Week 12: How Things Are Built
Digital + Physical Systems
So far in this course you have learned how to:
- control a computer
- save files
- communicate with words and pictures
- search for information
- write simple programs
- debug when something doesn’t work
Now we zoom out and look at a bigger idea:
How systems are built.
A system is when multiple parts work together to accomplish something.
Examples of systems:
- a bicycle
- a robot
- a video game
- a car
- a website
- a drone
The big idea this week:
Complex things are built from smaller parts working together.
This is one of the most important ideas in engineering, science, and programming.
- You do not need to teach every bullet on the page. Use the learning goal and one or two activities for the session you are teaching today.
- If time is short, teach one guided session well and leave the rest for later. The lessons are designed to stretch across the week.
- The independent session works best after the learner has already explored the main idea with you once.
Facilitator Preparation
- Time needed: ~30–45 minutes per guided session; ~20–30 minutes for the independent session.
- Devices needed: A computer or tablet with access to Scratch.
- Prepare examples of systems the student is familiar with:
- bicycle
- dog leash + collar
- a kitchen appliance
- a game
- a robot or machine video
- Have Scratch available for a short demonstration.
- Prepare a short “how it’s made” style video clip if possible.
- Have paper or a whiteboard for drawing system diagrams.
- Set up the visual timer.
This week introduces systems thinking.
The goal is helping the student realize:
Big things are made from smaller parts that work together.
Encourage observation and curiosity.
Week at a Glance
Learner Goal
I can break a big system into parts and explain how those parts work together.
Materials
- one familiar object, machine, or video example
- paper or whiteboard for system maps
- optional Scratch or short demonstration tool
Quick Formative Check
Ask the learner to name three parts of a familiar system such as a bicycle, game, or website and tell what each part does.
What Success Looks Like
- The learner can name parts, jobs, and connections inside a system.
- The learner can draw or explain a simple system map.
Low-Tech / Offline Option
Use paper diagrams, cut-apart labels, or a household object to map parts and jobs without any screen time.
Guided Session 1
What Is a System?
Learning Goal
By the end of this session, the student can:
- analyze a system by breaking it into parts and jobs
- explain how parts interact to produce a larger result
- create a simple system map that shows how motion, energy, or information flows
Activities
1. Look at a Familiar System
Start with something simple like a bicycle.
Ask the student:
“What parts do you see?”
Possible answers:
- wheels
- pedals
- handlebars
- chain
Explain that each part has a job:
| Part | Job |
|---|---|
| Pedals | Provide power |
| Chain | Transfers motion |
| Wheels | Allow movement |
| Handlebars | Control direction |
Explain that when the parts work together, the system works.
2. Draw a Simple System Diagram
Draw a simple diagram together:
Explain that systems often pass energy or information from one part to another.
3. Example of a Digital System
Open Scratch.
Ask:
“What parts make a Scratch program work?”
Guide them to identify things like:
- sprite
- blocks
- stage
- program instructions
Explain that a Scratch project is also a system.
The blocks send instructions to the sprite.
Reflection Questions
- “What is a system?”
- Sentence starter: “A system is when…”
- “What are some parts of a bicycle?”
- Sentence starter: “Some parts I noticed are…”
- “What parts make a Scratch project work?”
- Sentence starter: “A Scratch project needs… to work because…”
Guided Session 2
Big things are built by many people doing visible jobs. When your group examines how something is made, try assigning roles: one person traces parts, one records, one asks "who made this piece?" (More on the Collaboration Skills page.)
Digital Systems and Physical Systems
Learning Goal
By the end of this session, the student can:
- compare digital, physical, and hybrid systems and evaluate how they are alike or different
- analyze the role a computer plays inside a larger real-world system
- create or explain a model of how parts in a real system work together
Activities
1. Watch a “How It’s Made” Example
Show a short video of something being built or manufactured.
Examples:
- a toy being assembled
- a machine being built
- a robot moving
- a factory process
Ask the student to notice:
- what parts they see
- how those parts interact
2. Break a System Into Parts
Choose something interesting to the student.
Examples:
- a robot
- a drone
- a video game
- a dog robot toy
Ask questions like:
“What parts do you think this system has?”
Possible ideas:
For a robot:
| Part | Job |
|---|---|
| Sensors | Detect things |
| Computer | Makes decisions |
| Motors | Move the robot |
| Power source | Provides energy |
Explain that engineers often think about systems this way.
3. Connect to Programming
Open Scratch again.
Create a simple program like:
when green flag clicked repeat 10 move 20 steps turn 36 degrees
Explain that even this simple project has parts:
- instructions
- loops
- movement commands
- sprite behavior
Each block plays a role in the system of the program.
Reflection Questions
- “Which parts seemed most important to the system, and why?”
- Sentence starter: “I think the most important part is… because without it…”
- “How did the parts depend on each other to make the system work?”
- Sentence starter: “The parts depend on each other because…”
- “If one part failed, what do you think would happen to the whole system?”
- Sentence starter: “If the… stopped working, then… would happen.”
Independent Session
System Detective
Instruction
Choose something interesting around you and analyze what system it is part of.
As you study it, ask:
- What parts does it have?
- What job does each part do?
- Which parts seem most important?
- What would happen if one part stopped working?
Then record your thinking by drawing a diagram, writing a short analysis, or explaining the system to someone else.
Save your drawing or notes in:
My Projects → Experiments
Skills Reinforced
- analyzing systems as connected parts with roles
- observing and interpreting how components interact
- evaluating how one part affects a larger system
- connecting digital and physical systems through systems thinking
Setup
- drawing or writing tool available
- access to My Projects → Experiments
- visual timer
� Simplify or Extend
Simplify:
- Focus on just one system (like a bicycle) and identify only 3–4 major parts.
- Use a pre-drawn diagram template and have the learner fill in labels.
- Skip the Scratch connection and concentrate on physical systems only.
Extend:
- Ask the learner to compare two different systems and explain what they have in common.
- Challenge them to design a brand-new system on paper — what parts would it need?
- Have the learner explain what happens when two different parts fail — how do the effects differ?
💾 Save This Week's Artifact
Save your system diagram or written description to your portfolio folder (My Projects → Experiments). This is your record of how you analyzed a real system — label it with the system you chose and the date.
Check for Understanding
By the end of this week, look for evidence that the learner can:
- Explain that a system is made of parts that work together toward a purpose.
- Identify at least 3–4 parts of a familiar system and describe what each part does.
- Draw or describe how parts in a system are connected (e.g., a simple flow diagram).
- Explain what would happen if one part of a system were removed or broken.
- Recognize that both physical things (bicycles) and digital things (Scratch projects) are systems.
- Use the word "system" meaningfully when describing how something works.
System • Part / Component • Sensor • Motor • Diagram • Flow • Interaction • Engineer
See the Glossary for definitions.
Preview of Next Week
Next week, students enter the AI Discovery Lab — investigating how generative AI works at a basic level, testing its limits, and learning why verifying AI output is always the human's job.