Computing · Year 6

Active learning ideas

Introduction to 'What If' Scenarios

Active learning works for ‘What If’ Scenarios because spreadsheet models come alive when students physically adjust values and observe ripples across linked cells. Pairs and small groups turn abstract formulas into visible cause and effect, building confidence and computational thinking at the same time.

• National Curriculum Attainment Targets
• KS2: Computing - Data Handling
• KS2: Computing - Computational Thinking

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Project-Based Learning
• 35 min · Pairs

Pairs Challenge: Fundraising Model

Pairs open a shared spreadsheet template with cells for ticket price, quantity sold, and cost formulas. They predict outcomes, change the price variable, and record how revenue and profit update. Groups then swap models to test new scenarios and discuss differences.

Analyze how changing one variable in a spreadsheet can impact other calculated values.

Facilitation Tip

During the Pairs Challenge, circulate and ask each pair to explain the chain of changes they see when they tweak the ticket price.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple spreadsheet showing the cost of making and selling cookies (ingredients cost, number of cookies, selling price per cookie). Ask them to change the selling price from $1.00 to $1.50 and record the new total profit. Ask: 'What was the original profit? What is the new profit? How did changing the price affect the profit?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Project-Based Learning
• 45 min · Small Groups

Small Groups: Price Impact Stations

Set up stations with pre-made sales spreadsheets for different products. Groups rotate, adjust one variable like price or discount at each, note impacts on totals, and graph results. Conclude with a class chart comparing group findings.

Predict the financial impact of a price increase using a simple 'what if' model.

Facilitation Tip

At Price Impact Stations, hand out prediction slips before students edit so they commit to outcomes and reflect afterward.

What to look for

Give students a scenario: 'You are planning a bake sale. The cost of ingredients is $20. You can sell cupcakes for $2 each. How many cupcakes do you need to sell to make a profit of $50?' Ask students to write down the variables they would use in a spreadsheet and the formula they might use to find the answer.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Project-Based Learning
• 30 min · Individual

Individual Exploration: Event Planner

Each student builds a personal model for a hypothetical school event, entering variables for attendance, ticket price, and expenses. They create three 'what if' scenarios, screenshot results, and write one-paragraph explanations of key insights.

Design a basic model to explore different scenarios for a school fundraising event.

Facilitation Tip

For the Individual Exploration, check that each student’s formulas reference cells rather than hard-coded numbers before they finalize their profit forecast.

What to look for

Present a spreadsheet model for a school fair with variables for ticket price, number of attendees, and cost of attractions. Ask: 'If we increase the ticket price by $1, what are two other numbers in the spreadsheet that will likely change? Explain why.' Facilitate a class discussion on the interconnectedness of the data.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Project-Based Learning
• 20 min · Whole Class

Whole Class Demo: Live Tweaks

Project a class spreadsheet model. Teacher demonstrates changing variables while students predict aloud. Pupils then suggest tweaks via mini-whiteboards, vote on best scenarios, and observe collective impacts.

Analyze how changing one variable in a spreadsheet can impact other calculated values.

Facilitation Tip

Use the Whole Class Demo to freeze the screen mid-change and ask the class to predict the next cell update before you click.

What to look for

Provide students with a simple spreadsheet showing the cost of making and selling cookies (ingredients cost, number of cookies, selling price per cookie). Ask them to change the selling price from $1.00 to $1.50 and record the new total profit. Ask: 'What was the original profit? What is the new profit? How did changing the price affect the profit?'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach by modelling curiosity: change values slowly and narrate your thinking out loud so students hear the language of prediction. Avoid rushing to answers; let confusion surface and resolve it together through shared debugging. Research shows that structured reflection after each tweak deepens understanding more than rapid completion of tasks.

Successful learning looks like students confidently changing one input and correctly explaining how the output in a different cell changes. They should articulate which formulas drive those changes and justify their predictions with evidence from the spreadsheet.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During the Pairs Challenge, watch for pupils who change only the visible cell and ignore ripple effects in profit or total cells.

  Pause the pairs and ask them to trace a single change through two or three linked formulas using colored pencils on a printed copy of the sheet.

• During Price Impact Stations, watch for students who assume the spreadsheet adjusts automatically without verifying formulas.

  Hand each group a mini whiteboard to write the formula they think is running and compare it to the actual formula in the cell.

• During the Individual Exploration, watch for students who treat the model as random trial-and-error rather than systematic testing.

  Ask them to fill a prediction sheet with three planned changes and the expected profit before they edit any cells.

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Methods used in this brief

• Project-Based Learning