Principles of Computers and the Internet - Model Lessons for Primary School Children: Experience Report

Abstract

Teaching the principles of how digital technologies work at the K-5 level is underexplored. We created six model lessons for children covering this topic as part of the newly updated Czech national computing curriculum. Here, we introduce these lessons. They can be viewed through the lenses of a constructivist educational framework, Evocation - Realization of Meaning - Reflection. Four lessons target younger learners (Grades ∼2-4) and include topics such as storing and deleting data, data size and computer viruses, among others. Two lessons target older children (Grade ∼4-5) and focus on the structure and functioning of the internet and digital footprints. The lessons are organized around probing child preconceptions about the lesson topics, showing brief animated videos, and introducing new concepts through instructional analogies, discussions and unplugged activities. The paper describes how the lessons were created and evaluated; discusses their structure along with sample activities and analogies; and presents lessons learnt and how our approach can be used by others. Altogether, the paper contributes by complementing existing reports on primary computing education.