Wildcat Workshop @ Marian Anderson School
GRADE 1
Foods From Around the World
Essential Questions
Where do our foods come from?
How can we help someone else learn to make a culinary dish?
How might we use digital tools to collaboratively create something to share with others?
What does it mean to be a good digital citizen?
Key Projects
Digital cookbook in Google Slides with contributions from families and examples from global communities
3D printed cookie cutter or other design
Solar oven design that can bake a cookie or some other food
April 2024
We finished our class cookbook. We used Google Slides and typed recipes that we like. Some of us brought in handwritten family recipes. Some of us searched the internet for a favorite food and recipe. We added designs using the shape and fill tools. Some of us added photos that we took at home. We practiced formatting with bullets.
We used the black and white pixel widget in code.org to create designs using binary code (only 0s and 1s). Some of us tried to create images of food.
We used Adobe Express to design art. Then, Mr. Smith printed our designs and made them into buttons.
In class and after school, we continued using LEGOs and LEGO robotics to create and iterate. In the after school program, Penn Engineers, MANAS volunteers, and Ms. Kessler supported our learning.
March 2024
We continued typing and formatting our favorite recipes in Google Slides. We practiced using bulleted and numbered lists, typing fractions, and editing slide titles.
In class and after school, we used LEGOs and LEGO robotics to create and iterate. In the after school program, Penn Engineers, MANAS volunteers, and Ms. Kessler supported our learning.
We explored how to use if/then statements in Scratch to check for where a sprite is positioned on the screen in Scratch and then do something if the sprite is too far to one side. Another way to say this is to check the x position of the sprite. We used change backdrop and go to blocks to make it look like the sprite was running through multiple locations.
February 2024
We began exploring how to design in 3D using Tinkercad and FUSE Studios Sculpt.
We listened to a story about how the Haudenosaunee plant corn, beans, and squash together. Each of the “three sisters” helps the others is some way. We sketched and built models of how the sisters grow together.
To begin creating our class cookbook, we practiced drawing and formatting shapes (size, fill color, border color, rotation) in Google Slides of foods. We also began typing our recipes.
We explored how to use if/then statements in Scratch to check for whether a sprite (cat) is touching another sprite (taco). We also used the loop or "forever" block and the change size block to make the cat grow every time the taco touched it.
January 2024
We started coding in Scratch. We used a loop or "forever" block as well as move and turn block to make food sprites spin around the screen.
In Scratch, we also used the if on edge, bounce block and two finger clicks to duplicate sprites to create spinning fruit salads.
We made graphs in Google Slides, which allowed us to practice other skills: changing cell colors in a table and copying/pasting images with keyboard shortcuts like ctrl + c to copy, ctrl + v to paste, and ctrl + z to undo—because sometimes we do make mistakes!
We continued practicing our keyboarding using the home row as a starting place for our fingers.
December 2023
We participated in Computer Science Education Week with Hour of Code. Check out some of the coding activities here.
We took a break from our screens to build food-inspired designs with LEGOs. Some of us built foods like cake and pizza. Others built houses were made of a specific type of food (like a rainbow bagel). Some of us built stores or boats that sold food, like a pizza shop and an ice cream boat.
We continued practicing our keyboarding using the home row as a starting place for our fingers.
November 2023
We also continued practicing internet searches by looking for a pumpkin pie recipe.
We noticed that the search results often have a bold title and some information below the title.
We also noticed that recipe pages have features like titles, timing information in a box, smaller section titles, and lists that have both bullets and numbers.
We discussed that sometimes internet pages have advertisements on top, on the side, and that pop up. Most of the time, we should just ignore these advertisements.
We started making our own versions of a s'mores recipe in Google Slides. We formatted the titles by changing the size, color, and boldness of the text. We also added bullet points to create a list of ingredients. In typing our ingredients, we needed to learn how to type fractions, too!
For Ms. Shapiro's birthday, we designed birthday messages in Google Slides. This allowed us to practice formatting texts and shapes.
We continued practicing our keyboarding using the home row as a starting place for our fingers.
October 2023
We practiced typing in search terms into a search engine find images. We typed in a word like "apple," counted the number of images that matched what we were actually looking for and how many didn’t. We recorded our data in a table.
We realized that a word like "apple" might mean the food or the technology company. Then, we brainstormed some ways to improve our searches, mainly be adding a second word. For instance, we learned that typing in "red apple," "apple fruit," or "red apple food" helped us find more of what we'd been looking for.
We practiced drawing and formatting shapes and lines (size, fill color, border color, rotation) in Google Slides. We tried to recreate some of the illustrations in a book called Growing Vegetable Soup.
We continued practicing our keyboarding using the home row as a starting place for our fingers.
September 2023
We discussed what we do to stay safe when we visit places like the playground and grocery store. Then, we talked about how some of the advice we get from our families about staying safe in public could also keep us safe online. Finally, we watched a video with a character named Arms. Arms gave us advice about staying safe online.
This year, we will be "traveling" around the world. So, it is helpful to think about how to stay safe when you go new places online!
We practiced typing using the home row keys. Did you know that there are ridges on the f and j keys to help us know where to place our index fingers? We realized we could spell a lot of words using just the letters on the home row, including a lot of words with an “a”: dad, dash, lad, fad, salad, all, and fall.
We also practiced typing e and i from the home row starting position.
