Module 1 · Lesson 1 · Resource
Computational thinking skills
A reference breakdown of each component, what it looks like in a classroom, and where students get stuck.
Decomposition
Breaking a problem into manageable parts. In the classroom: a research project split into question, sources, notes, draft, revision. Where students struggle: parts that are still too large to act on, or parts that overlap.
Pattern recognition
Finding similarities within or between problems. In the classroom: noticing that three word problems share a structure. Where students struggle: recognizing a pattern when the surface details change.
Abstraction
Ignoring detail that does not change the outcome. In the classroom: a map that shows routes but not every building. Where students struggle: deciding what is safe to leave out — this is the hardest of the four.
Algorithms
A precise, ordered sequence of steps. In the classroom: instructions a substitute teacher could follow without asking questions. Where students struggle: assuming shared context and skipping steps.