Embedded Files
2024 - 25 Computer Specialty Weekly Plan
Computer Specialty Teacher: Andrea Blake
Questions? Email ablake@bostonpublicschools.org
Exit Ticket to show what you learned today:
Volunteers Needed for JQES End of Year Clean Up
Computer Science Vocabulary you need to know
JQES 2024-25 Scratch Studio: sample student projects
FLL Submerged, Building Instructions and other resources: https://www.firstlegoleague.org/season#resources
BPSCoders coding contest - Winners.
BPS STEAMFest on Saturday, May 31st 10am - 1pm
Come enjoy hands on STEAM activities, a nice lunch, and support our team, the JQES Wild Dragons showing off their robotics skills at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School this Saturday at 10 am!
Address: 75 Malcom X Boulevard, Roxbury, MA 02120
week 42 (6/16 - 6/20) - Last week of school
K1: Review patterns. Read Little Houses, then complete the Seashell coloring pages. Do you notice any patterns? Can you decorate the shells with your own patterns?
K2: Review parts of a computer, then make a laptop (from paper).
1st grade: Interland: Kind Kingdom (Green Level). Share with Care.
2nd grade: Interland: Share with Care (Blue Level).
3rd - 5th grade: Scratch games, Blooket or Interland: Don't Fall for Fake (red) or Secure Your Secrets (Orange)
week 41 (6/9 - 6/13)
K1-K2: Theme: Pollinators
1st grade: Typing sentences: upper case, lower case letters, space, comma, period. Using the shift key.
2nd grade: Finish any outstanding work. Scratch coding or Google Docs / Slides.
3rd grade: Typing.com and Scratch Coding.
4th grade: Canva
5th grade: Google Sites - Make a website. SAMPLE WEBSITE: JQES End of Year Clean Up https://sites.google.com/bostonpublicschools.org/jqesvolunteers
Resources: Slide Deck , How to Make a Website Tutorial Video, Student Checklist and Rubric for Grading
Here is a shorter tutorial by CSFirst: Design a website to promote a project, step 5 Add Pages to your Website (neighborhood cleanup example).
week 39 & 40 (5/27 - 5/30, 6/2 - 6/6)
K1-K2: Theme: Taking care of cats, dogs and other pets.
1st grade: Scratch Jr. Make a two player Race game. Add two characters and code them to move forward in the same direction when you tap them. Have a randomly moving obstacle (for example a star bouncing around on the screen). Test your game with a friend: who can make their character reach the finish line first? Tap the character and avoid touching the bouncy star.
2nd grade: Finish any outstanding work.
3rd grade: Typing.com and Scratch Coding.
4th grade: Canva
5th grade: Google Sites - Make a website. SAMPLE WEBSITE: JQES End of Year Clean Up https://sites.google.com/bostonpublicschools.org/jqesvolunteers
Resources: Slide Deck , How to Make a Website Tutorial Video, Student Checklist and Rubric for Grading
Here is a shorter tutorial by CSFirst: Design a website to promote a project, step 5 Add Pages to your Website (neighborhood cleanup example).
week 38 (5/19 - 5/23)
K1-K2: Theme: 5/20 is International Bee Day
Background knowledge:
8 Practical Things You Can Do To Help The Bees
Please Please the Bees https://storylineonline.net/books/please-please-bees/
I Am a Bee by Rebecca and James McDonald
Wild Kratts 🍯🐝 The Toughest Honey Bees | Kids Videos
Bees, Light and Archaeology | Full Episodes | The Magic School Bus | Scholastic Classic
Bees and Wasps for Kids | Learn all about these interesting insects
Wild Kratts African Honey Bees (26 mins)
1st grade: Spelling Bee with BeeBots
2nd grade: Google Doc Scavenger Hunt. Review finding and typing certain special keys on the keyboard.
3rd grade: Typing.com and Scratch Coding.
4th grade: Canva
5th grade: Google Sites
Resources: Slide Deck , How to Make a Website Tutorial Video, Student Checklist and Rubric for Grading
Learning Goals / Objectives:
Students will learn the basic features of Google Sites.
Students will create a simple website with a homepage and at least two additional pages.
Students will demonstrate digital design and organization skills.
Students will practice writing short, organized informational content.
Google Sites Lesson1 Introduction & Project Launch
Introduction to Google Sites. What it is, examples of websites: Cat Cafe: https://www.asanctuarycafe.com/, Cuddly Creations on Etsy, Mr. H Chinese Restaurant, Downsizing Doula.
