Diagnose and Troubleshoot
Computer Science Fundamentals Grades 9–12 3-day lesson 26 deliverables This computer science lesson teaches the routine tech pros use to find and fix a problem with a device. Students sort the steps of a projector repair into diagnosing and fixing, then troubleshoot customers' devices one test at a time and fill in a troubleshooting log.
● Instant download · Lifetime access · Editable & print-ready
Print + digitalPDF, PowerPoint, Word & Google
Answer keysA key for every page
Built-in assessmentExit tickets + lesson quiz
45-minute daysEvery day planned and timed
What does this lesson cover?
Many students troubleshoot by trying random fixes until something works. This lesson teaches a plan: test one possible cause at a time, fix the cause, check the fix and write it down. Students can use the same routine on any device problem.
The lab on Day 2 has an online version that uses Tech Shop, our online game, in the Fix It level. It practices running one test at a time to find the cause, then fixing it, verifying the fix and writing it in the log. Every online version comes with a paper version, so no internet is needed. Our game is free, with no accounts or sign-ins.
The Troubleshooting Lab
Students troubleshoot customers' devices one test at a time and fill in a troubleshooting log, on paper or in the Tech Shop game.
Everything that's included
00 Start Here
- READ FIRST: every file in the lesson and when you use it
- Teacher guide and pacing: the plan for each day, what to print and how to grade
- Skills map: which standards each day teaches
01 Present
- One editable PowerPoint deck for all three days, 25 slides, with speaker notes
- Slide script: the speaker notes, printed
- Bell ringers: a short warm-up for each day
02 Student Handouts
- Guided notes for all three days, in PDF and editable Word, with the word bank on the page
- Vocab slip: the lesson's words and what they mean, on one page
03 Labs
- The Troubleshooting Lab: troubleshoot customers' devices one test at a time and fill in a troubleshooting log, on paper or in the Tech Shop game
04 Activities
- Diagnose or Fix? Sort each step of a real case into Diagnosing or Fixing and finishing
- Case File: The Silent Microphone: solve a new case on paper
05 Assessment
- Exit tickets, one per day: quick questions that show who needs more help
- Lesson quiz: 10 multiple-choice questions and 2 written answers about all three days
06 Answer Keys
- 5 answer key files: a key for each day (its bell ringer, notes and exit ticket) and the activity and lab keys, plus the quiz key
Digital: Google Forms™ + Google Slides™
- 4 Google Forms™ of the exit tickets and the quiz, ready to copy into your Drive
- The multiple choice grades itself, and you grade the written answers
- A Google Slides™ copy of the deck, with the same slides and speaker notes, for Google Classroom™
Online: Tech Shop
- Tech Shop, Fix It level: the online version of the Day 2 lab
- Every online version has a paper version, so no internet is needed
- Free to play, with no accounts or sign-ins
Why teachers love this lesson
Students keep a troubleshooting logEach test and each fix goes in the log, so you can see how a student found the cause.
Wireless devices get checked tooStudents learn that a wireless device still needs power and pairing with the right computer.
Print and digitalEvery page is a print-ready PDF, and the Google Forms™ and Google Slides™ let you teach the same lesson in Google Classroom™.
Real online activitiesStudents can use Tech Shop on a computer or tablet, and every online version has a paper version that works with no internet.
A key for every pageEvery day has its own answer key, and every written question has a sample answer and what to look for.
Every day fits a 45-minute classEach day's plan is timed activity by activity against real reading and writing speeds.
What Teachers Say
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How do I get the files after I buy?
Instant download right after checkout: PowerPoint and Word files you can edit, print-ready PDFs, and links that copy the Google Forms™ and Google Slides™ into your Drive.
Can I buy the whole unit or course instead?
Yes. This lesson is part of the Unit 1 bundle and the complete Computer Science Fundamentals course. Both cost less than buying the lessons one at a time.
Is this AP Computer Science?
No. It is a full-year, non-AP intro course for grades 9 to 12. For AP, see AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A.
What formats are the files in?
Every page is a print-ready PDF. The slides are an editable PowerPoint and the guided notes an editable Word file. The exit tickets and the quiz also come as Google Forms™, and the deck as Google Slides™.
Which standards does it cover?
Written for Florida's Advanced Information Technology course (9007610). The skills map in the lesson shows which standards each day teaches.