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Thinking abstractly, thinking ahead, thinking procedurally, thinking logically & thinking concurrently

Computational thinking

How to use this resource

Presenting these exercises as a PowerPoint presentation allows you to use the resource in a variety of ways:

• Projecting the exercise from the front of the class as a starter/plenary activity.• Printing out 3/6 slides per page to use as revision cards or a paired activity.• Carousel activity with different groups looking at different scenarios, moving between groups, adding more ideas.

Show the students the scenario. Using the computational thinking placemat as a handy reference.Students complete the activity on the card.

The second slide in each scenario shows a typical answer. This is not exhaustive, and students may be able to elaborate further, beyond the points raised. The teacher can also pose follow up questions, with reference to the placemat to aid revision, e.g. “what are the advantages of this approach?”

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Thinking logically

Computational thinking

Air France flight 447

On 1st June 2009, Air France flight 447 left Rio de Janeiro heading to Paris. It was a routine international flight. In the early hours of the morning, over the Atlantic Ocean, contact was lost, and the aeroplane vanished.

On investigation, the plane showed signs of a high-speed impact with water as the nose cone was flattened. This ruled out a bomb or structural break-up. It was determined that the plane crashed into the water due to pilot error.

The plane flew through a thunderstorm. Other aeroplanes had diverted that night, as is standard practice in bad weather. The pitot tubes (speed sensors) had frozen over as a result. This caused the autopilot to switch off and incorrect readings to be sent to the cockpit. This is expected behaviour, and pilots are trained to recognise this. Believing that the plane was losing altitude, the pilot pulled back on the stick to raise the nose, in an attempt to gain height. The instruments continued to show the plane falling. If an aircraft’s nose is pointed up too far, it loses speed, causing the engines to stall. The correct action is to point the nose down, gaining speed, before levelling off.

With the aid of a flowchart, show how logical thinking could have avoided this accident.

Thinking Abstractly Thinking Ahead Thinking Procedurally Thinking Logically Thinking Concurrently

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Thinking logically

Computational thinking

Air France flight 447

Divert plane to new heading to avoid

storm

Continue current course

Losing altitude?

Point nose up

Is the plane

stalling?

Point nose down

Is there a thunderstorm

ahead?

Yes

Yes

No

No

Flowchart can be extended to include levelling off after pointing the nose up/down, so it does not crash!

Yes No

Thinking Abstractly Thinking Ahead Thinking Procedurally Thinking Logically Thinking Concurrently

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Thinking abstractly, thinking ahead, thinking procedurally, thinking logically & thinking concurrently

Computational thinking

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