Progress Outcome 2

for Year 2-3

Learning Outcomes for PO2

To be able to facilitate students' learning in PO2, you need to be able to do the following things yourself:

  • Explain and illustrate relevant terminology for this progress outcome (e.g. What is a sequence?).
  • Identify authentic age-appropriate task contexts and programming environments (e.g. "Scratch Junior" or "Scratch").
  • Identify suitable end-users (e.g. students of a similar age or younger than your students) for tasks.
  • Provide simple computerised problems, in addition to non-computerised problems, which allow for learners to decompose these problems into algorithms.
  • Give, follow and debug simple algorithms in a range of contexts.
  • Use simple algorithms to create simple programs involving outputs and sequencing (putting instructions one after the other).

As you work through the tasks, take time to think about how they might be reproduced, adapted, or re-purposed for your own learners.

To complete all tasks in this module should take around 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Task 1: Familiarise yourself with the terminology for PO2

To explain and illustrate the relevant terminology for PO2 to your students, you will first need to understand it yourself and then reformulate the explanations to suit the age and stage of your students.

  1. Watch the interactive video explaining PO2 terminology
  2. Follow the links below to learn and practise the terminology on Quizlet and in a crossword puzzle. These steps are optional if you are able to confidently convey the concepts behind the terminology in the video.
  3. Reflect on your learning so far and jot down notes to use in your terminology video started in PO1 Task 3. You will be adding to your terminology video in Task 5.

Watch the video below to familiarise yourself with the concepts for PO2. Feel free to pause, rewind or skip as necessary!

Click on the Quizlet logo above to review the terminology in PO2.


Click on the logo above to do the Crossword.

Task 1 should take about 15 minutes to complete.

Task 2: Familiarise yourself with Scratch

For students to be able to use simple algorithms to create simple programs involving outputs and sequencing (putting instructions one after the other), they need to become familiar enough with Scratch to do so.

If your context allows, you could also use Scratch Jr., but it is currently not compatible with all devices. In a BYOD context, that is important to take into account, as it may exclude some students or necessitate duplication of resources in both Scratch and Scratch Jr.

  1. Watch the tutorial video and follow the task-sheet instructions to create a simple program.
  2. Experiment with the functions introduced in the video in a new project.
  3. Share your project on the Google+ Community.

Watch the video below to learn the basics of Scratch

Task 2 should take about 30 minutes to complete. If you are a beginner using Scratch you will need to allow more time.

Task 3: Animate letters on Scratch

Students need to be able to break down simple, computerised tasks on Scratch into precise, unambiguous, step-by-step instructions (algorithms) and use these to create simple programs involving outputs and sequencing.

To practise creating simple programs, you are going to first animate a letter and then develop the idea further, also using the learning from Task 2, to make this into a useful product for use in class.

  1. Follow the task-sheet instructions to create a simple program containing animated letters.
  2. Experiment with the functions, introduced in the task-sheet in a new project and create a teaching resource for your classroom e.g. introduce a difficult spelling word using animated letters and a matching sprite.
  3. Share your project on the Google+ Community.

Click the picture below to view the task-sheet.

Task 3 should take about 30 minutes to complete. If you are a beginner using Scratch you will need to allow more time.

Task 4: Debug an Algorithm

Students need to be able to test algorithms to identify and fix errors within these. This task practises the process of debugging i.e. correcting algorithms using a simple paper based task.

  1. Follow the task-sheet instructions to practise debugging an algorithm.
  2. Share ideas for practising debugging simple algorithms on the Google+ Community.

Click the picture below to view the task-sheet.

Task 4 should take about 15 minutes to complete.

Task 5: Expand your terminology video with learning from PO2

Continue expanding the terminology explanations in your video, using the learning from PO2. The focus is on reformulating the explanations to suit the age and stage of your students.

From PO3-5 you will only be reminded to continue adding to this video rather than having it included as a separate task. The intention is to share your terminology videos on the Google+ Community. If your teaching context does not include all PO's, just finish your video at the appropriate level. You may want to continue your own learning, beyond what you need to be able to teach.

Click the picture below to view the task-sheet.

Image Source: forums.techsoup.org

Task 5 should take about 30 minutes to complete.

PO2 Self-Assessment

Below is a cloze text to identify the missing concepts for what needs to be learned in PO2. Once you get 100%, note down the unused words. You will need them to complete the Google Form below and receive your certificate for PO2.