Many important topics in computer science can be taught without using computers at all. This book unplugs computer science by providing twenty off-line activities, games and puzzles that are suitable for people of all ages and backgrounds, but especially for elementary school children. The activities cover a wide range of topics, from algorithms to artificial intelligence, from binary numbers to boolean circuits, compression to cryptography, data representation to deadlock. By avoiding the use of computers altogether, the activities appeal to those who lack ready access to computers, and are ideal for people who don’t feel comfortable using them. The only materials needed are cards, string, crayons and other household items.
Full instructions are given for each activity, and reproducibles are provided wherever possible to minimize the effort required for class preparation. Each activity includes a background section that explains its significance, and answers are provided for all problems. All you need for most of these activities are curiosity and enthusiasm.
These activities are primarily aimed at the five to twelve year-old age group. They have been used in the classroom, in science center demonstrations, in the home, and even for community fun days in a park! But they are by no means restricted to this age range: they have been used to teach older children and adults too.
This book is principally for teachers who would like to give their classes something a bit different from the standard fare, teachers at the elementary, junior high, and high school levels. It is also written for computing professionals who would like to help out in their children’s or grandchildren’s classrooms, for parents who can use these as family activities, for homeschoolers, for science centers who run educational programs for children, for computer camps or clubs, and for course instructors—including university professors—who are looking for a motivational introduction to a computer science topic. It is designed for anyone who wants to introduce people to key concepts of the information age of which they have no knowledge themselves.
Topics include the Poor Cartographer (graph coloring), the Muddy City (minimal spanning trees), Treasure Hunt (finite-state machines), the Peruvian Coin Flip (cryptographic protocols), Magic Card Flips (error correcting codes), the Chocolate Factory (human–computer interaction), and many more.
So unplug your computer, and get ready to learn what computer science is really about!