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.
Teacher 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.
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:
Pedals → Chain → Wheels → Movement
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
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.
✅ Success Indicators
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.