Power On! Micro-Unit
Power On! is a graphic novel that follows a group of teenagers in their experiences with computer science and the inequities they discover along the way.
We will divide up the text into 1-2 chapters each day and focus on different aspects of the book.
At the end of the unit, we will be exploring one particular piece of inequity in computer science about which you feel most strongly.
Teacher Creator: Kristi Jones,
CS4AllNYC EECS Level 3 + Ingenuity Team Member
Class: AP CSP, Grades: 11/12
Equity Inspiration: Racial Literacy
Description: Students read and analyze a graphic novel about 4 diverse teenagers and their interactions with computer science, as they consider their own personal CS stories.
CS Skills: Students research and design/create an app, game, or other tool using their CS knowledge (datasets, lists, functions, design, etc) about a social justice algorithm bias.
Social Justice: Students discover how intersectionality plays a role in bias within tech and create an end of unit app, game, or other tool to explain or inspire others about a specific real world scenario.
Kristi Jones, CS4AllNYC EECS Level 3 + Ingenuity Team Member
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Power On Micro-unit
Students read and analyze a graphic novel about 4 diverse teenagers and their interactions with computer science, as they consider their own personal CS stories. Students research and design/create an app, game, or other tool using their CS knowledge (datasets, lists, functions, design, etc) about a social justice algorithm bias.
�Grade: High School - AP CSP (but also works great for middle school!)
�NYS Standards:
Power On!
Chapters + Themes
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How to Read a Graphic Novel
Power On!
Day 1 Objectives:
Students will be able to…
Chapters 1-2: Character Analysis
Identify each main character by a description of them using the first two chapters to describe anything about their identity and what they care about
Taylor:
Jon:
Christine:
Antonio:
Chapters 1-2: Racist AI
Using the text, describe what AI is and examples of how it could possibly be racist
What is Artificial Intelligence?
Examples of how it can be racist:
Chapters 1-2: Racist AI
What is systemic racism and how is it different from racism itself?
Where have you seen systemic racism?
What is Juneteenth and what more needs to be done in regards to systemic racism?
In what ways is AI embedded with systemic racism?
Who does this affect and how do we change it?
Power On!
Day 2 Objectives:
Students will be able to…
What does the word INTERSECTIONALITY mean?
Does your environment impact your INTERSECTIONALITIES?
How many intersectionalities are there? And are they always the same across different spaces?
Chapters 3-4: High School Experience
Identify how each character experiences high school and computer science differently within their school communities and how this shapes their intersectionalities
Taylor:
Jon:
Christine:
Antonio:
Chapters 3-4: Identity Reflection
Looking at the experiences of the main characters, does any one character resonate most with your own intersectionalities or experiences? If so, who and how? If not, why not? How is your experience different?
Power On!
Day 3 Objectives:
Students will be able to…
What does it mean to be a CS Pioneer?
How does one’s intersectionalities play a role in this pioneering power?
Chapters 5-6: CS Pioneers
Choose 4 of the Computer Science Pioneers mentioned on pages 78-82 and identify aspects of their intersectional identities and in what ways contributed to CS
NAME:
Identities:
CS Contributions:
NAME:
Identities:
CS Contributions:
NAME:
Identities:
CS Contributions:
NAME:
Identities:
CS Contributions:
Think about what identities each pioneer has that might have persuaded them to engage in this work?
Chapters 5-6: CS in your own school Reflection
Reflect on your own CS experiences throughout your life so far. Has CS been offered and encouraged throughout your education? Has CS been a diverse place that is inclusive to everyone?
Reflect on your own personal experiences in computer science within your K-12 education so far. In your reflection, try to include bulleted points on page 1
Part 2: Group Reflections: 10 minutes
Reflect with your group on your experiences in computer science within your K-12 education so far. In your reflection, try to address and record notes in the graphic organizer on page 2
Share Out: Group Reflections
Continue Part 3: Graffiti Text Carousel
Share Out: Group Reflections
Current Trends and Solutions
How do we fix this? What recommendations do we have for NYC computer science education? (page 4)
Current Trends and
Moving Forward: PSA
Next week, we will be making a classwide Public Service Announcement (PSA) video to advise others on how we should update our CS education system to fix these problems.
Power On!
