Objective: 

Students will create a physical activity routine by developing an algorithm that sequences different exercises, applying computational thinking to organize and repeat movements.

Materials Needed: 

• Open space for physical activity

• List of simple exercises (jumping jacks, squats, etc.)

• Markers

• Paper

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Begin by explaining how fitness routines are a series of movements performed in a specific order. 

  • Relate this to an algorithm, which is a set of instructions that tell a computer what to do. 

  • Explain that students will create an algorithm for a fitness routine and follow it like a computer follows a program.

• Group Activity: 

  • In pairs, students will choose four simple exercises (e.g., jumping jacks, squats, lunges, running in place). 

  • They will write out an algorithm that sequences these exercises (e.g., “Do 5 jumping jacks, then 5 squats, repeat three times”).

• Creating and Performing: 

  • Students will test their algorithm by performing their fitness routine, checking to make sure they follow each step in the correct order.

• Presentation: 

  • Groups will present their routine to the class, demonstrating how they followed their algorithm. 

  • The class will discuss how following a step-by-step sequence helps organize movement and ensure consistency in physical activities.

Equity and Access: 

Provide modified exercises for students with different physical abilities. Pair students with different skill levels to encourage teamwork.

Real-World Connection: 

Fitness trainers and athletes use step-by-step routines (similar to algorithms) to organize workouts, ensuring they perform exercises in the right sequence to maximize results, just like following a program in coding.

CS Practice(s): 

• Collaborating Around Computing: Students work in pairs to design their fitness routine algorithms, encouraging teamwork and shared problem-solving as they sequence exercises and test their routines.

• Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts: Students perform their fitness routines to test the accuracy of their algorithms and refine them by making adjustments to the exercise sequence or repetitions if necessary.

Standard(s): 

• CA PE 2.3.1

• CA CS K-2.AP.10

Objective: 

Students will use Scratch Jr. or another coding platform to design an animated character that performs a series of fitness exercises, applying coding blocks to sequence and repeat movements.

Materials Needed: 

• Tablets or computers

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Begin by discussing how coding can be used to control movement, both in fitness routines and in animations. 

  • Explain that students will use a coding platform to program a character to perform a fitness routine, similar to the way they would follow an exercise routine.

• Group Activity: 

  • In pairs, students will choose a simple fitness routine (e.g., running in place, jumping, squats). 

  • They will use coding blocks to create an animation where the character performs these movements in sequence.

• Creating and Coding: 

  • Students will arrange the coding blocks to make their character perform each exercise for a specific amount of time. 

  • They will use loops to repeat the exercises and conditionals to trigger new movements.

• Presentation and Testing: 

  • After creating their animations, students will present their projects to the class, explaining how they sequenced the movements using coding blocks. 

  • The class will discuss how computational thinking helped them organize and repeat the movements.

Equity and Access: 

Provide pre-made coding templates for students who need extra support. Pair students with different levels of coding experience for peer learning.

Real-World Connection: 

Game developers and animators use coding to design characters that move in specific ways, similar to how fitness apps or video games simulate exercises and movements through programmed routines.

CS Practice(s): 

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students use a coding platform to design and code their own animated fitness routines, turning ideas into digital creations by using coding blocks to sequence and control movements.

• Developing and Using Abstractions: Students simplify complex movement patterns into basic coding blocks, using loops and conditionals to repeat and trigger specific actions for their animated characters.

Standard(s): 

• CA PE 2.3.1

• CA CS K-2.AP.10

• CA CS K-2.AP.12

• CA CS K-2.AP.13