Ollie's Across the Curriculum
When I start this project, first I have a simple track where students need to program the ollies to zig-zag in between the cones. This is my hook to get students excited about programing and the project. I make it a competition. We make 5 teams and we write down the names of the teams on the whiteboard. Every 15 minutes I ask students to write down their best time. If students try speed, they sacrifice accuracy on the turns and sometimes they do not finish the program. As far as formal instruction, I only tell students the name of the robots “Ollies” and that the app they need is already downloaded in the iPads. As a teacher it is imperative to understand how much support students are going to need as they complete the project so that we can scaffold. I like the Inquiry Approach and my common answer to student questions is “you have an iPad so ask Siri,” or “you have a chromebook, so ask google.” We then distribute material. Each group gets 9 mats and paint tape. The goal is for them to create a city which is going to serve as the track for programming the ollies.
To make the city, students need to:
Select a theme
Draw a map of the city
Scaling project to match the theme of the city
Creative poster with the name of the city
Programming without a computer (Writing Component)
Programming: conditional statements
Writing directions (work in progress)
Measurements: Conventional way and digital
List of apps to make measurements with the iPad
Programming competition
Programming: Conditional Statements
How to integrate meaningful writing experiences into the programming units is something that is new to me and in the experimental stages. I have experienced myself a few scenarios where we programmed without a computer. It was a fun and great experience that included oral and written communication and collaboration. Sadly, we did not get any printed resources and duplicating that experience has proven a challenge to say the least. I am not a language arts teacher and I am not a computer science teacher so planning these activities is not as logical and sequential as planning a science and math lesson.
First Conditional Statement Language Frame and Sample:
(1)If ____(noun) _____ (verb) ____(predicate), then _____ (noun)_____(verb) _______(predicate). If you hit the wall, then you go back and start over.
(2) If ___(noun)____(verb)___(predicate), then ____(noun)____(verb)___(predicate) else ___(noun)___(verb)____(predicate).
If you hit the wall, then you go back else keep going forward.
Second Conditional Statement Language Frame and Sample:
(1) If ____(noun)____ (past tense)___(predicate), then ____(noun) would ____(present) ___(predicate)
If you hit the wall, then you would go back and start over.
(2) If ___(noun)____(past tense)____(predicate), then ____(noun) would _____(present) ____(predicate) else _____(noun) _____(verb) ____(predicate).
If you hit the wall, then you would go back else keep going forward.
Programming
Directions: Write the commands to program a rock sorting machine. Read the vocabulary below to assist you.
Vocabulary
Sedimentary-a rock that is compacted or cemented together displaying stratification of different materials
Igneous Rock-rock that forms when magma cools and solidifies will usually display fractional crystallization
Metamorphic Rock-a rock that forms by heat, pressure, or chemical processes; it usually displays foliation
Directions: Using conditional statements if, then, else, write the instructions (program) for a machine to sort out the rocks in the box. Use the definitions above to make three categories for the rocks in the box (sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scaling Project
The goal for students is to select a picture that is related to their topic and scale the picture.
Vocabulary:
Axis (x and Y)
Coordinate (x , y)
Quadrant
Positive Number
Negative Number
Students need to select a picture that is related to their project’s theme (the theme of the city). Students will then draw a grid on the picture. It is imperative that the grid is drawn in squares not rectangles so that the scaling process is easier and the final product is proportional. You may want to ask students to make a Cornell-Style list of the vocabulary and the definitions. Once the grid and the vocabulary list are completed, we then apply the vocabulary by labeling the picture. Finally, they need to scale the picture. I make sure I explain to my students the difference between scaling and drawing. Sometimes, if needed, I cover everything except the one square or quadrant we are working on for them to understand the difference between drawing and scaling. It is crucial to emphasize the sign of each of the quadrants. It would be very beneficial for students as they plot coordinates and find the slope in pre-algebra and algebra.
When I start this project, first I have a simple track where students need to program the ollies to zig-zag in between the cones. This is my hook to get students excited about programing and the project. I make it a competition. We make 5 teams and we write down the names of the teams on the whiteboard. Every 15 minutes I ask students to write down their best time. If students try speed, they sacrifice accuracy on the turns and sometimes they do not finish the program. As far as formal instruction, I only tell students the name of the robots “Ollies” and that the app they need is already downloaded in the iPads. As a teacher it is imperative to understand how much support students are going to need as they complete the project so that we can scaffold. I like the Inquiry Approach and my common answer to student questions is “you have an iPad so ask Siri,” or “you have a chromebook, so ask google.” We then distribute material. Each group gets 9 mats and paint tape. The goal is for them to create a city which is going to serve as the track for programming the ollies.
To make the city, students need to:
Select a theme
Draw a map of the city
Scaling project to match the theme of the city
Creative poster with the name of the city
Programming without a computer (Writing Component)
Programming: conditional statements
Writing directions (work in progress)
Measurements: Conventional way and digital
List of apps to make measurements with the iPad
Programming competition
Programming: Conditional Statements
How to integrate meaningful writing experiences into the programming units is something that is new to me and in the experimental stages. I have experienced myself a few scenarios where we programmed without a computer. It was a fun and great experience that included oral and written communication and collaboration. Sadly, we did not get any printed resources and duplicating that experience has proven a challenge to say the least. I am not a language arts teacher and I am not a computer science teacher so planning these activities is not as logical and sequential as planning a science and math lesson.
First Conditional Statement Language Frame and Sample:
(1)If ____(noun) _____ (verb) ____(predicate), then _____ (noun)_____(verb) _______(predicate). If you hit the wall, then you go back and start over.
(2) If ___(noun)____(verb)___(predicate), then ____(noun)____(verb)___(predicate) else ___(noun)___(verb)____(predicate).
If you hit the wall, then you go back else keep going forward.
Second Conditional Statement Language Frame and Sample:
(1) If ____(noun)____ (past tense)___(predicate), then ____(noun) would ____(present) ___(predicate)
If you hit the wall, then you would go back and start over.
(2) If ___(noun)____(past tense)____(predicate), then ____(noun) would _____(present) ____(predicate) else _____(noun) _____(verb) ____(predicate).
If you hit the wall, then you would go back else keep going forward.
Programming
Directions: Write the commands to program a rock sorting machine. Read the vocabulary below to assist you.
Vocabulary
Sedimentary-a rock that is compacted or cemented together displaying stratification of different materials
Igneous Rock-rock that forms when magma cools and solidifies will usually display fractional crystallization
Metamorphic Rock-a rock that forms by heat, pressure, or chemical processes; it usually displays foliation
Directions: Using conditional statements if, then, else, write the instructions (program) for a machine to sort out the rocks in the box. Use the definitions above to make three categories for the rocks in the box (sedimentary, igneous, metamorphic)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Scaling Project
The goal for students is to select a picture that is related to their topic and scale the picture.
Vocabulary:
Axis (x and Y)
Coordinate (x , y)
Quadrant
Positive Number
Negative Number
Students need to select a picture that is related to their project’s theme (the theme of the city). Students will then draw a grid on the picture. It is imperative that the grid is drawn in squares not rectangles so that the scaling process is easier and the final product is proportional. You may want to ask students to make a Cornell-Style list of the vocabulary and the definitions. Once the grid and the vocabulary list are completed, we then apply the vocabulary by labeling the picture. Finally, they need to scale the picture. I make sure I explain to my students the difference between scaling and drawing. Sometimes, if needed, I cover everything except the one square or quadrant we are working on for them to understand the difference between drawing and scaling. It is crucial to emphasize the sign of each of the quadrants. It would be very beneficial for students as they plot coordinates and find the slope in pre-algebra and algebra.