Day 4 Objectives:
Students will be able to…
CS in your own school Reflection
After making our CS Journey Scratch projects a few weeks ago, let’s reflect on our journeys and share where we’ve seen equity and inquiry (or where it’s been missing).
Chapter 7: CS Programming
Now that you’ve taken AP CSP (and possibly some other CS courses), what do you think would make the most sense for our school in terms of offering CS courses? What courses should we offer and to which students/years? How would you change things about CS classes at our school?
Power On!
Day 5 Objectives:
Students will be able to…
Algorithmic Bias
Now that we’ve seen a few examples of biased technology, we will look further into more examples as we complete our final unit project.
Read THIS
Be prepared to discuss:
Project Topic Options
New Seats - Choose a topic and sit there!
Facial recognition bias (policing and law enforcement)
Criminal justice algorithm bias (sentencing and early release)
Credit algorithm bias (interest rates)
Door
Windows
Windows
Smartboard
Some CS + Social Justice Project Topic Options*
*Ultimately would like to share these projects to school community as part of Juneteenth recognition
Some Artifact Options
CS + Social Justice Project Components
CS + Social Justice Grading Rubric
| Mastery (100%) | Almost There (75%) | Needs Work (50%) |
Research on the issue (20pts) | Accurately completes all components of the research about the issue chosen | Accurately completes most components of the research about the issue chosen | Does not accurately complete components of the research about the issue chosen |
Storyboard the app, story, or game (20pts) | Completes a storyboard that encompasses all of the major components from the brainstorm in an educational and/or fun way | Completes a storyboard that encompasses most the major components from the brainstorm in an educational and/or fun way | Does not complete a storyboard of the major components from the brainstorm in an educational and/or fun way |
Program the app, story, or game (40pts) | Programs all aspects of the brainstorm and storyboard into a fully functional app/story/game that has user input and output, at least one variable, function, list, and conditional | Programs most aspects of the brainstorm and storyboard into a mostly functional app/story/game that has user input and output, at least one variable, function, list, and conditional | Does not program a functional app/story/game that has user input and output, at least one variable, function, list, and conditional |
Reflection document (20pts) | Reflects on the purpose of this app, story, or game, and how your knowledge of CS was used to create social action | Reflects on the partial purpose of this app, story, or game, and/or partially how your knowledge of CS was used to create social action | Does not reflect on the purpose of this app, story, or game, and how your knowledge of CS was used to create social action |
Chapter 7: CS + Social Justice
What is a topic you’d like to explore more and find a way to get involved in? Do you want to change the way CS classes are offered at our school? Do you want to look into algorithm bias at hospitals and convince medical teams to think deeper? Do you want to investigate how surveillance cameras use racist AI and unjustly target minority populations? Write about your idea!
Topic:
What you are most interested in about this topic:
Who you might need to talk to or get information from:
How you’d POWER ON to share this information or take action (the artifact):
Power On!
Day 6 Objectives:
Students will be able to…
Power On!
Day 7 Objectives:
Students will be able to…
2. Storyboard
2. Storyboard
2. Storyboard
Power On!
Days 8-11 Objectives:
Students will be able to…
3. Programming
NOTE:
If you get stuck on something…
Power On!
Day 12 Objectives:
Students will be able to…
4. Reflection
Juneteenth x CS
On each of the following slides are details on a few different projects - please click on the link to interact with the app or story!
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52
Creator(s): Harold E. + Mary T.
Topic: Artificial Intelligence
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Creator(s): Waheed W.
Topic: Financial Aid Algorithm Simulator
“My project educates on algorithm injustice I give a description on how colleges grant more financial aid to high income students compared to low income students. This might connect to community events because they can gather together and demand they improve algorithms.”
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Creator(s): Trista S.
Topic: Health Care Algorithm Simulator
“My project’s purpose is to educate people on the racial bias in programmed algorithms. The things is though it's not the programs who are racist it's just the fact that white people were catered to first and thought of first which is really bad for P.O.C. The fact that they weren’t thought of at the same time is very unfortunate and unfair. This issue can connect to events like Juneteenth because it focuses on the injustices POC and black people have to face in life, in this case programming and health care algorithms.”
How do I get a copy of Power On??
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Power On! Micro-Unit
Thinking forward to things I would modify this time…