.
- Write the words “Safe Space” in the middle of a chart paper on the wall
- Ask participants to add their sticky notes to the chart paper
- Review the participants’ contributions together via an open discussion
- Synthesize the participants' requests and ask the participants to collaborate on constructing their own guidelines for creating a safe space based on the responses
Alternative Activity
1. Introduce the activity: “This activity will give you the chance to introduce yourself to the group in your own words, and will help you relate to one another more easily as we begin our time together.”
2. Ask participants to respond to the following prompts (handout provided below):
- What I think about me....
- What others think about me....
- What might be misunderstood about me....
- What I need from you....
3. Give participants ~10 min. or so to reflect and write down their responses.
4. Once everyone is finished, go around the room and have each person introduce themselves according to the four prompts.
5. Write down what each person states in their “what I need from you” section as the basis for group ground rules/safe space guidelines.
Step 4: Introduce Learning Goals
Step 4: Introduce Learning Goals
Explain to participants that the purpose of the program is for them to learn the following STEM skills:
1. How to create circuits using tools like LEDs and copper tape
2. How to use computational thinking skills such as decomposition, algorithmic thinking, abstraction, and pattern recognition
Decomposition - breaking a problem down into smaller and more manageable parts
Pattern Recognition - identifying steps or information that are repeated
Abstraction - removing extra details and focusing on the most important information
Algorithmic Thinking - providing step-by-step and ordered instructions for solving a problem
Step 5: Constructing Together
Step 5: Constructing Together
Participants will now have an opportunity to practice computational thinking skills by working in teams to build and recreate structures using gumdrops and toothpicks. They also learn the importance of communication and teamwork to achieve a goal.
1. Introduce activity to participants
- In this activity, you will be split into 2-3 teams of 3-4. Some of you will build a structure using gumdrops and toothpicks. Some of you will communicate instructions to other people in your group to try to create a duplicate of that structure.
- What makes this activity difficult is that we won’t be able to see what the other groups are doing.
2. Divide participants into groups of 3-4.
3.Describe the three roles: Describer, the Runner, and two Builder.
- The Describer should be someone who notices details and who is skilled at oral communication and following directions.
- The Runner should be someone who has a good memory and who is skilled at visualizing things that cannot be seen.
- The Builder should be someone who follows directions and who is skilled at manipulating small objects.
4. Ask participants to choose within their groups who will be the Describer, the Runner(s), and the two Builders.
- Builder A will have gumdrops and toothpicks. Your job is to build a structure using these gumdrops and toothpicks. The only person who should see this original structure is the Describer.
- The Describer will tell the Runner step-by-step instructions for how to build the structure.
- The Runner will deliver these instructions to the Builder.
- The Builder will use the Runner’s step-by-step instructions to recreate the original structure. The only person who should see this recreated structure is the Builder.
- During this activity, think about your contribution as a team member and the effectiveness of your team as a whole.
Step 6: Review
Step 6: Review
Review the computational thinking skills and ask the participants to discuss whether they used any of them while trying to construct the structure together.
Decomposition - breaking a problem down into smaller and more manageable parts. Did anyone use decomposition in the process today?
Pattern Recognition - identifying steps or information that are repeated. Did anyone recognize a pattern in the process today?
Abstraction - removing extra details and focusing on the most important information. Both teams built different structures but are there parts of the process that are the same no matter what you are building?
Algorithmic Thinking - providing step-by-step and ordered instructions for solving a problem. How important was the ability to give step-by-step instructions today?
Step 7: Reflection
Step 7: Reflection
Lead a closing discussion of using the following prompts:
- What was it like to introduce yourself today? How did it feel?
- What are some things you can do in your time with CompuGirls to make your peers feel more comfortable and included?
- What are some things you hope to get out of your experience with CompuGirls?
- How did it feel to build a gumdrop structure? Were there any fun parts? Any difficult parts?
Appendix
Appendix
What I Want You to Know.pdfLED Voltages.pdfReport abuse