Objective:

Students will observe and describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive by exploring their environment. This hands-on activity will help students identify common survival needs, such as air, water, food, and shelter, while making connections between living organisms and their environment. Students use computational thinking skills such as recognizing patterns and categorizing data.

Materials Needed:

• Chart paper or whiteboard for recording observations

• Markers for drawing and writing

• Nature walk or access to classroom plants and animals (e.g., classroom pet, plants)

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Ask students, "What do living things need to survive?" Discuss how all living things—plants, animals, and humans—need air, water, food, and shelter. 

  • List these survival needs on the board, explaining that students will observe these needs in the world around them.

• Group Activity (Nature Walk or Classroom Observation):

  • Take students on a nature walk around the school or have them observe classroom plants and animals. 

  • Encourage them to look for patterns in how plants and animals get their needs met.

  •  For example, they might notice that plants need sunlight and water to grow, or they might see birds building nests for shelter. 

  • As they observe, have them describe what they see and identify the survival needs of each organism.

• Drawing and Recording Observations:

  • After the walk or classroom observation, gather students to draw pictures of the plants and animals they observed. 

  • They should label each drawing with descriptions of the organism's survival needs, such as "The plant needs water to grow," or "The bird needs food and a nest for shelter."

• Testing and Refining:

  • Once students have recorded their observations, ask them to review their drawings and descriptions, checking if they correctly identified the survival needs. 

  • Allow time for adjustments or additional observations if needed.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Each group will present their drawings and share their observations with the class.

  • Lead a discussion about the patterns students noticed in what all living things need to survive, emphasizing how these needs are similar across species.

  • Connect this to computational thinking by explaining that recognizing and organizing patterns helps us understand and solve larger problems, just as computer scientists categorize and analyze data.

Equity and Access:

Ensure all students have access to the outdoor or classroom environment by offering alternate resources like photos or videos for those with limited mobility. Pair students to encourage teamwork and shared observations.

Real-World Application:

Relate the lesson to human survival needs by discussing how people rely on food, water, and shelter and how we care for plants and animals in our homes or communities. Help students make the connection between understanding survival needs and solving real-world environmental challenges.

CS Practice(s):

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students observe and categorize the survival needs of living things, recognizing common patterns in nature.

• Developing and Using Abstractions: Students simplify complex environmental interactions by abstracting them into basic categories such as food, water, air, and shelter.

Standard(s):

• CA NGSS K-LS1-1

• CA CS K-2.DA.8, CA CS K-2.DA.9

Objective:

Students will use Scratch Jr. to create interactive digital scenes that model what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive, such as air, water, food, and shelter. By observing and describing patterns in survival needs, students will explore relationships between living organisms and their environment, integrating computational thinking through coding.

Materials Needed:

• Tablets or computers with Scratch Jr. installed

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Begin by asking the class, "What do plants and animals need to survive?" 

  • List survival essentials, such as air, water, food, and shelter, and explain how these are common needs for all living things. 

  • Introduce Scratch Jr. or another coding platform as a tool for creating scenes that show how plants and animals get what they need.

• Group Activity:

  • In pairs, students will use a coding platform to create digital scenes showing the survival needs of a plant or animal. 

  • They can drag and drop elements like food, water, and shelter onto the screen, arranging them in ways that show how these needs are met. For example, a scene might show a plant absorbing water from the ground or an animal finding food and shelter in a forest.

• Creating and Coding:

  • Encourage students to use coding blocks to animate their scenes. For example, they can program a fish to swim toward food or a tree to grow as it absorbs water. 

  • This helps students model how living things rely on their environment to survive, reinforcing the concept of survival patterns.

• Testing and Refining:

  • Once students have completed their scenes, have them test their code to ensure the animations correctly represent the survival needs of the plants or animals. 

  • Allow time for debugging and revisions if needed.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Each group will present their digital scene, explaining how the plant or animal meets its survival needs and how they used coding to model these interactions. 

  • Lead a class discussion on the patterns observed in how living things depend on their environment.

Equity and Access:

Provide pre-made coding templates with basic scenes for students who need extra guidance. Pair students with varying levels of experience to encourage peer support and collaboration.

Real-World Application:

Connect the activity to real-life examples, such as how farmers water crops or how humans rely on clean air, food, and shelter to live. Emphasize the importance of understanding how organisms interact with their environment.

CS Practice(s):

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students use a coding app to create digital representations of how plants and animals meet their survival needs.

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students identify the common survival needs of living things and model how they are met using code.

Standard(s):

• NGSS K-LS1-1

• CA CS K-2.DA.8

• CA CS K-2.DA.9

• CA CS K-2.AP.10