Objective:

Students will practice counting and pattern recognition by creating visual patterns and sequences using physical objects. Through this activity, students will develop foundational computational thinking skills such as recognizing patterns, organizing data, and testing and refining their creations.

Materials Needed:

• Blocks, counters, or small toys (in different colors or shapes)

• Chart paper or whiteboard for group discussion

• Markers for drawing patterns

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Begin the lesson by asking, "How do we see patterns in the world around us?" 

  • Discuss examples such as stripes on clothes or tiles on a floor, highlighting how patterns repeat and help us understand the world. 

  • Use blocks to demonstrate a simple alternating red-blue pattern, counting each block aloud with the class. 

  • Explain that just like patterns help us understand objects in real life, computers use patterns and sequences to organize and process data.

• Group Activity:

  • Divide students into small groups and provide each group with physical objects, such as counters, blocks, or toys. 

  • Explain that their task is to create a repeating pattern using the objects. This might involve alternating colors (e.g., red-blue-red-blue) or alternating shapes (e.g., circle-square-circle-square). 

  • Encourage students to count the objects as they place them, recognizing the repeated sequence as part of a computational process, similar to how algorithms identify patterns in data.

• Creating Patterns:

  • Have students begin arranging their objects into simple patterns. 

  • Ask questions like, "What comes next in your pattern?" and "How many objects do you have so far?" 

  • Explain that their pattern is similar to a computer algorithm, where a rule (e.g., alternate red and blue) is followed to create a structured output. 

  • Emphasize that organizing data in patterns helps both people and computers process information more efficiently.

• Testing and Refining:

  • Once students complete their patterns, ask them to check their work by counting the objects and reviewing whether the pattern repeats correctly. 

  • Encourage them to refine their work if needed, by adding or removing objects to improve the consistency of their pattern. 

  • Explain that this process mirrors debugging in computer science, where programmers test and refine their code to ensure it functions as expected.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Each group will present their pattern to the class, explaining how they created it and how they ensured it repeated properly. 

  • Lead a discussion on how patterns help organize objects and numbers, and relate this to how computers rely on patterns and sequences to process data. 

  • Draw connections between the students' work and real-world computer science concepts, such as pattern recognition in algorithms.

Equity and Access:

Offer different types of manipulatives for students who may need additional support, such as blocks of varying colors, shapes, or sizes. Encourage students to work together, allowing those who may struggle with creating patterns to get help from their peers.

Real-World Application:

Discuss how patterns are used in everyday life, such as in floor tiling, clothing design, or organizing books on a shelf. Relate these examples to how computers use pattern recognition to solve problems in fields like data science or machine learning, helping students understand the practical applications of computational thinking outside the classroom.

CS Practice(s):

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students recognize the problem of organizing objects into a repeating pattern and solve it by arranging physical objects in a logical sequence.

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students create and test their physical patterns, modeling how computers generate outputs by following specific rules (algorithms).

• Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts: Students test and refine their patterns by checking for consistency and ensuring the sequence repeats accurately, similar to debugging in coding.

Content Standard(s):

• CA CCSS Mathematics K.CC.4, K.CC.5

• CA CS K-2.DA.8, K-2.DA.9, K-2.AP.12 

Counting with Digital Patterns

Objective:

Students will practice counting and pattern recognition by using ScratchJr or another coding platform to create digital patterns and sequences. Through this activity, students will develop computational thinking skills by learning how to count objects, organize them into patterns, and use basic coding to represent and repeat these patterns.

Materials Needed:

• Tablets or computers

• Physical objects for counting (e.g., blocks or counters)

• Chart paper for pattern and counting review

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Start by asking, "Where do we see patterns in our everyday life?" Discuss examples like stripes on clothes, tiles on floors, or designs in nature. 

  • Use physical objects, such as blocks, to demonstrate a simple alternating pattern (e.g., red-blue-red-blue), and count the objects with the class. 

  • Explain that today, students will create their own patterns using digital tools in ScratchJr, connecting what they’ve seen in the real world to how computers use patterns to process information.

• Group Activity:

  • Divide students into small groups and introduce them to ScratchJr. 

  • Explain that they will use the app to create patterns with digital objects, such as animals or shapes. 

  • First, students will practice counting objects on the screen and then use blocks of code to repeat these objects in a pattern (e.g., alternating animals or colors).

• Creating and Coding:

  • Demonstrate how to drag and drop coding blocks in ScratchJr to create a sequence. 

  • For example, show how to place a dog, then a cat, and repeat the sequence using loops. 

  • Encourage students to create their own patterns using different objects or colors, thinking about how to arrange the objects in a logical order.

• Testing and Refining:

  • Have students test their patterns by running the code in ScratchJr, checking if the objects appear in the correct sequence and quantity. 

  • Ask them to think like computer programmers by reviewing their work and fixing any issues with the order, number of objects, or repetition. 

  • Give students time to adjust their patterns and refine their digital creations to ensure accuracy.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Each group will present their digital pattern to the class, explaining how they used counting and coding to create and repeat the sequence. 

  • Lead a discussion about how patterns help with counting and grouping, and how technology, like ScratchJr, helps us visualize and understand math concepts such as repetition and organization. 

  • Emphasize how computers and coding use patterns to solve real-world problems.

Equity and Access:

Offer printed pattern guides or physical objects for students who may need additional support before moving to the digital activity. Encourage peer support, where students can collaborate and share ideas, ensuring all students can engage in the activity at their own pace.

Real-World Application:

Connect the activity to real-world examples of patterns, such as designing clothing, arranging groceries, or organizing bookshelves. Relate these examples to how computational thinking and pattern recognition are used in fields like design, architecture, and even data analysis, helping students see how coding and math apply beyond the classroom.

CS Practice(s):

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students create digital patterns using ScratchJr, practicing early coding concepts like sequencing and loops.

• Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts: Students test their ScratchJr projects and make adjustments to improve their patterns and counting accuracy.

Content Standard(s):

• CA CCSS Mathematics K.CC.4, K.CC.5

• CA CS K-2.DA.8, K-2.DA.9, K-2.AP.12