"Dancing to code"

Big Ideas:

1. Locations can be described using positional language, maps, and grids.

2. Slides and flips are transformations that change the position of a shape and possibly its orientation, but they do not change its size and shape.

Expectations:

Algebra

• C3. Coding - solve problems and create computational representations of mathematical situations using coding concepts and skills

  • C3.1 solve problems and create computational representations of mathematical situations by writing and executing code, including code that involves sequential and concurrent events

  • C3.2 read and alter existing code, including code that involves sequential and concurrent events, and describe how changes to the code affect the outcomes

Spatial sense

• E1. Geometric and Spatial Reasoning describe and represent shape, location, and movement by applying geometric properties and spatial relationships in order to navigate the world around them

  • E1.4 create and interpret simple maps of familiar places

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills in Mathematics and the Mathematical Processes

• A1. Throughout this grade, in order to promote a positive identity as a math learner, to foster well-being and the ability to learn, build resilience, and thrive, students will apply, to the best of their ability, a variety of social-emotional learning skills to support their use of the mathematical processes and their learning in connection with the expectations in the other five strands of the mathematics curriculum.

In this lesson, to the best of their ability, students will learn to maintain positive motivation and perseverance and build relationships and communicate effectively as they apply the mathematical process problem solving (develop, select, and apply problem-solving strategies), reflecting (demonstrate that as they solve problems, they are pausing, looking back, and monitoring their thinking to help clarify their understanding (e.g., by comparing and adjusting strategies used, by explaining why they think their results are reasonable, by recording their thinking in a math journal)), communicating (express and understand mathematical thinking, and engage in mathematical arguments using everyday language, language resources as necessary, appropriate mathematical terminology, a variety of representations, and mathematical conventions), and representing (select from and create a variety of representations of mathematical ideas (e.g., representations involving physical models, pictures, numbers, variables, graphs), and apply them to solve problems) so they can recognize that testing out different approaches to problems and learning from mistakes is an important part of the learning process, and is aided by a sense of optimism and hope, and work collaboratively on math problems – expressing their thinking, listening to the thinking of others, and practising inclusivity – and in that way fostering healthy relationships.

Divide students into teams.

Provide students with the text with written directions.

(written directions and coding cards in resource section)

(Virtual version)

• Tell the students that you want to transfer these written directions as a program.

• Have the students cut out and select cards that are located under the text and that they try to duplicate the instructions.

• Review the results as a group and ask the students questions to get them to verbalize how they selected their cards and how they placed their cards.

• Review the concept of a loop and show students the symbol used for the loop.(The loop is a directive that allows an instruction or a block of instructions to repeat.) E.G.:

• Tell the students that they are going to work as a team to create their dance sequence.

• Invite students in the class to choose among 10 dances (e.g., students can choose “the twist, hip hop and floss” etc. to create their dance sequence).

• Make sure students know the names of their chosen dances.

Dance sequence cards (PDF)

Dance sequence cards (Google)

• Each dance must contain a minimum of 4 movements.

• Watch this series of dances for inspiration

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ9q4U2P3ig

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WnI4UNgSaY

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imhi98dHa5w

• Invite the students to regroup again.

• Have them choose cards and create a dance set with the dances they selected.

• Tell the students that their dance sequence must contain a minimum of one loop.

• Select the number of times the sequence should be repeated and place the poster next to the chosen dance.

• Invite teams to complete the sequence of other teams.

When the students have circulated and completed a few dance sequences, group your students together for a math congress.

Ask them if the dance sequences were easy to do?

Were some dance sequences more difficult? Why?

Do you think certain dance sequences should be changed? Why?

What do you think makes a sequence interesting to do?

Following the math conversation, assign a dance sequence to teams in addition to the one they created.

Have teams change the sequence by adding or removing directional cards.

Then ask the teams to redo their newly modified sequence.

Interview the teams by asking the following question:

• What has changed in your initial sequence?

• What do you think of the changes?

• Following the changes made, what would you do as changes if you had to create a new dance sequence?

• Lay out the teams' dance sequences.

• Exchange the photos with the other 2nd grade classes.

• Send some programmers to other classes so they can demonstrate the dance moves.

• Ask the other classes to reproduce the sequences.

• Ask the other classes to complete the sequences during times of Daily Physical Activity.

Photos of the dance sequences can be sent home so the whole family can have fun dancing a set of dance sequences that the students have “programmed”.

Create a timeline with a few repetitive dances that remain popular over the years.

Here is an example of a team’s dance code.

The Coded Chicken Dance

Opportunities for Assessment

Set up the teams' dance sequences.

When teams verbalize their dance sequence, you can record or film the students as additional evidence of learning.

When the teacher provides interview time with the team discussing the change in their sequence, be sure to record what the students are going to say to see if they accurately determine any changes brought to their dance sequence.

SEL Student Self-Assessment FRENCH / ENGLISH SEL Teacher Rubric

Lesson plan for Distance Educators