Lesson Taught and Teaching

3.3 Mathematic Expressions and Algorithms

This is a summary of what I taught in this lesson: One of the main focuses of this lesson that I taught and made was algorithms. Algorithms are a finite set of step by step instructions given to the computer in order to complete a task.

  • I went over real world examples of this such as using a recipe to cook Quesadillas.
  • I also included common tools used in algorithms such as iteration using loops, conditional statements, and sequencing which is key to how a algorithm is executed
  • To help classmates learn and increase memorability, I used a flowchart as visual way to represent that, and also pseudocode.

Then I moved on to mathematical expressions. These are simple operators that allow us manipulate numbers to our advantage such as, addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*), division (/), modulus (%).

In the lesson I included a table to summarize these mathematical expressions and a table for order of operations. I supplemented this lesson with popcorn hacks, and along with my group went over Python and Javascript examples.

3.5 Booleans

In this lesson that I helped create and was presented by my groupmates, we learned and discusses relational operators that help us craft conditional statements. These tools help us compare the values and different data we have stored in variables. We also went over the creation of truth tables that help people visualize and think about what is going on behind the scenes when different operators are used.

Summary of Lessons Learned

3.1 Variabls/Data Types

Variables are named ways to store data that can hold different types of values, such as integers, floats, strings, etc. Each of these different data types has its own characteristics and uses in programming.

3.2 Data Structures/Data Abstraction

Simple data structures, like arrays and dictionaries can help us programmers organize and store data efficiently, allowing for easy access and manipulation based on specific relationships like indexes. This can be very helpful in the future when large amounts of data need to be stored and easily used.

3.3 Mathematical Expressions

Math expressions are combinations of numbers, variables, and operators (like +, -, *, and /) that perform mathematical calculations and return a numerical result, playing an important role in programming logic and algorithms. Algorithms are instructions given via code that often use sequencing and can be represented easily through flowcharts.

3.4 Strings and Functions

Strings are a type of data that can be used in variables made up of characters used to represent text and often words. These types of data are helpful when giving qualitative descriptions in a variable, and help define things that numbers cannot. Functions are like blocks of code that perform specific tasks, often taking inputs (parameters) and returning outputs (results). Functions can often be called repeatedly in code and can be very helful in organization when making larger more complex coding projects

3.5 Booleans and Relational Operators

Booleans represent truth values (true or false) and are usually used with relational operators (like ==, !=, <, >) to compare values and make logical decisions in programming. These values help when creating conditional statements and are essential to algorithms. Truth tables are a unique and great way to visualize the logic behind relational operators.

3.6 Conditionals

Conditionals are like statements used in code that execute different code blocks based on whether a specified condition is true or false, enabling decision-making in programs. They are often used practically in if else statements and can help in creation of algorithms where different pathways and code can be executed based on what the conditional determines.

3.7 Nested Conditionals

Nested conditionals are conditionals placed within or inside of other conditionals. This builds upon the concept of conditionals and allows for more complex decision-making with more steps and logic based on multiple criteria.

3.8 While Loops and For Loops

There are 2 main types of loops in Computer Science. While loops repeatedly keep executing a block of code as long as a specified condition is true, whereas for loops iterate over a sequence (like a list or range) a certain number of times that we can specify in our code.

3.10 Lists

Lists are an ordered way to represent items that can hold multiple values, and list operations like indexing, slicing, appending, and removing allow us coders to effectively manipulate data and user inputs, assisting in algorithms especially where data is altered or created.

My Hacks

Lesson Hacks
3.1 3.1
3.2 3.2
3.3 My Group
3.4 3.4
3.5 My Group
3.6 3.6
3.7 3.7
3.8 3.8
3.10 3.10
3.10B 3.10B