8 minute read
Technology Unit
GRADE 5 ENRICHMENT
TECHNOLOGY UNIT: CODING
Computer science and computing‐related fields have long been introduced to young people in a way that is disconnected from their interests and values – emphasizing technical detail over creative potential. Creative computing supports the development of personal connections to computing, by drawing upon creativity, imagination, and interests.
Many young people with access to computers participate as consumers, rather than designers or creators. Creative computing emphasizes the knowledge, practices, and fundamental literacies that young people need to create the types of dynamic and interactive computational media that they enjoy in their daily lives.
Engaging in the creation of computational artifacts prepares young people for more than careers as computer scientists or programmers. It supports young people’s development as computational thinkers – individuals who can draw on computational concepts, practices, and perspectives in all aspects of their lives, across disciplines and contexts.
The ability to code computer programs is an important part of literacy in today’s society. When people learn to code in Scratch, they learn important strategies for solving problems, designing projects, and communicating ideas. Scratch is designed especially for ages 8 to 16, but is used by people of all ages. Scratch is a project of the MIT Media Lab. With Scratch, students can program their own interactive stories, games, or animations. Scratch will help students learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century.
Using the Scratch program allows us the opportunity to provide differentiated instruction for both grades four and five. This is crucial as the amount of student’s prior knowledge will influence how far individual students are able to progress within this unit. (Source: scratch.com)
GRADE 5 ENRICHMENT
TECHNOLOGY UNIT: CODING
Using DK Coding Games in Scratch, by Jon Woodcock, students will:
Build their own computer projects using Scratch Build single and multiplayer platform games, create puzzles and memory games, race through mazes, add animation, and more Learn important strategies for solving problems, designing projects, and communicating ideas Learn how to think creatively, work collaboratively, and reason systematically
Using Creative Computing Scratch 2.0 (https://scratch.mit.edu), students will:
Be introduced to the computational concepts of conditionals, operators, and data (variables and lists) Become more familiar with the computational practices of experimenting and iterating, testing and debugging, reusing and remixing, and abstracting and modularizing by building and extending a self‐directed maze, pong, or scrolling game project Identify and understand common game mechanics Learners may create a self‐remix by extending a previously started project Be introduced to various hardware extensions that connect Scratch to the physical world Gain more fluency in computational concepts and practices by exploring the newest Scratch features (video sensing, cloning) Experiment with designing learning experiences for others Be introduced to the format of a hackathon event Demonstrate knowledge of computational concepts (sequence, loops, events, parallelism, conditionals, operators, data) and practices (experimenting and iterating, testing and debugging, reusing and remixing, abstracting and modularizing) by defining, developing, and presenting a personally meaningful, self‐directed project Have opportunities for collaboration by working in peer teams, sharing skills, and giving and receiving feedback
GRADE 5 ENRICHMENT
TECHNOLOGY UNIT: CODING
Objectives: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE):
‐ Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences. ‐ Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical. ‐ Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions. ‐ Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions. ‐ Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.
Mathematics Common Core Standards:
‐ Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them ‐ Model with Mathematics ‐ Attend to precision ‐ Look for and make use of structure
English Language Arts Common Core Standards:
‐ Use technology and digital media strategically and capably
21st Century Learning Skills:
‐ Thinking creatively ‐ Communicating clearly ‐ Analyzing systematically ‐ Collaborating effectively ‐ Learning continuously
National Association for Gifted Children Standards:
2.3 Students with identified needs represent diverse backgrounds and reflect the total student population of the district. 3.1 Students with gifts and talents demonstrate growth commensurate with aptitude during the school year 3.2 Students with gifts and talents become more competent in multiple talent areas and across dimensions of learning. 3.6 Students with gifts and talents benefit from gifted education programming that provides a variety of high quality resources and materials.
GRADE 5 ENRICHMENT
TECHNOLOGY UNIT: CODING
4.1 Students with gifts and talents demonstrate growth in personal competence and dispositions for exceptional academic and creative productivity. These include self‐awareness, self‐advocacy, self‐efficacy, confidence, motivation, resilience, independence, curiosity, and risk taking. 4.3 Students with gifts and talents demonstrate personal and social responsibility and leadership skills.
Essential Questions:
‐ How can we use algorithms in our daily lives? ‐ Is sequence important when writing programs? ‐ How can we make our programs more efficient? ‐ How can we stay safe while using technology? ‐ Can you use technology to create an animation, stories, or games?
