How Do You Explain Software Development To 2nd Graders?

First time accepted submitter zimania writes "At the start of every school year, my kids' teachers invariably ask if any parents have any special skills they can present to the students. As a software engineer, I'd like to give a presentation to the classes about developing software. The tricky part is making a presentation fun, inspirational, and easy enough for 2nd and 4th graders to grasp. Has anybody been brave enough to attempted such a thing? Are there kid-tested prepackaged presentations freely available? Would it be best to present the development of a simple game? Web page? Any advice is welcome."

Comments

Here's how you explain it to them.

[Maxo-Texas]

Divide the class into "business" and "software" people.

Throw a party-
Let the business people attend.
Make the software people work writing numbers on paper.

Tell them it will be like that the rest of their life.
They'll be working 10 hour days and holidays and nights while the business people have nice parties with booze at the bowling alley.

For bonus points, put all but two of the girls in the "business" group. But they won't get it at that age-- so instead give the business group kittens and puppies. But none for the "software" people.

Make them stay up overnight writing numbers on paper while the "business" kids get to go home and watch cartoons.

Tell them how proud you are of them. How they are such hard workers.