Following a flowchart

Ages 6 to 8 Read together, then try alone · about 20 minutes

Read together

A flowchart shows steps and choices with arrows.

Is it raining? If yes, take an umbrella. If no, go out.

Do it

1. Draw a flowchart for getting dressed: Is it cold? Yes: coat. No: T-shirt.
2. Use boxes for steps and diamonds for yes or no questions.
3. Ask a family member to follow it and tell you if it works.
4. Fix any step that confuses them.

Talk about it

• What happens if the answer is no?
• Which step needed fixing?

For the grown-up

Flowcharts show conditions, the 'if' of programming, on paper. No screen is needed.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• K-12 Computer Science Framework Steering Committee, K-12 Computer Science Framework (2016), concept: algorithms and programming
• Wing, J. M., “Computational Thinking”, Communications of the ACM 49 (2006): 33 to 35

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