COMPUTATIONAL THINKING WITH AN UNPLUGGED CRAFTING TABLE: AN EXPERIENCE REPORT IN THE 2ND YEAR OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Abstract

This article presents an experience report on the implementation of an unplugged computing activity inspired by Minecraft®'s Crafting Table, developed with students in the 2nd year of elementary school. The study aimed to promote skills related to Computational Thinking, especially pattern recognition, decomposition, spatial organization, object modeling, and the construction of logical sequences, in line with skill EF02CO01 of the BNCC Computing guidelines. Methodologically, the intervention was organized into progressive stages involving contextualization, guided exploration, practical challenges, and authorial creation, using concrete, low-cost materials accessible to the school context. The results indicated high student engagement, satisfactory understanding of combination rules, and good performance in reproducing the proposed recipes. However, greater difficulty was observed in creating authorial combinations, which highlights the need for stronger pedagogical mediation. It is concluded that the unplugged Crafting Table is a viable, playful, and inclusive strategy for introducing initial computing concepts in Basic Education, especially in contexts with limited technological infrastructure.