Year 3-4 (Year A) Technology Learning Challenges

Years 3/4 How SMART are you online?

•use technology safely, respectfully and responsibly; recognise acceptable/unacceptable behaviour; identify a range of ways to report concerns about content and contact.

Questions Why do we have SMART rules and technology rules?

Who can help keep you safe when you are online?

Why do you need to keep personal information private online?

How much of your free time should be spent using technology?

Why do you need to keep your online passwords private?

How can you use online tools to collaborate and communicate with others responsibly and safely?

What are appropriate images/text to post online?

How do you know whether you can use material you’ve found online in your work?

Why do you need to be careful downloading files and games online?

•How can words/images online hurt others?

Activity A)Use Me Online, and Cybercafe websites to explore the above questions. Hold discussions around the question areas, using the SMART RULES. Children to produce a piece of work e.g. On powerpoint, an electronic poster, animation etc, demonstrating their understanding of the above.

B) Children to choose a secure password for the school online blog and keep it private. Choose appropriate images and details to share online,

Digital Literacy: the piece of work which the children produce should be produced using technology.

Understanding how to communicate and collaborate safely using the school blog.

Literacy: children will develop their literacy skills when producing their piece of work on e-safety.

Y3 Can you use coding to bring your ideas to life? design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs Opening Talk about a simulation/animation and discuss examples e.g. telling a joke, telling a story. Introduce the coding program Scratch.

Questions

What is a SIMULATION? Can you use your imagination to create an interesting story between two characters, or think of a funny joke which a character tells another character?

Can you plan a simulation by creating characters and backgrounds on paper and storyboard the simulation?

Can you create your ideas, including the characters (sprites) and background on screen?

How do we bring our characters to life? (simulate) Can you produce an ALGORITHM for the simulation in Scratch creating basic movement of your sprites (Glide)?

Can you code your sprites so that they have a brief conversation?

Can you add sound effects to your simulation at the appropriate time ?

Can you test and DEBUG your code?

Can you evaluate a friends simulation and tell them ways you think they could improve their work?

Can you copy and paste screen shots of your work into Microsoft Word and explain what your coding blocks do?

Extension: How can you make your characters (Sprites) move more realistically?

Activity To use Scratch to design characters and a background. Create a simulation for your characters by coding. Get the characters to glide.

Mathematics: This project uses and applies children’s understanding of co-ordinates and helps with problem solving in maths by decomposing a problem into smaller parts and logically and systematically working through a problem.

Literacy: Children record their ideas initially on a storyboard.

Digital Literacy: Use of Microsoft Word to annotate their work.

Y3/4 Can you use an algorithm to produce an algo-’rhythm’? design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs Opening What makes a good dance ? Rhythm, pace, timing etc. Watch a video of a selection of well known dance routines.

Discuss how many routines have sequences which are repeated and get the children's thoughts on whether they think it is a good routine and why. (Children could have a go at following a simple sequence of dance moves to create a dance move).

Questions •Can you create or import a sprite which has a number of costumes (poses) for your dance routine?

•What moves do you need to REPEAT to code an effective dance SEQUENCE?

•What do you need to do to ensure you code a realistic simulation for your dance character? (sound, background, change of background, speech etc)

•How can you make your sprite’s dance look realistic?

•Can you start your sprite in one background and then change your background?

•Can you add speech at an appropriate time using the BROADCAST block?

•Can you create or import a suitable dance room background with a dance floor?

•Can you add music and make sure your dance SEQUENCE matches the music?

•Can you program the dance floor and use the ‘FOREVER’ code to make the dance floor flash?

•Are you regularly testing your code and DEBUGGING where necessary?

•Can you create an ALGORITHM which uses SEQUENCES of dance moves to make your sprite look like they are dancing?

•Can you demonstrate your understanding of what you’ve created by inserting screen shots (snips) of your game into Word and annotating your code?

Activity (Either or both activities could be done. If both, the second time round children should work more independently.)

Activity A: Insert ready made sprites in various poses into Scratch. Use these to code a dance sequence. Add a realistic simulation for your character by adding a background, movement and dialogue. Add change of background..

Activity B: To photograph each other in various dance poses and to import these pictures of themselves into Scratch.

Use these to code a dance sequence. Add a simulation for your character by adding a background, movement and dialogue. Add change of background.

Mathematics: This project uses and applies children’s understanding of co-ordinates and helps with problem solving in maths by decomposing a problem into smaller parts and logically and systematically working through a problem.

Digital Literacy: Children develop their use of advanced skills in Microsoft Word when they use the ‘snip’ tool to take images from Scratch and paste them into Word.. They use tools such as insert shapes, text wrapping, and formatting text to annotate their work.

In activity B they develop their photography skills by photographing themselves, downloading, editing, saving and inserting their images into Scratch.

PE: Children learn about what makes an effective dance routine.

Y4 How can you code characters to move realistically on screen? design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs Opening What makes our movements realistic? Demonstrate how realistic movement can be achieved by having two or more costumes for a Sprite and using the ‘Repeat’ command to alternate between the costumes. Explore how the movement of the Sprite can be made more realistic (combination of ‘Wait’, ‘Repeat’ and ‘Change Costume’) Questions Can you create a background for your characters?

Can you get your sprites to have a timely conversation which is clearly readable to the audience?

