Lesson Idea | Decomposition by American Printing House for the Blind

The Code Jumper Curriculum: Lessons is designed to teach students the essential computer science strategy of decomposition-breaking down complex problems into smaller, more manageable parts. Through unplugged activities, guided programming with Code Jumper, and peer exploration, students learn to identify, plan, and solve problems step by step while building collaboration and debugging skills. This curriculum is especially supportive for students with visual impairments but is accessible and engaging for all learners. It is intended for elementary and middle school students as an introduction to computational thinking and problem-solving.

Standards and Check for Understanding

CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards*
1B-AP-11: Decompose (break down) problems into smaller, manageable sub problems to facilitate the program development process.
National Curriculum of England*:

Key Stage 1:
Understand what algorithms are; how they are implemented as programs on digital devices; and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions
Create and debug simple programs
Use logical reasoning to predict the behavior of simple programs
Use technology purposefully to create, organize, store, manipulate and retrieve digital content
Recognize common uses of information technology beyond school
Use technology safely and respectfully, keeping personal information private; identify where to go for help and support when they have concerns about content or contact on the internet or other online technologies.

Key Stage 2:
Design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts
Use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
Use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
Use search technologies effectively, appreciate how results are selected and ranked, and be discerning in evaluating digital content
Use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognize acceptable/unacceptable behavior; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.