Grade 2: "Coding for the Squirrel"

(From: OAME)
3 Day Lesson:Part 1: 100 minutesPart 2: 100 minutesPart 3: 4 x 100 minutes (create and present)

Click Here: Printable Lesson Plan

On a computer? Click "file" then "make a copy" to save and make changes.

On an iPad? Select the 3 dots in the top right hand corner. "Share and Export" then "Make a Copy".

Content

Big Idea(s):

Extend a number pattern.

Add multiple numbers.

Share a quantity of objects.

Create a forest plan according to specific instructions.

Code directional steps with devices according to the plan created.

Expectations:

Algebra

C3. 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

C1. identify, describe, extend, create, and make predictions about a variety of patterns, including those found in real-life contexts
- C1.3 determine pattern rules and use them to extend patterns, make and justify predictions, and identify missing elements in patterns represented with shapes and numbers

Number

B2. use knowledge of numbers and operations to solve mathematical problems encountered in everyday life
- B2.4 use objects, diagrams, and equations to represent, describe, and solve situations involving addition and subtraction of whole numbers that add up to no more than 100
- B2.6 represent division of up to 12 items as the equal sharing of a quantity, and solve related problems, using various tools and drawings

B1. Number Sense: demonstrate an understanding of numbers and make connections to the way numbers are used in everyday life

B1.6 use drawings to represent, solve, and compare the results of fair-share problems that involve sharing up to

10 items among 2, 3, 4, and 6 sharers, including problems that result in whole numbers, mixed numbers, and

fractional amounts

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 recognize sources of stress and cope with challenges, maintain positive motivation and perseverance, build relationships and communicate effectively, and think critically and creatively as they apply the mathematical processes 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)), selecting tools and strategies (select and use a variety of concrete, visual, and electronic learning tools and appropriate strategies to investigate mathematical ideas and to solve problems), and reasoning and proving (develop and apply reasoning skills (e.g., classification, recognition of relationships, use of counter-examples) to justify thinking, make and investigate conjectures, and construct and defend arguments), so they can work through challenging math problems, understanding that their resourcefulness in using various strategies to respond to stress is helping them build personal resilience, 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, so they can work collaboratively on math problems – expressing their thinking, listening to the thinking of others, and practising inclusivity – and in that way fostering healthy relationships, and so they can make connections between math and everyday contexts to help them make informed judgements and decisions.

Learning Goals

We want students to...

to recognize and extend a number pattern.
to use mathematical objects or tools to calculate the sum of several numbers.
to select and use various mathematical tools in order to share a quantity of objects equitable
to solve a problem using coding skills.

Success Criteria

I can...

determine the rule in order to extend a number pattern.
choose an effective tool or strategy to add up multiple numbers.
choose an effective tool or strategy that will allow me to share a quantity of objects in a fair way.
write code that will be executed by an electronic device.

Materials

For the acorn counting / acorn sharing part:
Base10 material, a 100 grid, Rekenrek, unit cubes, number lines
For the acorn hiding place in the forest:
Depending on the options available to you at your school,
iPads, Dash, Sphero, Bee Bot, Scratch.
Large sheets of gridded flipchart paper
Markers
Mathematic Journal
PDF version of Split, the Squirrel

Vocabulary

Fair / Fair Share
Code
Up
Down
Left
Right

teacher background

Prior Learning:

Make sure students understand the meaning of the word fair.

Beforehand, represent a few small amount sharing contexts. (e.g., 12 cards between three students). Ask students: Is this a fair share? Why? (e.g., 15 cards between four students) Is it a fair share? Why?

This can be modelled in the following way. Have 3 students share 12 cards between themselves. Then have them share 15 cards. Have them talk about what they notice? Have them explain - Which is fair and why?

Regardless of what coding program or tool you have and plan to use for the lesson, make sure students are familiar with block programming and know the basics of block programming.

Beforehand, a few small lessons in the form of centers will have to be planned in order to familiarize the pupils with this particular type of programming.

Students should know the terminology associated with directions (up, down, left, right).

Pedagogy

Minds On

Read Day one and two of the story “Split, the Squirrel”.

As you read, ask the students the questions in the bubbles to stimulate their previous knowledge and make connections with their experiences.

Note student comments and observations.

PDF version of Split, the Squirrel

Action!

Day 1

In the story, students must find the two missing terms in the numerical pattern.

Once students have determined the number sequence pattern, they should select a tool that will allow them to find the two missing terms.

They will then have to help Split the squirrel count all of his acorns.