Enrichment Unit Expectations
Activities engage students in solving debugging challenges, which encourage students to discover different ways of finding and solving problems. Students can express abstract concepts and demonstrate their understandings of quantitative relationships such as variables through visual representations they design Students are challenged to represent previously learned equations, data comparisons, or other mathematical relationships Students recognize the importance of attending to detail when specifying instructions or a sequence of code intended to elicit a particular outcome Students look closely to discern repeated patterns or structure within their own or others’
Instructional Strategies Evidence of Learning
Mini Lessons Teacher Modeling Cooperative Learning Use of computers Observations Individual work samples Group Discussions Student‐Teacher Conferences
o scratch.mit.edu o code.org o iPads or Chromebooks
TECHNOLOGY UNIT RESOURCES
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENRICHMENT
In the past, grade 6 TAG students were exposed to the majority of the middle school math curriculum in order to be ready for
Algebra in grade 7. We found since the implementation of the Common Core with the increase in the rigor of our new Math
Curriculum this was not as effective. Prior to 2014, the decision was made to adjust the TAG curriculum to include ALL of the grades
6, 7, and 8 curricula to be taught in grades 6 & 7. This is 3 years of math covered in two years‐ at a pace and depth appropriate for
our TAG students. This was also the plan of our Accelerated path, with the difference intended to be in the area of depth (the TAG
class could potentially go into more depth than the accelerated class). As time has passed, and the ability to more readily
differentiate instruction with various problem sets and technology, we believe the needs of TAG students can be met within our
Accelerated path, making the need for a separate, pull‐out TAG Math class not to be needed. As a school, we are continuously
looking to enrich all of our students, including those with TAG identification, in their area of strength and talent, through
differentiated instruction in the classroom, and through our elective offerings. Currently, there are four full‐year electives and
eighteen trimester‐based electives for students in grades 6‐8 to elect.
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENRICHMENT
2014‐2015 2015‐2016 Grade 6 TAG Math 6 (Grade 6 curriculum & ½ grade 7)
TAG Math 6
(Grade 6 curriculum & ½ grade 7) 2016‐2017
TAG Math 6
(Grade 6 curriculum & ½ grade 7) 2017‐2018
2018‐2019 NO TAG Math 6 to be offered. Needs met in Accelerated Math.
Accelerated Math: Offered by team teachers‐ generally 2 sections per year. Moves through Grade 6 curriculum & ½ of grade 7 at a faster pace and with more depth for those capable of learning at that rate. Intent is to prepare these students for Algebra 1 in Grade 8.
Accelerated Math
TAG students to be integrated into this course as curriculum for TAG and Accelerated has been the same since 14‐15 Grade 6 Math: Majority of grade 6 students. Covers grade 6 curriculum. Students on grade level path will likely take Algebra 1 in grade 9.
Accelerated Math
Grade 6 Math
2014‐2015 2015‐2016 2016‐2017 2017‐2018
Grade 7 TAG Math 7 (Algebra 1)
TAG Math 7
(2nd ½ of grade 7 curriculum & gr 8)
TAG Math 7
(2nd ½ of grade 7 curriculum & gr 8)
TAG Math 7
Final year to accommodate students who started with TAG Math 6 Accelerated Math: Offered by team teachers‐ generally 2 sections per year. Moves through 2nd ½ of Grade 7 curriculum and grade 8, thus preparing students for Algebra 1 in grade 8.
Grade 7 Math: Majority of grade 7 students. Covers grade 7 curriculum. Students on grade level path will likely take Algebra 1 in grade 9. 2018‐2019
No TAG Math 7 to be offered. Needs met in Accelerated Math.
Accelerated Math
Grade 7 math
MIDDLE SCHOOL ENRICHMENT
2014‐2015 Grade 8 Geometry: Offered by Team teacher to small class of students previously in TAG classes.
2015‐2016
Geometry:
Offered by Team teacher to small class of students previously in TAG classes.
2016‐2017
2017‐2018 No Geometry to be offered.
Algebra 1: Offered by team teachers, generally 2 sections. Students come from Accelerated level in gr 6 and 7.
Algebra 1:
Additional section added this year; TAG students placed in one section with other students from Accelerated Path
Algebra 1:
TAG students will continue to be integrated with students from Accelerated path.
Grade 8 Math: Majority of grade 8 students. Covers grade 8 curriculum. Students on grade level path will likely take Algebra 1 in grade 9. 2018‐2019
