MS 4: Cup Sequencing and Cooperation

We are still practicing programming without a computer. This week we will use specifically marked cups, and work as a group to get each cup to get each cup to its spot. Each child will be designated A through E, and the students will work as a group to get each cup to its proper place.

Some of the problems of computing that we will explore with this exercise is the idea of routing and deadlock. In today's day we have parallel computing and great means of creating networks, but efficiency and data flow are still important concerns.

On the second day of the exercise, the students will be introduced to more complicated problems based on the same exercise, which stretches their problem solving skills, ability to work in a group, and their concepts of sequencing and work-flow. For example they will have to solve the same problem without speaking and the configurations by which they will pass cups will change.

Next week we will begin to program using Scratch, which is "a visual programming language. It can be accessed as a free desktop and online multimedia authoring tool that can be used by students, scholars, teachers, and parents to easily create games and provide a stepping stone to the more advanced world of computer programming." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scratch_(programming_language)]