Objective: 

Students will create a secret code using patterns of symbols and colors to communicate a simple message. They will use computational thinking to design a pattern that can be decoded by their peers, introducing the concept of encryption and how patterns help protect and communicate information.

Materials Needed: 

• Colored paper

• Markers

• Pencils

• Paper

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Begin by explaining how patterns are used in real-world codes to send secret messages. 

  • Discuss how computers use encryption to protect information, like passwords and messages. 

  • Introduce the idea that patterns can help communicate a message in a secret way, and the importance of ensuring only the intended recipient can decode it.

• Group Activity: 

  • In pairs, students will create a simple message (e.g., "Hello" or "You are awesome") and design a pattern of symbols or colors to represent each letter or word. 

  • For example, a red square might stand for "H," a blue circle for "E," and so on.

• Creating the Pattern: 

  • Students will create their coded message by arranging their symbols or colors in a specific sequence. 

  • They will write down the key to their pattern, adding details, so their partner can decode the message.

• Decoding and Presentation: 

  • Once complete, each pair will swap their pattern with another pair. The receiving group will try to decode the message using the key provided. 

  • Afterward, students will explain how patterns made it possible to send a secret message and how this concept is used in computers to protect information.

Equity and Access: 

Provide a selection of pre-made symbols and color patterns for students who need additional support. Pair students with varying abilities to promote collaboration.

Real World Connection: 

Designers and architects use patterns and repetition in everything from clothing designs to building structures. Following step-by-step algorithms, similar to coding, helps them create consistent and visually appealing designs. Patterns can represent messages to encode ideas.

CS Practice(s): 

• Creating Patterns to Communicate a Message: Students design a pattern using symbols and colors to encode and decode a message.

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students explore how patterns can solve communication problems by protecting and delivering information in secret.

Standard(s): 

• CA Arts 3.VA:Cr3

• CA Arts 3.VA:Re7.2

• CA CS 3-5.NI.6

Objective: 

Students will use Scratch or another coding platform to create an interactive digital theater scene where characters act out different scenarios based on audience choices. They will apply coding to control the actions and dialogue of the characters, exploring how actors use choices to influence the outcome of a performance.

Materials Needed: 

• Tablets or computers

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Discuss how actors in theater make choices that affect how a scene unfolds, and how audience interaction can influence a performance (like in improvisational theater). 

  • Explain that students will create a digital theater scene in a coding platform, where the audience’s choices determine what the characters say and do.

• Group Activity: 

  • In pairs, students will brainstorm a short scene (e.g., a character meeting a new friend, solving a problem). 

  • They will write a simple script with different possible actions or dialogue for the characters, depending on audience choices (e.g., “Does the character say hello or ignore the friend?”).

• Creating and Coding: 

  • Students will use coding blocks to animate the characters and allow the user to choose what happens next. 

  • They will use conditionals (if-then statements) to program how the scene changes based on user input, like actors adjusting their performance based on the audience.

• Presentation: 

  • Each group will present their interactive theater scene, inviting classmates to make choices and see how the characters respond. 

  • Afterward, the class will discuss how their coding reflected the way actors use different choices to shape a performance.

Equity and Access: 

Provide pre-made code templates for students who need additional support. Group students with different coding and storytelling skills to encourage collaboration.

Real-World Connection: 

In interactive theater or video games, actors and developers use branching narratives and decision-based storytelling, where audience or player choices determine the direction of the story—similar to how students programmed their scenes to respond to user input.

CS Practice(s): 

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students use a coding platform to design and code an interactive theater scene with multiple outcomes based on user input.

• Communicating About Computing: Students explain how their coding choices allowed for interactive, dynamic performances, drawing parallels between coding and acting in theater.

Standard(s): 

• CA Arts 3.TH:Cr1

• CA Arts 3.TH:Pr6

• CA CS 3-5.AP.12