Home My space log
Language EN (English)

Investigating variations using the Sorting Network

Beginner robot Difficulty 1/5 Screen-free lesson Stop 12 / 19 ages 8-10

A hands-on, screen-free CS Unplugged lesson for ages 8-10 (about 30 minutes), part of the 'Sorting networks' unit.

For a grown-up to do with a child.

Start the guide Go to the lesson

Your guide

AI-written overview

What is it?

Investigating variations using the Sorting Network is part of a CS Unplugged unit about sorting. You walk through a path drawn on the ground, comparing numbers with other people, until everyone ends up in order.

Is it for me?

It is for children about 8-10 and up who like moving around and working in a team, with a grown-up or teacher. It is a Beginner activity and needs chalk or tape and some space.

Grown-ups: only one team walks the path at a time, so give the watchers a job, like checking the results.

How to start

  1. Draw the sorting path on the ground with chalk or tape.
  2. Give six people a number each and let them walk through, comparing at each meeting.
  3. Check if everyone ended up in order, then try new numbers.

How much time?

Most lessons take 30 to 45 minutes. Plan about 25 minutes for a session. (estimate)

25 min per session 3 sessions estimate

A plan you can follow

  1. Day 1 45 min Walk through the path with six numbers.
  2. Day 2 30 min Try different cards, such as bigger numbers.
  3. Week 1 30 min Sort other things, like heights.
  4. Week 2 30 min Draw your own bigger network.

Times are estimates. Go at your own speed.

Start the lesson

Open our lesson page for Investigating variations using the Sorting Network. It is a short, simple version of an open lesson you can do together.

Go to the lesson

Adapted from CS Unplugged by the University of Canterbury Computer Science Education Research Group, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made: simplified, shortened and translated by Open Cosmos with AI.

On this site. From the list: uccser/cs-unplugged · License: CC-BY-SA-4.0 · CS Unplugged: Sorting networks

Lesson from CS Unplugged, University of Canterbury CSER Group, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes were made: translated and level-tagged by Open Cosmos, with AI. Shared under the same license.

Your path through Searching & sorting

Stop 10 Drama or video activity Screen-free lesson Stop 11 How many guesses? Screen-free lesson Stop 12 Investigating variations using the Sorting Network Screen-free lesson Stop 13 Music activity Screen-free lesson Stop 14 Reinforcing numeracy through a Sorting Network Screen-free lesson Stop 15 The Great Number Hunt (Sorted) Screen-free lesson Stop 16 The Great Number Hunt (Unsorted) Screen-free lesson

Explore next