Debugging

Ages 9 to 12 Read alone or together · about 25 minutes

Read together

A bug is a mistake in a plan or program. Debugging means finding and fixing it.

Good debuggers stay calm, test small parts and change one thing at a time.

Do it

1. Write steps to make a simple sandwich on paper. Include one mistake on purpose.
2. Give them to a family member who follows them exactly.
3. Find where the plan breaks. Fix it and test again.
4. Say what you learned about checking each step.

Talk about it

• Where was the bug?
• How did you find it?

For the grown-up

Debugging teaches patience and that mistakes are normal. The word bug has older roots than the famous moth story. Check allergies before food.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• K-12 Computer Science Framework Steering Committee, K-12 Computer Science Framework (2016), practice: testing and refining computational artifacts
• Grace Hopper's 1947 Harvard Mark II log, held by the Smithsonian National Museum of American History

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.