Coding and Math
Kindergarten and Grade 1
Our old friend Beebot left the Kol-lab and journeyed to some math classes this winter. After learning how to code the Beebots during Hour of Code, students got to use their coding as a fun way to practice their math skills. In both Kindergarten and Grade 1, the Beebots (and the STEAM educators) joined math instruction as a coding station. Read on to learn about the specific topics covered.
Kindergarten
Current topics in Kindergarten Math:
Identifying shape as an attribute
Describing two-dimensional figures
Recognizing figures in different orientations
Alongside other stations focusing on shapes, students visited the Beebot coding station. All over the board were cards with different attributes (triangle, circle, or square; filled or not; large or small; red, blue or green). Each student drew a card from the deck displaying the same types of cards. Their task was to code the Beebot to one of the spots on the board that shared at least one attribute with the drawn card. When the Beebot landed, students described their choice and explained which attributes it shared with the drawn card.Â
This station provided practice in all of the topics listed above, verbalizing mathematical thinking, coding and sequencing, as well as trouble-shooting, persistence, and collaboration.
Grade 1
In Grade 1, students are currently focused on place value and our base-10 number system.
Ms. Katz, Mathematics Specialist, brought three exciting stations into the classroom:
A game with cards aimed at identifying ways to make 10
An Open Middle challenge
An engineering challenge that required students to use knowledge of base-10 blocks to build the "biggest" structure
The final station was a Beebot coding station! Students needed to code the Beebot to the number given, but there was a twist. The board was covered with two types of cards: two- or three-digit numbers or an image of a collection of base-ten blocks. If the student was given a number to find, it was represented on the board with blocks. Alternatively, if the student was given an image of a given number of base-ten blocks to find, they had to look for the number on the board. To succeed, students needed to convert between pictorial representations of numbers and numerical representations, then use their coding skills. Since we were giving them these challenges as we went, we were able to differentiate based on need within the group. Some students moved through the first challenges quickly, so they were tasked with finding a number less than 50. Or, even more challenging, a number less than 150, but greater than 50. Some students were even given number sentences that lead them to the correct spot on the board.