• History Meets CS: Students use algorithms to map explorers’ and gold seekers’ routes, integrating geography and computational thinking.

• Lesson Remix with Mario: Teachers kick off with a Super Mario Brothers challenge to build algorithmic thinking in a fun, familiar way.

• Collaboration and Creativity: Through whiteboard planning, gallery walks, and gameplay testing, students refine and apply their algorithms in both historical and gaming contexts.

Are you looking to level up your social studies instruction? This computer science-integrated lesson is just the ticket. In this engaging, hands-on activity, students trace the journeys of early American explorers while learning to think like computer scientists. Aligned with CA HSS Standard 5.2.3, and CA CS 3-5.AP.10, the lesson places students in collaborative groups where they analyze the routes of famous explorers. Using printed maps, rulers, and algorithm templates, students create step-by-step instructions, algorithms, that chart each expedition across the continent.

You can find this lesson and many more on the Cal-MSCS CS Cross Content Connections website.

As students model these historic journeys, they must account for real geographic challenges like rivers, mountains, and deserts. They weigh the pros and cons of detours, deciding whether a longer route might avoid more difficult terrain, and refine their algorithms to find more efficient paths, much like how GPS systems optimize for travel time or safety. Throughout the activity, students strengthen their computational thinking skills while engaging in rich collaboration. Using whiteboards or Wipebooks, they vertically sketch, revise, and test their strategies. Built-in gallery walks allow students to observe peers’ work, gather new ideas, and improve their own routes through productive feedback.

Though originally designed for fifth grade, Mrs. Garges, a 4th grade teacher, adapted the lesson by shifting the historical focus to gold seekers coming to California, aligning with CA HSS Standard 4.3.2. Her students explored both land and sea routes to the goldfields, again using algorithmic thinking to compare travel conditions and make strategic choices. This version preserved the core structure while tailoring the content to fit grade-level standards and local history.

Before diving into the historical mapping activity, Mrs. Cruz (5th grade), along with Mrs. Garges (4th grade), introduced a fun, 8-bit twist to kickstart algorithmic thinking. They remixed the lesson into a gaming challenge where students designed a winning strategy for a level in Super Mario Brothers (NES version). Instead of charting the paths of explorers or gold prospectors, students studied gameplay clips and created precise, step-by-step algorithms to guide Mario through each level. Their sequences included timing jumps, avoiding Goombas and Koopa Troopas, collecting power-ups, and selecting the safest or most efficient routes to success.

The excitement in both classrooms was unmistakable. Students eagerly collaborated on their whiteboards or Wipebooks, revising their Mario strategies preparing them to do the same with historical journeys. They presented their final algorithms, explained their decision-making, and participated in gallery walks to reflect on and refine their thinking.

The next step will be to test their algorithms. In the final phase, students will swap algorithms and attempt to play through each other’s strategies (on Nintendo Switch), debugging as needed, just like a real programmer or navigator. This creative remix helps students see that algorithmic thinking isn’t limited to history or tech, it’s a powerful tool for solving problems in any world, whether it’s filled with rivers and deserts, or fireballs and flagpoles.

This blog post was drafted with the help of ChatGPT to help organize and flesh out my ideas regarding the usage and remixing of this lesson idea from the Cross Content Connections website. I also used NotebookLM to generate a deep dive audio overview—perfect for those who want to listen and learn on the go.