Objective: 

Students will create visual art that tells a simple story using patterns of shapes and colors. They will develop and follow an algorithm—a step-by-step set of instructions—to organize and repeat elements in their artwork, applying computational thinking.

Materials Needed: 

• Colored paper
  Glue

• Markers

• Construction paper

• Scissors

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Introduce the concept of an algorithm as a set of step-by-step instructions that computers follow to solve problems or complete tasks. 

  • Explain that students will create a simple story using patterns of shapes and colors, and they will follow an algorithm to organize their artwork. 

  • For example, an algorithm could be "Add a sun, then add a tree, then repeat."

• Group Activity: 

  • In pairs, students will brainstorm a simple story (e.g., a day at the park or animals in the forest) and decide which shapes and colors will represent different parts of their story. 

  • Then, they will identify a simple algorithm (e.g., "Place a yellow circle for the sun, then a green triangle for the tree, and repeat").

• Creating the Artwork: 

  • Following their algorithm, students will cut out shapes and arrange them in a sequence on construction paper to tell their story. 

  • Encourage them to test their algorithm by checking if the pattern repeats correctly and adjusting as needed.

• Presentation: 

  • Each group will present their artwork to the class, explaining how they used their algorithm to organize the shapes and patterns in their story. 

  • Encourage students to describe the steps of their algorithm and how it helped them create a consistent pattern.

Equity and Access: 

Provide pre-cut shapes and additional materials for students needing assistance with fine motor skills. Pair students with varying abilities to support collaboration.

Real-World Connection: 

Understanding and following algorithms is essential in everyday life, such as following a recipe when cooking or completing a step-by-step process in building something, just as computers follow algorithms to perform tasks like displaying websites or running apps.

CS Practice(s): 

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students create and follow a step-by-step algorithm to design their artwork.

Standard(s): 

• CA Arts K.VA:Cr3

• CA Arts K.VA:Cn10

• CA CS K-2.AP.10

Objective: 

Students will use Scratch Jr. or another coding platform to create a simple animation of a character dancing to music, using coding blocks to repeat sequences and apply abstraction through movements.

Materials Needed: 

Tablets or computers 

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Begin by discussing how dance is a form of art that uses patterns of movement. 

  • Show a short dance video and explain that students will create a digital dancer using Scratch Jr. 

  • They will code their character to repeat a dance pattern and then use their bodies to replicate the dance moves.

• Group Activity: 

  • In pairs, students will open the coding platform and select a character. 

  • They will use coding blocks to create a dance sequence, such as “jump, turn, clap,” and use a repeat block to make the dance repeat.

• Creating and Coding: 

  • Encourage students to experiment with different movements and repeat patterns in their code. 

  • They can also add music to enhance the dance.

• Presentation and Testing: 

  • Once finished, students will share their animated dances with the class. 

  • Discuss how they used coding to make their character repeat the dance, just like a choreographer uses patterns in dance.

Equity and Access: 

Provide pre-made coding templates with basic dance moves for students needing extra support. Pair students with diverse coding skills to ensure collaboration.

Real-World Connection: 

Coding dance sequences mirrors how animators and game developers use algorithms and loops to create repeated actions, such as characters moving or performing routines in video games and animated films.

CS Practice(s): 

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students use a platform. to design and code an animated dance.

• Developing and Using Abstractions: Students break down complex dance routines into simple, repeatable movements through coding.

Standard(s): 

• CA Arts K.DA.Cr1

• CA Arts K.DA:Pr5

• CA Arts K.DA:Re7

• CA Arts K.DA:Cn11

• CA CS K-2.AP.10

• CA CS K-2.AP.12

• CA CS K-2.AP.13