One problem, four tools
A library loan sheet gives the wrong number of late books. An analyst breaks the problem into parts. They notice that two other sheets were wrong last month. They ignore the sheet colours and keep the date columns. They write a checklist for the next time.
That is computational thinking (solving problems in clear steps), with all four parts used together.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can judge which parts of computational thinking suit a data problem.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Decomposition | Breaking a problem into smaller parts |
| Pattern recognition | Spotting things that repeat or look alike |
| Abstraction | Keeping the details that matter and hiding the rest |
| Algorithmic design | Writing the steps of a solution in order |
| Interrelationship | The way two things affect each other |
| Suitable | Right for the job |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
Starter
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Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
The parts depend on each other
The four parts are not four separate jobs. Each one feeds the next.
Decomposition gives you small parts. Pattern recognition finds what the parts share. Abstraction removes what does not matter. Algorithmic design turns what is left into steps. The steps then show new parts or patterns, so you go round again.
Check
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Check
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.