CS Unplugged

Free!

CS Unplugged is a collection of learning activities that teachers can use in their classroom to develop their students’ computer science skills using paper-and-pencil materials, such as crayons, strings, and cards. To navigate the website, teachers can click the links at the top of the screen.

To begin, “The Book” link provides teachers with topics and lesson plans that they can use in their classroom. From the table of contents, teachers can browse the topics and scroll down to view the corresponding lesson plan. Each lesson begins with a summary, curriculum links, skills, ages, and materials followed by an introduction that provides the procedures for implementing the lesson.

In addition, each lesson also includes worksheets, answer keys/examples, discussion points, and a “What’s It All About” closure commentary. The “Activities” section of the website lists the different computer science lessons by topic, and teachers can click one to access the information. Once clicked, teachers can access the information needed to implement the lessons via the links provided. The “Videos” section shows the different activities being completed, and they are intended to serve as models for the activities. The “Community” section provides additional support to teachers in the form of resources, publications, and programs they can access online. Finally, the “Promotional” and “About” sections offer information related to the individuals who created and supported the website.

Instructional Ideas for Using CS Unplugged

1. When planning lessons about computer science, teachers can consult “The Book” and the “Activities” sections to choose a lesson and implement it. Teachers can use and adapt the premade materials to help them implement the lesson. In addition, teachers can view examples of the lesson’s activities in the “Videos” section, which are intended to serve as a model.
2. To find additional resources and ideas for computer science lessons, teachers can explore the resources under the “Commentaries on Teaching Computing” that is located in the “Community” section.
3. For older students, teachers can have them complete one of these lessons that are intended for a younger group of students. Then, to add complexity to it, teachers can have students analyze the activity and explain its relation to how computers use the principles taught in the lesson.
4. Teachers can have students use this website when working with other pieces of edtech, like FreeCodeCamp and Codeacademy.

Screenshots of CS Unplugged