The extended learning activity that I created for this lesson was another sorting activity using cards. Students follow a sorting algorithm like a computer would, which gives them another opportunity to experience how computers have to follow instructions and can’t just rely on instinct. I am attaching a set of instructions, and a resource page called the “Zone of Comparison” that students will use when following the instructions.
Zone of Comparison.docx (12.0 KB)
Sorting Instructions.docx (14.5 KB)
For others that are going to teach this lesson:
If you’re doing the extension activity, it will be difficult for some students to go against their basic instinct of just putting the cards in order because they can see it. Referencing back to the PBJ lesson can be an effective reminder of how they have to stick to the algorithm.
An extension activity can be for students to write their own algorithms for a sort, and to test each other’s to see if they work.
This tool: https://www.toptal.com/developers/sorting-algorithms is a good visualization for how long each type of sorting algorithm takes for different levels of pre-sortedness.