This document provides an introduction to Unit 3 which will focus on programming languages. It explains that human language is sometimes imprecise for expressing algorithms and that programming languages provide commands that have only one interpretation and no ambiguity. The unit will teach students how to use programming languages to express ideas as algorithms and build and solve problems. Students are instructed to consider how human language would need to change to improve describing a drawing and to test and reflect on different sets of instructions.

1. INTRO TO UNIT 3

2. WARM UP DAY 1:
NEED A VOLUNTEER TO HEAD TO THE BACK
BOARD
CLASS: WAIT FOR INSTRUCTIONS

3. AS A CLASS
WE NEED TO
DESCRIBE
HOW TO
DRAW THIS
PICTURE.

4. THINGS TO CONSIDER

5. YOUR TURN!

6. TEST AND REFLECT
ONCE YOU HAVE TESTED 2 OTHER SETS,
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS ON YOUR PAPER

7. HOW DO WE OVERCOME THIS?
• IF WE WERE GOING TO CHANGE HUMAN LANGUAGE
TO IMPROVE OUR ODDS OF SUCCEEDING AT THIS
ACTIVITY, WHAT TYPES OF CHANGES WOULD WE NEED
TO MAKE?

8. THE NEED FOR PROGRAMING LANGUAGES
• HUMAN LANGUAGE MAY NOT ALWAYS BE PRECISE ENOUGH TO EXPRESS
ALGORITHMS, EVEN FOR SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS BUILDING A SMALL
ARRANGEMENT.
• WE NEED TO USE A NEW KIND OF LANGUAGE FOR EXPRESSING
ALGORITHMS, WHICH WE AS COMPUTER SCIENTISTS CALL A PROGRAMMING
LANGUAGE.
• WHERE COMMANDS HAVE ONLY ONE INTERPRETATION. NO WIGGLE ROOM.
• WE USE THESE COMMANDS ONLY WHEN DEVELOPING INSTRUCTIONS TO COMPLETE A
TASK.

9. HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=XFBWK4N
W440
• IN THE COMING UNIT WE ARE GOING TO
LEARN A LOT MORE ABOUT HOW WE CAN
USE PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES TO
EXPRESS OUR IDEAS AS ALGORITHMS, BUILD
NEW THINGS, AND SOLVE PROBLEMS.