Below are three ways to utilize the CS Heroes Posters as closing activities during CSEdWeek (Lesson Closure/Exit Ticket) or throughout the school year (Unit/Lesson Connection and Heritage/Awareness Month).
The prompts for “Heritage/Awareness Month” mirror the Welcome Activities version and the prompts for “Lesson Closure” & “Unit/Lesson Connection” are adjusted to be conclusive versus introductory.
LESSON CLOSURE - EXIT TICKET
Suggested Time: 7-10 minutes
Select a CS Hero to feature as a closing activity. Have students view the poster and more details on the CS Hero’s webpage and answer the following prompt:
How does the work of this CS Hero impact your life?
# mins | Description |
1 | Introduce activity: Impact of CS Heroes |
3 | Think: Students independently read and respond |
3 | Pair: Students discuss the prompt with a partner |
3 | Share: Whole-class discussion |
You can eliminate the pair discussion and go straight to group discussion. This can be documented in a journal/notebook, submitted online in a class discussion, or written on an exit ticket that students can turn in on their way out of class.
UNIT/LESSON CONNECTION
Suggested Time: 10-15 minutes
Introduce a CS Hero whose work relates to a unit you're covering. Here are a few examples from the 2023 selection:
CS Hero | Curriculum Topic |
Randi Williams Danielle Boyer Mehar Bhasin Grace Magny-Fokam | Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning |
Sarah Applebaum Adhwita Gopi Selvan Alva Laster | Creativity and Arts |
Dr. Maya Israel Jada Okeoghene Ogueh | Data Science |
Answer the following prompt:
How does the work of this CS Hero relate to the lesson/unit we’re studying?
# mins | Description |
1 | Introduce the CS Hero |
3-8 | View the featured video OR read a featured article. |
2 | Think: Students independently read and respond |
2 | Pair: Students discuss the prompt with a partner |
2 | Pair: Students discuss the prompt with a partner |
HERITAGE/AWARENESS MONTH
Suggested Time: 5-10 minutes (dependent on depth of coverage)
Feature a CS Hero that identifies with the heritage or awareness month that you are celebrating. Here are a few examples from the 2022 selection:
Heritage/Awareness Event | Date/Month | CS Heroes |
Hispanic/Latinx Heritage | Sep 15 - Oct 15 | Kayla Roman-Flores |
Disability Employment Awareness | October | Ragib Ehsan Shadab Sarah Applebaum Danielle Boyer |
Native American/Alaska Native Heritage | November | Danielle Boyer
|
Black History | February | Randi Williams Grace Magny-Fokam Jada Okeoghene Ogueh Myles Ezeanii Alva Laster Eden Wilson Dr. Christina Gardner-McClune |
Women’s History | March | Kayla Roman-Flores Jada Okeoghene Ogueh Grace Magny-Fokam Dr. Lisa Milenkovic Adhwita Gopi Selvan Dr. Maya Israel Sarah Applebaum Alva Laster Eden Wilson Danielle Boyer Randi Williams Mehar Bhasin Dr. Christina Gardner-McCune |
Asian Pacific American Heritage | May | Mehar Bhasin Adhwita Gopi Selvan Ragib Ehsan Shadab |
LGBTQ Pride | June | Sarah Applebaum Danielle Boyer |
Play the CS Hero’s feature video to the class and have students review the resources on the CS Hero’s CSEdWeek page and answer the following prompts:
What do you and the CS Hero have in common?
What about this CS Hero inspires you?
# mins | Description |
1 | Introduce the CS Hero OR have students select one of the CS Heroes that identify with the heritage. |
3 | Students independently read about the CS Hero. |
3 | Students respond to the prompts. |
3 | Students share with a partner/group/whole class. |
5-Minute Version: Teacher introduces the CS Hero and students respond to the prompt to the whole class.