Webquest: Careers in Computer Science

Name: _____________________________________ Class: _____________

Link to googledoc version here

(ensure ‘enable editing’ is clicked in this word document to open links)

Directions: Use the weblinks to find the answers to the following

questions. Write in your responses.

1. What is computer science? (watch this video: https://youtu.be/-

xFJM3QQ3TE)

2. What is one thing in your daily life that relies on

computer science (NOT a phone or computer)? Explain
what your object is and how it uses computer science
(you may need to Google it!).

3. Read this article: https://www.careerinstem.com/why-is-

computer-science-important/
List 5 reasons why computer science is important and
summarize each IN YOUR OWN WORDS.

Reason Summary
 BONUS: name and explain one other reason that is not on

this list.

4. Name two colleges/universities in our state that offer a

Bachelor’s degree in computer science:
a.

b.

5. Visit https://www.careerinstem.com/product/robotics-
technician/ to answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

Robotics Technician

On your own (try not to google it!): Name one way robots are used
in your daily life:

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 2

 6. Visit https://www.careerinstem.com/product/information-
technology-specialist/ to answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

Information
Technology
Specialist

On your own: Think back to the classic telephone game you may
have played as a kid, with cups and string (watch a video here of kids
playing if you never have). How could this be a model of computer
networks?

7. Visit https://www.careerinstem.com/product/electrical-
engineer/ to answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

Electrical Engineer

On your own: On the next page, sketch your electrical

engineering invention! Be sure to include labels to explain
what your invention is, what it is made out of, and how it
works.

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 3

 ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING INVENTION SKETCH

8. Visit https://www.careerinstem.com/product/drone-pilot/
to answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

Drone Pilot

On your own: What industry would you most like to work as a drone
pilot in? How would you use a drone to make money? Write a summary
in the space below:

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 4

 9. Visit https://www.careerinstem.com/product/cyber-
security-analyst/ to answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

Cyber Security
Analyst

On your own: What is a recent cyber attack that you have heard
about in the news? What did they do? Why is it important to prevent
hackers?

10. Visit
https://www.careerinstem.com/product/computer-
engineer/ to answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

Computer Hardware
Engineer

On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section and play.
Write your 3 who am I questions below:

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 5

 11. Visit https://www.careerinstem.com/product/3-d-modeler/
to answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

3-D Modeler

On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. When
complete take a screenshot of your 3D mug and insert it in the space
below, or explain what you did to create it:

12. Visit
https://www.careerinstem.com/product/nanotechnologist/ to
answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

Nanotechnologist

On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. Sketch your
futuristic scene to represent how these 4 new nanotechnologies could
be used in real life in the space below, or on another piece of paper.

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 6

 13. Visit https://www.careerinstem.com/product/ar-developer/
to answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

AR Developer

On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. In the space
below make an outline for the guide you will make according to the
directions:

14. Visit https://www.careerinstem.com/product/mechatronics-

technician/ to answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

Mechatronics
Technician

On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. In the space
below write a description of your robot pet. Then if time create your
one-page Robot Pet Care Guide on a separate piece of paper.

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 7

 15. Visit https://www.careerinstem.com/product/web-coder/ to
answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

Web Developer

On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. In the space
below write what you would make a website about, and what platform
you would use. If you have time, do it!

16. Visit https://www.careerinstem.com/product/data-architect/

to answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

Data Architect

On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. In the space
below sketch your model according to the directions on this page.
Include labels!

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 8

 17. Visit https://www.careerinstem.com/product/e-learning-
designer/ to answer the following:

Career Summary of what they Salary Education

do Needed

E-Learning Designer

On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. In the space
below, write what kind of resource you recommend and an overview of
what it would entail.

18. Which career from the questions above would you be most
interested in? Why?

19. Which career from the questions above would you be least
interested in? Why?

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 9

20. On average, do computer science jobs pay higher than
other jobs? Answer in Claim, Evidence, Reasoning format.
Use https://www.onetonline.org/find/stem?t=0 to help if needed.

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 10

 ANSWER KEY
Webquest: Careers in Computer Science

1. What is computer science?

Google definition = the study of the principles and use of computers

2. Something that uses computer science in daily life is cars. All

cars have computers in them that control the engine, roll up the
windows, unlock the doors, and more!

3. Use https://www.careerinstem.com/why-is-computer-
science-important/ as the answer key, being sure students
have responded in their own words.

4. Name two colleges/universities in our state that offer a

Bachelor’s degree in computer science:
I live in Connecticut, so for me two examples would be University of CT
and Eastern CT State University

5.
Career Summary of what they Salary Education
do Needed

Robotics Technician A Robotics Technician $58,350 Associates

builds, tests, repairs, and Degree in
takes care of robots and mechanical
their systems. technology
field

On your own: Name one way robots are used in your daily life: finding
the packages when I order something on Amazon (answers can vary)

6.
Career Summary of what they Salary Education

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 11

 do Needed

Information An information technology $54,750 Associates

Technology (IT) specialist manages Degree in
Specialist computer networks, computers
databases, and software
systems.
On your own: Think back to the classic telephone game you may
have played as a kid, with cups and string (watch a video here of kids
playing if you never have). How could this be a model of computer
networks?
In this game the strings connect the cups, like wires sometimes
connect computers in a network. Also, signals/energy (voice/sound)
travel through the string just like electricity and waves travel in
computer networks.

