K12 Teaching Tools
This page provides STARS-tested materials that have been demonstrated to be effective in the k12 environment.
K12 TEACHERS: Apply to be a BPC Research Scholar - and engage in action research in your classroom.
See the BPC Scholars section.
Computer Scientists of the Day - Pioneers
This lesson was designed for middle school students, and can be used in high schools too. It showcases historical figures in computing who are representative of diversity in the field. Empirical study demonstrated that using this lesson in a class promoted a sense of belonging among students.
Computer Scientists of the Day - Pioneers.pptxComputer Scientists of the Day - Hidden Figures.pptx Computer Scientists of the Day - Hidden Figures
This lesson was designed for middle school students, and can be used in high schools too. It showcases historical figures in computing who are representative of diversity in the field. Empirical study demonstrated that using this lesson in a class promoted a sense of belonging among students.
Computational Thinking Activity 7th Grade Language Arts lesson plan.docxComputational Thinking and Language Arts
Teach students how to create algorithms with PB&J in a hands-on teamwork activity.
Category: Language Arts
Grade Level: 7th
Typing the Code and Making it Happen
Students will learn computational thinking and problem-solving strategies related to coding using catapult design.
Category: Computer Science
Grade Level: 6 - 8
UNCCStarLesson 2 Plan.docx
Scratch: Fraction Fun
Learn fractions in an applied and fun way, using Scratch.
Category: Math
Source: Scratch
Vocabulary Activity - Python Sytax
This is an online vocabulary building activity that also familiarizes students with Python syntax using code provided created repl.it. Students are given starter code to debug of syntax errors before using the code to define vocabulary words. The words are computer science related.
Flowchart Activity
This is an exercise on creating flowcharts using a play/film and its text/novel to represent the progression of choices/actions of the two, displaying how they deviate from each other.
Python List and String Concatenation
This activity introduces Python lists and string concatenation to develop madlibs using premade code in repl.it. This is meant to help students analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
Space Adventure - Functions, loops, and conditionals
Working with conditionals, functions, and loops, students create an interactive text adventure where an obstacle and question are proposed and the user must provide an answer. The theme of this activity is space exploration.
STARS BPC Scholars Program © 2023 by Audrey Rorrer is licensed under CC BY 4.0
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) under Grants CNS 0540523, CNS-0739216, CNS-1042468, CNS-1840538, CNS-2023391, and CNS-2137338. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.