Computational Thinking Activities with MATLAB

Computational Thinking Activities with MATLAB

Engage your students with interactive computational activities to develop lifelong engineering and computational thinking skills and practices. Choose from single activities or entire curricula to teach your primary and secondary school students.

MathWorks has partnerships with STEM education organizations, such as Youth Engineering Solutions (YES) and Engineering for US All (e4usa), to create computational thinking activities with MATLAB to accompany their curricula. These activities are suitable for you and your students, even if you are new to MATLAB. The activities open and run in your browser with MATLAB Online.

Middle School (Ages 11–13) Activities

Explore computational thinking activities using MATLAB that accompanies the larger YES Middle School curriculum. You can use these activities individually, as part of the computational thinking module, or alongside YES middle school units. Learn more about YES Computational Thinking in middle school.

User Reviews Analysis

Students use a simple machine learning algorithm to analyze qualitative data collected from slipper users.

Bounce Height Measurements

Students use a computer to collect precise data on how high a ping pong ball bounces on different landing materials.

Heatwave Visualizations

Students visualize heatwave data to identify which regions and people may be most impacted by hot temperatures to help them engineer a medicine cooler.

Exoplanet Discoveries

Students consider how computers can help scientists search space telescope data for exoplanets.

High School (Ages 14–18) Activities

The activity below accompanies the e4usa high school engineering curriculum. The e4usa curriculum helps students learn and demonstrate engineering skills, principles, and practices while considering local and global engineering design challenges.

Water Filtration Model

This mathematical model of a water filter is intended to accompany Unit 2, Lesson 2.6. Students should complete the research described and then use this model as a last step to help them determine what materials they want to combine to form the water filter prototype that they build and test. Watch an introductory video for this activity.

Wind Turbine Model

This mathematical model of a wind turbine is intended to accompany Unit 2, Lesson 2.8. Students should complete the research described and assemble the base of the wind turbine, and then use this model as a last step to help them determine what design of the blades they want to use to form the wind turbine prototype that they build and test.