Tell students that they will need to be thoughtful, that they will need to be creative and daring because they will have to add several numbers using the mathematical tools at their disposal.

The students choose their tool(s) and record their calculations on the sheet of chart paper.

Create a gallery walk:

When the students have finished their calculations, ask them to move around to check the other students’ strategies to add the acorns.

Ask students to return to their seats when they have analyzed some of their classmates' work.

Next, discuss effective strategies in a math congress:

List questions that will help guide their observations:

Was there a classmate who used the same tools or the same strategies as you?
Is the sum the same for everyone?

Which tool or which strategy seems effective? Why?

Opportunities for Assessment

Day 1:

Take a picture of the students' work.

(individual task)

Opportunities for Differentiation

Originally the task is scheduled for Split to find 5 more acorns each day than the previous day.

If necessary differentiate the task by modifying the number of acorns.

Teacher Moves: Day 1

The teacher circulates and asks the students questions:

What do you notice about the quantities of acorns collected from day to day? (it’s always 5 acorns more than the day before)
Is there a tool or strategy that can help you extend the number pattern? (e.g., tools: 100 grid, Rekenrek, number line, money ... strategy: skip counting)

For students who have a good programming background, you can ask them to code the numerical sequence.

Here is an example of programming a student could use with Scratch.

Adding total acorns

Possible questions:

Why did you choose this tool or strategy to perform your calculations? (These tools allow me to skip count easily).
Can you group some numbers together to make your calculations easier?

How can you group them together?

If some students are clear about how they grouped the numbers, praise the student for their thinking process and how well they communicate their thinking.

For Example:

E.g., To help me count, I grouped the 5 and 35 together to form the number 40.

To help me count, I grouped the 10 and 15 together to make the number 25.

And I know that 25 + 25 = 50.

To help me count, I added the tens together, then the ones and added the 2 numbers.

For students who have a good background in programming, you can ask them to code the total of acorns.

Here is an example of programming a student could use with Scratch.

Day 2

Divide students into teams.

Remind the students that they will have to work together to divide the amount of acorns, because Split wants to share his harvest with his three friends. You may want to re-read this part of the story.

Tell the students that the sharing must be fair between the 4 squirrels.

Following a team discussion, the students select the mathematical tools that will allow them to share the quantity fairly.

When the students have finished sharing the amount of acorns, ask them to pair with another team to compare their strategies.

Then, do a math congress.

Here are some questions that will help guide their observations:

Is there a classmate who used the same tools or the same strategies as you?
Is the final answer the same for everyone?
Is the quantity fair for all squirrels?

Discuss with the students, asking them if they think the number of nuts each squirrel gets will be enough to get through the winter? How do you know? Why do you think so?

Opportunities for Assessment

Day 2

Take pictures of the teams' work.

(collaborative work)

Teacher moves: Day 2

The teacher circulates to check if the teams are progressing well. Ask a few questions to get them thinking or to get them to justify their choices.

How are you going to share the amount of acorns?

Possible strategies for sharing:

Example 1

Some teams choose at the beginning to count a quantity of 140 objects and then divide the quantity into four groups.

(Since the quantity is large, we would like the students not to do 1 to 1 correspondence but rather groupings such as sharing 10 or 20 at a time to each squirrel then 5 each for the rest).

You can ask students the following questions:

How are you going to make sure you counted the right amount?
Do you think this strategy is effective? Why?
How are you going to make sure the acorns are shared fairly?
How are you going to make sure all the acorns have been distributed?

Possible strategy: Example 2

Some teams choose to colour in four different colours the numbers using two grids of 100,.

You can ask the students the following questions:

What do your colours represent?
How do you know at what intervals you should colour the numbers with a specific colour?
With the choice of this strategy, how do you know that you will have distributed all the acorns?
How can you determine if each squirrel will receive the same amount of acorns?

Possible strategy: Example 3

Do you think this strategy is effective? Why?
How are you going to make sure the acorns are shared fairly?
How are you going to make sure all the acorns have been distributed?

Day 3

Read the rest of the story (day 3) of Split the squirrel.

Tell the students:

"Split needs you to view this map of his forest. Can you suggest four safe places to hide the supplies? Give it to him in a coding / programming language so that only he understands - just in case another squirrel finds the instructions!"

Divide the students into teams.

The team members are now the super programmers.

Have the teams create a map of the forest on large sheets of grid paper, clearly identifying the trees for the four squirrels.

Specify to the teams that there must be obstacles in the forest that they will have to place in their plan (stream, tree trunk, predator burrow ...) because they want to make the acorns hard to find without the map.

