Why computational thinking is a life skill in Intro to Computing - Draw It to Prove It

Draw This - beginner

Draw a flowchart that shows how computational thinking helps solve a daily life problem: planning a grocery shopping list based on what is needed at home and the budget available.

10 minutes

Hint 1

Hint 2

Hint 3

Hint 4

Grading Criteria

Start and End symbols present

Process steps clearly labeled

Decision diamonds used for budget checks

Flow correctly shows looping to adjust list

Logical order of steps from problem to solution

Solution

  _________
 | Start   |
 |_________|
      |
      v
  ______________________
 | Check items at home   |
 |______________________|
      |
      v
  ______________________
 | List needed items     |
 |______________________|
      |
      v
  ______________________
 | Estimate total cost   |
 |______________________|
      |
      v
  _____________
 | Is cost <=   |
 | budget?     |
 | (Decision)  |
 |_____________|
    /     \
  Yes      No
  /         \
 v           v
_________  ______________________
| Final  | | Remove least needed  |
| list   | | item from list       |
|________| |______________________|
              |
              v
         ______________________
        | Estimate new cost     |
        |______________________|
              |
              v
         _____________
        | Is cost <=   |
        | budget?     |
        | (Decision)  |
        |_____________|
          /     \
        Yes      No
        /         \
       v           v
  _________    (Repeat removing items)
 | End     |
 |_________|

This flowchart starts with checking what items are already at home to avoid buying duplicates. Then, it lists the needed items and estimates the total cost. A decision checks if the total cost fits the budget. If yes, the final list is ready. If not, the least needed item is removed, and the cost is re-estimated. This repeats until the list fits the budget. This process shows computational thinking by breaking down the problem, making decisions, and iterating to find a solution that works in real life.

Variations - 2 Challenges

[intermediate] Draw a flowchart for planning a daily schedule using computational thinking: include tasks, time estimates, and breaks.

[advanced] Draw a flowchart to solve the problem of choosing the best route to work considering traffic and time using computational thinking.