Playcards, Pasta and Rectangles: Teaching Information Representation and Data Encoding in 4th Grade

Information representation is a key concept in informatics, that involves representing real-world problems through symbolic encoding of data that can be automatically processed. Despite that, the presence and role of this concept in curricula, learning materials, and activities, is much less significant w.r.t. other informatics areas, as programming (coding) or algorithms. In this experience report we present a learning unit we designed, consisting of five two-hour lessons, that aims at introducing pupils to the fundamental concepts around information representation, and that we piloted in five fourth-grade classes. We also present and reflect upon the feedback asked of teachers, after the learning unit was concluded in their classes.