Activity 1.1.1 Principles
Introduction
The pri- in the word principles means first or most
important. This course is built upon the idea that
computing, first and foremost, can and should improve
our lives together in the world. On the scale of human
history, computing is very new. Automation and
automated thinking – machines that think and do – are
here, now. How will they transform society? We don’t
know, but we know it will be big. We send more and more
bits – 0’s and 1’s – into thinking programs every year.
Exponentially more!
The quantity of data produced and calculations performed
today since sunrise are staggering. The text in all worldwide email sent in any ten-minute period now contains
more text than the entire Library of Congress. From live
video to phone calls, incomprehensible quantities of
digital information in the form of 0’s and 1’s – bits – are
traversing the world, through billions of computers,
processing billions of bits per second each. This is new.
This digital explosion offers opportunities to make the
world better but it also entails dangers we must confront.
What is most important to us? How will we shape the
future with our new human power to collect, process,
store, and act upon information?
Materials

Blown to Bits, by Hal Abelson, Ken Ledeen, and Harry Lewis
Available online at http://www.bitsbook.com/excerpts/
Procedure
1. Form seven groups in your classroom as directed by your teacher.
2. The professional greeting is an extremely important part of the professional skills
included in this curriculum. No matter how/if you already greeted your partners
earlier, take a moment and practice your introductory greeting with your partner.
A professional greeting includes:
 squaring your shoulders and knees with the person you are greeting
and using good posture
 making eye contact
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Computer Science and Software Engineering Activity 1.1.1 Principles – Page 1

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smiling
using an enthusiastic, interested voice
saying something pleasant, like “Nice to meet you,” or “I am glad to be
working with you,” or “I look forward to working with you.”
3. After exchanging greetings and brief conversation, agree to take time individually
for this step. Each person in the group, silently and without having to share your
answer, should think of the three “things”—people, ideas, parts of your life, etc.—
you hold most dear, that you hold as most important. Commit to specific ideas,
but you do not have to commit them to writing.
Nod to your partners in your group when you have completed this task. When
everyone in your group has nodded that they are ready, discuss the next two
questions together.
4. How has computing affected your relationship to these people, ideas, etc.?
5. How might computing in the future affect your relationship to these people,
ideas, etc.?
6. Consider the following milestones, noting that the product and year associated
with each milestone can be debated.
1951
1976
1982
1991
2002
Delivery of the first commercial computer, the UNIVAC
Delivery of the first home computer, the Apple I
Introduction of the Internet
Introduction of the World Wide Web
First commercial broadband mobile network, 3G
As a group, read the following quote, the last paragraph from the book Blown to
Bits:
The bits explosion is not over. We are in the middle of it. But we
don’t know whether it will be destructive or enlightening. The time
for deciding who will control the explosion may soon be past. Bits
are still a new phenomenon – a new natural resource whose
regulatory structures and corporate ownership are still up for grabs.
The legal and economic decisions being made today, not just about
bits but about everything that depends on bits, will determine how
our descendants will lead their lives. The way the bits illuminate or
distort the world will shape the future of humanity.
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Computer Science and Software Engineering Activity 1.1.1 Principles – Page 2
Will computers transform our society in ways that other inventions have not?
Discuss in your group.
7. Read Chapter 1 (pp. 1-17) and the Conclusion (pp. 295-300) of Blown to Bits.
Write a journal-style response in which you agree or disagree with the following
statement. Attach your writing to the assignment for your teacher to read.
Computing will transform society.
8. In your group discuss your responses to Step 7.
9. Each group will be assigned one additional chapter of Blown to Bits to skim for 310 minutes. Record which chapter you are assigned. All group members will skim
the same chapter. After skimming, and before discussing with your group, write
one or more sentences summarizing the issue(s) that you think the chapter might
be addressing.
10. In your group share your responses to Step 9. Discuss the summaries and create
as a group one single summary that integrates all of your ideas. Record it here
and agree on one person to present your summary to the class.
11. One person from each group will present a summary of one of the chapters. He or
she should do their best to do the following when presenting.



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Introduce themselves and their group partners clearly. State everyone’s
name, which chapter the group skimmed, and what the group thinks the
chapter is about.
Have good standing posture.
Project a confident voice with clear enunciation.
Make eye contact with people in several parts of the room as you speak.
After each group’s presentation, record a sentence or more summarizing each
chapter.
Chapter 2 Naked in the Sunlight:
Chapter 3 Ghosts in the Machine:
Chapter 4 Needles in the Haystack:
Chapter 5 Secret Bits:
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Computer Science and Software Engineering Activity 1.1.1 Principles – Page 3
Chapter 6 Balance Toppled:
Chapter 7 You Can’t Say That on the Internet:
Chapter 8 Bits in the Air:
Conclusion
1. The "Big Ideas" of the College Board’s Computer Science Principles course
framework are
I. Creativity
II. Abstraction
Computing is a creative activity.
Abstraction reduces information and detail to
facilitate focus on relevant concepts.
III. Data
Data and information facilitate the creation of
knowledge.
IV. Algorithms
Algorithms are used to develop and express
solutions to computational problems
V. Programming
VI. Internet
VII. Impact
Programming enables problem solving, human
expression, and creation of knowledge.
The Internet pervades modern computing.
Computing has global impacts.
Pick one or more of these Big Ideas and explain how you think that Big Idea will
be related to what you do and learn in this course.
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Computer Science and Software Engineering Activity 1.1.1 Principles – Page 4