Big Idea:

Writing codes to describe paths on a grid

Expectations:

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

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

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

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

• Location and Movement: E1.4 give and follow multi step instructions involving movement from one location to another, including distances and half‐ and quarter‐turns

teacher background

Students may benefit from prior experience with:

• describing relative position using positional language (e.g., beside, above, below, left, right)

• identifying transformations (i.e., slides/translations, flips/reflections, turns/rotations)

• describing location and routes on a grid, considering perspective

• using mathematical language to describe a series of steps

Go on a gallery walk to see the different obstacle courses created. If time permits, place some of the courses at a Math Centre for students to try.

Have students share the strategies they used to check a code (e.g., moving a finger along the path, or visualizing the movements of the arrow).

Ensure students understand that the codes should focus on movement from square to square, not on counting squares.

Discuss the types of codes (pathways) that are more straightforward (e.g., those that go for longer stretches without changing direction) and those that are more complicated (e.g., those with more zigzag movements).

To allow students to show what they have learned in this lesson, go to the Exit Ticket and/or Practice. (Log into your Mathology / Mathologie account to access)

Highlight for Students

• Steps must be followed in the correct order to get the desired outcome. Sometimes steps can be switched without affecting the outcome.

• Codes include a command word, a direction, and an amount (e.g., translate 3 squares right).

Accommodations: Provide students with arrow cutouts that they can manipulate on the grid. Or provide a direction key showing up, down, left, and right to remind students of directional terms.

Extension: Place more Colour Tiles on the grid to create a more difficult obstacle course.

All assessments, in the moment feedback/prompts, and independent tasks can be accessed by logging into your Mathology/Mathologie account.

SEL Self-Assessments (English) and Teacher Rubric

Log in to your Mathology.ca / Mathologie.ca account to access Intervention and Extension activities, Professional Learning Videos and Assessment tools.