Watch Tutorial: How to use Google Sites
Potential topics for your website:
My Dream Vacation
Students research a country or city and make a travel site including climate, attractions, food, currency, and how they’d get there.My Hobby
Students pick a hobby or interest (e.g., soccer, baking, dance, video games) and build an informational site about it.Environmental Awareness
Groups pick a topic like plastic pollution, deforestation, or endangered species, and create a site to inform and inspire others to take action.
4. Fundraiser or small business
You might want to make and sell something on your website, for example crocheted hats or toys. You can also turn this into a fundraiser for a good cause.
Have students choose a topic and form groups if applicable
Brainstorm content ideas and plan site structure (outline pages)
✅ Deliverables: Topic selected, site outline started on paper or Google Doc
week 37 (5/12 - 5/16)
K1-K2: Theme: AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Month
Author: Allen Say, Japane American writer and illustrator. Book: Emma's Rug (6:01)
1st grade: Scratch Jr. Make a game. When you tap a flower it grows, when a butterfly flies by an touches the flower, it shrinks. Extra credit: add more flowers and insects and see how big you can grow your flowers.
2nd grade: Google Slides. Planets presentation. If you are done with your 4 slides, let's get into teams and see which team can make a shared All Planets Presentation the fastest. You can get extra credit for this.
3rd grade: Typing.com and Scratch Coding. Make a copy of this document (File / Make a copy) then write about one of your Scratch projects.
4th & 5th grade: Canva
How to make a slides presentation in Canva. Tutorial:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzWxBuvwuwQ
Please check that you created the following 3 Canva projects and shared it with Ms. Blake. The deadline for submitting all 3 projects is next week.
So far we made:
1. a Canva poster (a spring party poster), OR a Canva design (a T shirt design),
2. a Canva video (The 4 seasons animation)
3. a Canva SLIDES Presentation about Earth Day, or a related subject, such as recycling, global warming, ocean pollution etc.
Extra Credit. If you finished your three projects, create a Canva comic strip based on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUuQvZgV2MY
Or try to add Magic Canva features
week 36 (5/5 - 5/9)
K1-K2: Theme: Cinco de Mayo and Mexico.
PBS LEARNING Media, Cinco De Mayo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O20HgEL0t8I, BrainPop Jr. Mexico
1st grade: Scratch Jr. - Cinco de Mayo and Mexico. Scratch Jr project: Imagine that you could take a trip to Mexico. What would you like to do in Mexico?
2nd grade: Google Slides. Planets presentation. If you are done with your 4 slides, let's get into teams and see which team can make a shared All Planets Presentation the fastest. You can get extra credit for this.
3rd grade: Typing.com and Scratch Coding. Make a copy of this document (File / Make a copy) then write about one of your Scratch projects.
4th & 5th grade: Canva
How to make a slides presentation in Canva. Tutorial:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzWxBuvwuwQ (Key points:
Please check that you created the following 3 Canva projects and shared it with Ms. Blake. The deadline for submitting all 3 projects is next week.
So far we made:
1. a Canva poster (a spring party poster), OR a Canva design (a T shirt design),
2. a Canva video (The 4 seasons animation)
3. a Canva SLIDES Presentation about Earth Day, or a related subject, such as recycling, global warming, ocean pollution etc.
It is NOT CHEATING to use a template. Just change it up. It saves you a lot of time.
Extra Credit. If you finished your three projects, try to create a comic strip based on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUuQvZgV2MY
Or try to add Magic Canva features
week 35 (4/28 - 5/2)
K1-K2: Theme: things that grow in the Spring.
1st grade: Scratch Jr. - Make a project about things that grow in the spring.
2nd grade: Google Slides. Planets presentation. If you are done with your 4 slides, let's get into teams and see which team can make a shared All Planets Presentation the fastest. You can get extra credit for this.
3rd grade: Typing.com and Scratch Coding. Make a copy of this document (File / Make a copy) then write about one of your Scratch projects.
4th & 5th grade: Canva
How to make a slides presentation in Canva. Tutorial:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzWxBuvwuwQ (Key points:
@35 create your own slides, or choose an existing template and change it.
@37 how to search for a template, use filters (grade level, topic, color), items marked with the crown are "canva pro", so those are not free.
@2:12 example of choosing the minimalistic portfolio template and changing it for your own purposes, to showcase your work as a business, an artist, or a student. @2:28 click Customize this Template
@3:10 choose all slides, you can delete them later. change pictures and text to your own pictures and text.