When the plan is created, students should identify the location of the four hiding places.

Connected coding hardware:

Distribute the necessary materials so that the students can code the four moves necessary to go and hide the acorns for Split, Splash, Splout and Spot.

If you have equipment such as the Beebot, Ozobot, Sphero, Dash or We do, these can act as the squirrels that will have to make the scheduled moves.

Video: how to move the characters

Students can also choose to write travel scenarios using Scratch.

Here is a possible Scratch scenario for Split’s coded moves using Scratch.

(Students can leave traces of this scenario in their math journal).

Note: If you do not have any equipment plugged in at your school, you can run this activity unplugged:

Have the students draw the map of the forest on a piece of gridded flipchart paper or have them use tape to make a giant grid of 100 squares.

Example of working in unplugged mode

Example of a forest plan

With the plan in the mathematics journal:

The teams will need to identify the locations of the four trees. They will have to use objects on the grid to simulate the obstacles,
and they will have to identify the locations of the four hiding places.
They will then have to write the moves in their math journal.

Opportunities for Assessment

Day 3

Collect math journals to analyze the written moves for each squirrel.

Teacher Moves: Day 3

At the start of the task, the teacher goes around and checks whether the team members know their roles or have shared the work so they all understand what to do.

Ask students the following questions:

How will you share the task so that each member can participate in the success of the task?

The teacher goes around and checks if the teams are successful in the programming stages.

Since the teams will be testing the moves, you will be able to see if the moves are effective.

Based on your observations, ask the teams the following questions:

What can you change in your code to get around the obstacles?

What can you change in your code to make sure the squirrel arrives at the final destination of the hiding place?

How do you know that the acorns are well hidden?

Does every programmer have the chance to share their ideas?

Consolidation Of Learning

Online coding lesson (plugged)

Group your students in a circle in the classroom or in a location in the school that demonstrates the movements of the squirrels (robots) to their hiding places.

During the demonstration, the programmers dictate to the other students the movements made by Split, Spot, Sploush and Splat.

Students attending the demonstration analyze the location of the hideout and confirm if the location is safe by giving feedback to the programmers.

Lesson in disconnected mode (unplugged)

Group your students in a circle around the 100 grid of the presenting team. The programmers choose four students from the class. The programmers dictate to the students the movements made for each of the squirrels to their place for storing the acorns. Students attending the demonstration analyze the location of the hideout and confirm if the location is safe by giving feedback to the programmers.

Supports for student learning

Opportunities for differentiation are embedded throughout the 3 day lesson plan.

Assessment

Opportunities for assessment

In connected mode:

During consolidation, the teacher notes on an observation grid how the programmers dictate the movements of the squirrels to hide their acorns.

In unplugged mode:

The teacher notes how the “computer” performs movements dictated by the programmer.

The teacher notes the precision with which the programmers order the movements to be carried out.

SEL Self-Assessments (English) and Teacher Rubric

Extension

You can modify or continue the lesson by differentiating the patterns from Day 1 to produce different blocks in coding. You ask the same questions as in the initial lesson. For example:

How long does the squirrel have to work:

If it starts on day 1 and collects 2 more acorns each day, you get a number pattern of 1, 3, 5, 7, 9,. . . (odd numbers) The daily acorn total is really interesting, 1, 4, 9, 16 ,. . . (the square numbers).

Now if you do the same pattern, but the squirrel starts with 2 on the first day. . 2, 4, 6, 8,10, (even numbers) See their daily totals: 2, 6, 12, 21. (They relate to square numbers).

As a culminating challenge, you can do the doubling pattern. By this time, they should be able to modify the original counting code to double numbers.

You can create the program to do the counting numbers one and then the students would have to modify it to make it do the other patterns which would teach them number theory, algebra, arithmetic, patterning and sharing. Here is one way to do it.

Another possibility: How long would it take for the squirrel to collect enough acorns for himself and a friend, nine friends? (Now you count by 2 and 10.) If four friends helped? What if four friends help using different patterns?

Depending on your assessment needs, you can ask the students to program the moves for the plan of a forest that you have created. This would allow you to accumulate more observations.

The teacher can also give the following scenario to the students:

Spot, Sploush, and Splash want to go to their friend Split's tree to help him collect more acorns. Code the movements of the three squirrels.

Here is some information that might help guide the answer related to the end of the squirrel story:

LINK 1

LINK 2

Technology

Back to Grade 2 Lessons

Page updated

Report abuse