Big Idea:

Coding with coins

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

  • 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

Financial Literacy

• F1. demonstrate an understanding of the value of Canadian currency

  • F1.1 identify different ways of representing the same amount of money up to Canadian 200¢ using various combinations of coins, and up to $200 using various combinations of $1 and $2 coins and $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills

Spatial Sense

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

  • E1.5 describe the relative positions of several objects and the movements needed to get from one object to another

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, 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)), 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), 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 make connections between math and everyday contexts to help them make informed judgements and decisions, and 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.

teacher background

Prior Learning:

• Read alouds using positional language or maps.

• Familiarizing the class with aerial street views of the community using Google Maps Satellite views.

• Exploring the National Geographic for Kids website to look at the following maps:

• https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/mapping-classroom/

• https://www.nationalgeographic.org/maps/park-map/

• https://www.nationalgeographic.org/maps/neighborhood-map/

• https://www.nationalgeographic.org/maps/community-map/

• Understanding of a grid, sequential movement on a grid to get from one point to another.

• Understanding of transferring code onto grid paper (10x10).

Pair up 2 groups together and have them explain/compare their code to each other.

As a class gather on the perimeter of the carpet and have groups test their code (if codes for paired groups are the same, have them test it together)

Find and reflect on any debugging that might have to take place (a part of the code doesn't work and an alternative must be discussed)

Talk about their learning:

• What worked for them? (e.g.adding certain coins together is easier as a strategy)

• What could be done better? (eg. less steps in their sequence)

• What did you notice?

• What was the same, what was different?

For example:

• that every coding sequence got them to the 75 cents marker even if the sequence is different

• that there could be a link between the most efficient (the least amount of lines of code) coding sequence and the fact that the money represented by these coins has a higher value

Build in opportunities to offer peer feedback to each other and reflect on how their work connected to the success criteria.

(25 minutes)

Opportunities for Differentiation

• Money and manipulatives to count if needed

• Students can use less or more coins.

• Students can explore the longest and the shortest routes in their code.

• Early finishers can use a different object with a different price and write a code for purchasing that object.

• Increase the number of objects and pricing to include coins and bills.

• Reduce the price of the one object and use less coins.

Opportunities for Assessment

• Conversations with the groups to gather anecdotal and written observations.

• Samples of the group and individual grids

• Success criteria checklists with the educator's categories of assessment such as “met”, “yet to”

• Student self-assessment sheet

SEL Self-Assessments (English) and Teacher Rubric

• Ask: "How can you write your code using the longest or shortest route?"

• Create centres where students can code using plugged coding materials such as coding mice or robots.

• Have student groups design an obstacle course to their shopping grid and challenge each other to code based on their group’s grid.

• Students could translate their code into a program such as Scratch

• Use BeeBots or Dash to move through the code sequence