How could you use computer code to create an realistic simulation?

How can you use advanced commands such as BROADCAST to automate your simulations?

How can you use coding to create characters that move?

Are you regularly testing and DEBUGGING your code where necessary?

How can you use the REPEAT and WAIT commands to make your character movements more realistic?

Can you demonstrate your understanding of what you’ve created by inserting screen shots (snips) of your game into Word and annotating your code?

Can you code your sprite to start the simulation in the same place each time?

Activity To use Scratch to code a simulation with realistic movement, dialogue and a change of scene which tells a story.

Mathematics: This project uses and applies children’s understanding of coordinates and angles and helps with problem solving in maths by decomposing a problem into smaller parts and logically and systematically working through a problem.

Literacy: Children record their ideas initially on a storyboard.

Digital Literacy: Children develop their use of advanced skills in Microsoft Word when they use the ‘snip’ tool to take images from Scratch and paste them into Word.. They use tools such as insert shapes, text wrapping, and formatting text to annotate their work.

Y3&4 (Year A) How cool is your drink?

The children will make a cold drink. They will also evaluate commercial drinks as well as their own. Children will learn the basic food preparation techniques and ways of combining components to create simple food products for a particular purpose. They develop their making skills by learning to combine components according to taste, appearance or texture to create a product that contributes to a healthy diet. Through this activity children develop an awareness of health and safety and learn that the quality of a product depends on how well it is made and presented.

Opening The children can use laptops or ipads to help them do some market research about cold drinks.

Mathematics Measurement – Capacity, Reading Measures Costing of Drinks - Using £.p Notation

Investigations What are the ingredients used in cold drinks and what are their nutritional values?

How much would a cold drink cost?

Will the main ingredient of the drink be water, fizzy water, milk, yogurt, or fruit juice?

Science Health and Growth Materials Hot / Cold Life Processes and Living Things Digital Literacy

Will fruit be added?

How does the fruit need to be prepared?

Do you need any further ingredients?

What will be added to make the drink look appealing?

Reflection The children will analyse their drinks against their design specification and discuss how successful they were. The children can say what changes they would make if they were to repeat the activity and why.

Building of a Database Representing Information Graphically Research – Finding Information

Y3&4 (Year A) How fast can my car go?

During this Engineering Learning Challenge children will use all their skills to design, make and evaluate the vehicle they build. They will use their technical knowledge to use equipment and materials correctly. Throughout the learning challenge children will be applying their mathematical and scientific knowledge.

Opening The children can investigate wind power.

Investigations What is a chassis?

Can I make a rectangular chassis using balsa wood strips and dowel?

Mathematics Children will need to use knowledge of 2D shape and 3D shapes. They will practise measuring accurately in cm.

Science Discussions about friction, wind power, speed and distance. Comparing, measuring and testing.

How do I make my axles parallel?

Why do the axles need to parallel?

How do I make the wheels run freely?

Do different sized wheels make a difference?

Can I use wind power to move my vehicle?

Does the shape of my vehicle make a difference to the speed / distance it will travel?

Whose vehicle will travel the furthest / fastest?

Reflection The children will analyse their cars against their design specification and discuss how successful they were. The children can say what changes they would make if they were to repeat the activity and why. The children complete the unit with a race of their model cars.

Digital Literacy Children will create graphs and presentations to explain the design process with their vehicle.

Y3&4 (Year A) How can I display a photo?

In this unit children are to design and make a free-standing photo frame. They will learn how photo frames are designed and produced. They design patterns/ templates and join and strengthen materials. Children develop their designing skills by generating their own ideas and then evaluating their products .This unit uses readily available materials and examples.

Opening This unit may be introduced in a variety of ways; such as during a history topic, R.E. or art project. The children can look at the various ways of displaying pictures that are commercially available.

Mathematics Measuring Area Digital Literacy

Investigations What will your frame need to do in order to be successful?

Research Pictures Taking Photos

An investigation into free-standing items.

Other Curriculum Links

What different methods can be used to make a stable structure?

Family History

Who are you designing the frame for?

Can you make an annotated design?

Where are the weak points and how can you strengthen your design?

What improvements would you make next time?

Reflection The children will analyse their photo frames against their design specification and discuss how successful they were. The children can say what changes they would make if they were to repeat the activity and why.

Y3&4 (Year A) Where am I going to keep my money?

In this unit children learn how textile money containers e.g., purses, wallets and belt bags are designed for different purposes and different users. They design patterns/ templates and join and reinforce fabrics. Children develop their designing skills when evaluating the products and use this information to generate their own ideas and identify design criteria. The finished money container will use decorative techniques such as fabric paints and embroidery.

Opening The children will start this unit by researching various textile money containers. This may link to their history project.

Mathematics Number Measurement

Investigations

Science

What is the purpose of various containers / purses, wallets, belt bags?

Materials

How are the commercially produced purses made?

Digital Literacy

What is a seam? Seam allowance? Gusset? Strap? Hem?

Research Writing Instructions Repeated Patterns

What shape will it be?

Why are certain fabrics used?

What fastenings are used?

How is the purse to be decorated?

Reflection The children will analyse their purses against their design specification and discuss how successful they were. The children can say what changes they would make if they were to repeat the activity and why.