Learning through Operation
By CHRISTINE HAINES
chaines@yourmvi.com
It’s not just fun and games when students at Mt. Vernon Elementary School in Elizabeth Township play the classic electronic game Operation.
In fact, playing was just the last phase of everything the students did regarding the game. Computational thinking and computer science teacher Anna Blake, along with science teacher Chris Guzewicz, developed an educational unit that crossed disciplines.
“The third-graders have been learning Scratch programming this year and the fifth-graders have been mentoring them,” Blake said, noting that Scratch is a programming language based on Basic. “We wanted to create a maker unit that included everything they were learning in their science class.”
The students used computer coding to set up the game, complete with sound effects. They used a 3D printer to make organs to be removed and worked together to create an educational and fun experience as they solved riddles to determine which organ they were to attempt to remove.
“I think it’s an amazing experience for students to see computer science in action,” Blake said.
To read the rest of this story, please see a copy of Saturday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at https://e.monvalleyindependent.com.
