Unplugged computer science · grades 3 to 5
Ten weeks of cones, string, index cards and a treasure box. The children use no screens, and every supply comes with the class.
Ages 8 to 10 · no experience needed · all supplies included
Inside a class
Same shape every week, so the children always know where they are in it.
Cones on the floor, a start, a finish, and a partner who cannot see.
Five commands, and nothing else is allowed. That is their whole language.
It goes wrong, they work out which step was wrong, and they change that one.
Why no screens
In this class the children are the thing they are learning about. They are the robot being given instructions. They hold the ends of the network. They sort the cards on the floor themselves.
A child who has walked a route and counted the steps has a reason to care which route is shorter. It also means no logins, no chargers, and no child stuck because the wifi is slow.
What is in the room
Every week they take a problem apart, test it, and fix the step that was wrong.
The game board
Each week stands on its own. The last one needs all nine before it.
Week 01
Directions for a blindfolded partner.
Week 02
A cipher wheel they build and use.
Week 03
A yarn network across the room.
Week 04
Sorting a shop full of cards.
Week 05
Yes or no questions in a tree.
Week 06
A picture in fewer symbols.
Week 07
Mazes, and what a route costs.
Week 08
Suggesting from what someone enjoys.
Week 09
Testing rules for hidden advantages.
Week 10 · finish
The escape room, using all nine.
The last week
On the final day the certificates are shut inside a treasure box, and the only way in is to use what they learned in the first nine weeks. Nobody is given the answer. The class works it out together, and then every child takes their certificate home.
For families
| Each class | 55 minutes, once a week |
|---|---|
| How many weeks | 10 |
| Class size | About 25 children |
| Term dates | add your dates |
| Where | add your co-op and room |
| Price | add your price |
The dates, the price and how to register are at the bottom of this page.
For teachers and co-op leaders
The whole course is written down, so somebody who has never taught computer science can pick it up and run it. I built it that way because I needed a guest teacher myself.
You need a room where about 25 children can sit on the floor, a display at the front, and a 55 minute slot once a week for ten weeks.
Signing up
Grades 3 to 5, ten weeks, no experience needed. Email me for the dates, the price and how to register.
Email me
hello@thealgorithmgames.com Write to mecheck you want this address on the page, and set it up to forward to you
Questions
No. Week one starts with giving directions to a partner. A child who has never thought about computers is not behind.
No homework, and no grades. A page goes home each week that you can do together if you want to. I help while they work and I give them feedback. The class is not ranked.
Groups are small and they change every week. The closing questions are answered by the whole class together, not by individuals.
The children use no devices. I use one display at the front for a short video and some prompts. Everything they do is physical.
Each week stands on its own, so a missed week does not leave your child stranded. Week ten uses all of them, but it is a group escape room, not a test.
Yes. The whole course is written down. There is more in For teachers and co-op leaders.