The Crawfish and the Aztec treasure maze

Abstract

Teaching data structures and other CS1/CS2 subjects can be challenging. Previous research has shown that using manipulatives and visualization tools may help students comprehend these abstract concepts. This paper illustrates how students can use a pez dispenser as a stack to gain first hand experience with many CS1/CS2 topics. In addition to giving students candy, we appeal to their sense of adventure by presenting a fictitious account of how the Aztecs might have used pez-like stacks. This tale is meant to supplement homework and class discussion concerning stack definition, algorithm design, recursion, tree traversal, and operation pre- and post-conditions.