Grade 3     
Building Automated Systems                             Math Extension:  Multiplication and Division           

Computer Science Unit: Building Automated Systems

Automation helps get things done. Devices that do tasks without direct control from humans offer enormous savings in time and energy. In the story Hikaru’s Signal System, Hikaru uses a system of inputs and outputs to help his family’s toy store run more efficiently. Students engage in hands-on learning about computer-controlled automated systems using the BBC micro:bit hardware and Microsoft MakeCode software. They then follow the steps of the Engineering Design Process to imagine, plan, create, and improve an automated system that makes a home safer or more efficient. Students extend their computational thinking skills to mathematical concepts as they practice strategies for multiplication and division.