7.
Career Summary of what they Salary Education
do Needed

Electrical Engineeer Electrical engineers $101,250 Bachelors

develop and test degree in
electronics. electrical
engineering
On your own: Follow the link in the ‘Try It’ section. Choose a project
and insert the link. Explain the project you chose, and what that person
did with coding.
Sketches will vary; just be sure it is somewhat logical and
includes labels

8.
Career Summary of what they Salary Education
do Needed

Drone Pilot A drone pilot flies drones $102,870 High school

diploma with
certification
On your own: Follow the link in the ‘Try It’ section and take the quiz.
Paste a screenshot of your quiz results below
Answers will vary; just be sure they are logical, and that a
specific industry is named and supported

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 12

 9.
Career Summary of what they Salary Education
do Needed

Cyber Security A Cyber Security Analyst $99,730 Bachelors

Analyst works to protect an degree in
organization’s computer computer
networks. science
On your own: What is a recent cyber attack that you have heard
about in the news? What did they do? Why is it important to prevent
hackers?
There are many examples of hacking in the news. For example
in 2021 a cyberattack shut down of a major gas pipeline in the
U.S. that supplies 45% of all fuel consumed on the East Coast.
It is important to prevent hackers because cyber attacks can
leak sensitive information, be very costly to businesses and
people involved, and can cause major issues with things we
depend on for daily life.

10.
Career Summary of what they Salary Education
do Needed

Computer Hardware Computer hardware $117,220 Bachelors

Engineer engineers design and degree in
develop computer systems computer
and related devices. science or
electrical
engineering
On your own: Write your 3 who am I questions:
I allow your computer to communicate over a network and
access the Internet. Who am I? NETWORK CARD

I am responsible for what you see on the monitor. Who am I?

VIDEO CARD

Your software, documents, and other files are stored in me.

Who am I? HARD DRIVE

11.

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 13

 Career Summary of what they Salary Education
do Needed

3-D Modeler 3-D Modelers are artists High school

that use computer $78,798 diploma and
software to build three certificate
dimensional (3-D) program
characters, environments,
and items.
On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. When
complete take a screenshot of your 3D mug and insert it in the space
below, or explain what you did to create it:
This is a screenshot of the mug students will create using the
youtube tutorial linked on slide 10 of the career page:

12.
Career Summary of what they Salary Education
do Needed

Nanotechnologist Nanotechnologists create, $98,300 Bachelors in

design, and manipulate material or
materials on a nano (super chemical
tiny) scale to improve engineering
health, medicine,
technology, and the
environment.
On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. Sketch your
futuristic scene to represent how these 4 new nanotechnologies could
be used in real life in the space below, or on another piece of paper.

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 14

 Student sketches will vary, just make sure it is logical.

13.
Career Summary of what they Salary Education
do Needed

AR Developer Augmented reality (AR) $110,140 Bachelors in

developers create software
smartphone apps that add engineering
imaginary elements into
the real world for you to
interact with.
On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. In the space
below make an outline for the guide you will make according to the
directions:
An example could be a AR powered guide to the water cycle. In
the AR experience, students would ‘be’ a raindrop to visualize
their surroundings in each stage of the water cycle. The AR
experience could provide choices; students would be provided
with information, then would have to choose where they would
go next in the water cycle based on the information. (ex: You
are in a lake. The sun is shining brightly on you and it is hot.
What happens to you? Answer = evaporate)

14.
Career Summary of what they Salary Education
do Needed

Mechatronics Mechatronics technicians $60,360 Associates

Technician take care of ‘smart’ degree in
machines electronics
On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. In the space
below write a description of your robot pet. Then if time create your
one-page Robot Pet Care Guide on a separate piece of paper.
My robot pet will be a Centaur – half human, half horse. The
Centaur Bot will take the place of a car, so you can use it to
take you wherever you want. The human part will be like your
own personal robot at your house. It will help clean your room,
cook meals, and do your homework!

15.

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 15

 Career Summary of what they Salary Education
do Needed

Web Developer Web developers use code $77,200 Associates

(computer language) to degree in
build websites and computer
execute programming (tell science
computers what to do).
On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. In the space
below write what you would make a website about, and what platform
you would use. If you have time, do it!
I would use Wordpress to make a website about my dirtbiking.
I would provide articles and tips to help kids learn how to ride
dirtbikes and do easy tricks.

16.
Career Summary of what they Salary Education
do Needed

Data Architect Data architects design and $102,600 Bachelors in

build systems to store computer
massive amounts of science
information and keep us
and our data safe online.
On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. In the space
below sketch your model according to the directions on this page.
Include labels!
Models will vary. Just be sure students include labels for:
data center
virtualization
storage
user
server

17.
Career Summary of what they Salary Education
do Needed

E-Learning Designer E-Learning Designers $61,570 Bachelors

create virtual learning degree in
programs and educational instructional
resources for students of technology
all ages.

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 16

On your own: Follow the directions in the ‘Try It’ section. In the space
below, write what kind of resource you recommend and an overview of
what it would entail.
I would make resources about famous people in STEM. The
store already has a lot of resources about STEM career
exploration, so it would be cool to create technology powered
resources to help students ‘meet’ real STEM professionals. I
would do some kind of online panel every month to help
students connect with real people in their community.

18. Which career from the questions above would you be most
interested in? Why?
Answers will vary - be sure students provide a WHY to support
their answer

19. Which career from the questions above would you be least
interested in? Why?
Answers will vary - be sure students provide a WHY to support
their answer

20. Do computer science jobs pay higher than other jobs?

Answer in Claim, Evidence, Reasoning format.
Answers will vary; sample answer provided

Claim: On average computer science jobs do pay higher than

other jobs.
EVIDENCE & REASONING: For example, a Drone Pilot (a
computer science related career) needs only a high school
diploma and earns over $100K per year, whereas a geneticist
needs a PhD and earns over $10,000 less per year than this
computer science career!

© Career In STEM®, All Rights Reserved 17