Do not touch the Table of Content slides for now. come back to it once you finished the presentation, it should get automatically updated when you delete certain slides (or delete this slide if you don't need a table of contents)
@4:49 MASTER CANVA. Design Elements
add transitions between slides
add notes. When you present, you can have these notes on the side, so your audience won't see them, only you will
presentation mode. Click Present. Present at your own pace (use right or left arrows to move to the next slide or the previous one).
alternative ways to present. Download PDF or make a video out of the slides.
Activity:
1. Create a presentation for Earth Day. Some choices for your subject: Recycling, Saving the Planet, Plastic Pollution, Oceans Cleanup, Human Impact on the Earth. Find a template, click Customize this Design and change some of the text and pictures on the slides. Add transitions between slides.
3. Fill out the Exit Ticket:
What did you Learn today? How to create a canva slides presentation by modifying a template.
Link to your project: share the canva slides presentation you made for earth day by changing a template. copy an paste the link to your project here.
5th grade only: Write in the Comments field at the bottom of the form what your IB showcase project is about (e.g. Life Below, Sea Turtles). Do you have a partner or work alone? Did you find a premade Canva template that might be easy to modify and use for your final project, or would you like help finding one? Note: Canva is one of the choices to show your project for the IB showcase.
Extra credit: Watch this typography design tutorial, and submit what you created while following the tutorial to show what you learned:
Typography Design Tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywi4yjiU7IQ&list=TLPQMjcwNDIwMjVxVdl7QRbMTQ&index=1
week 32 & 33 (4/7 - 4/11, 4/14 - 4/17)
4/15 One Boston Day City Of Boston Will Mark One Boston Day With Acts Of Kindness
1st grade: Scratch Jr. - Make a project. Choices: Acts of kindness, or what you like to do in the spring.
2nd grade: Google Slides. Planets presentation.
3rd & 4th grade: Typing.com and Scratch Coding. Make a copy of this document (File / Make a copy) then write about one of your Scratch projects.
5th grade: Canva
Watch How to Create Animated Videos Using Canva then create your own animation about some things that YOU like to do in the fall, winter, spring and summer.
Goals: week 32, create the first two scenes Fall and Winter, requirements based on the video add a sun, a cloud and a walking person in the first scene, practice using the Animate and Position features. Add two animated characters skating or doing some other wintery things, add animated falling snow and fade it with the Transparency feature.
Goals: week 33, add two more scenes for Spring and Summer. (video tutorial @7:40 to the end). Requirements: Add a rainy video and fade it (@9:35), add Transitions (@10:20) between all 4 scenes,
Extra credit (if you want to get a 4) Add text and Narration to each slide (record yourself @11:30) using Uploads / Upload files / Record Yourself). See final product @12:13.
week 30 and week 31 (3/24 - 4/4) March is Women's History Month - It's a time to recognize the achievements of remarkable women from around the globe throughout history.
1st grade: Scratch Jr.
2nd, 3rd & 4th grade: Typing.com then Women’s History research: find a famous woman on Pebble Go in the Astronauts, Inventors or Scientists section (or look on Biography.com). Learn her name, what she is famous for, and anything else we should know about the person. Take notes on a paper or in a google doc, and keep your notes for next time.
5th grade: History of Technology, Innovations and Computer Science
Lesson 4: Grace Hopper - taught computers to speak Human
Canva:
How to make a flyer in Canva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3Fy66r8I5c
intro to Canva for kids and design a T shirt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrN8oymWgv8
How to make a comic strip in Canva: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUuQvZgV2MY
Activity: Practice making something in Canva. Choices:
a party invitation. Imagine that you are hosting a party for friends to celebrate that spring is finally here. Include the time, date and location and something fun you plan to do, such as paint easter eggs, play a bean bag toss game or decorate cupcakes.
a bake sale poster
a T shirt design
a comic strip
a presentation about Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper, or another notable woman you heard about during Women's History month. Here is an example Ada Lovelace Poster
week 29 (3/17 - 3/21) March is Women's History Month - It's a time to recognize the achievements of remarkable women from around the globe throughout history.
1st grade: Scratch Jr.
2nd, 3rd & 4th grade: Typing.com then Women’s History research: find a famous woman on Pebble Go in the Astronauts, Inventors or Scientists section (or look on Biography.com). Learn her name, what she is famous for, and anything else we should know about the person. Take notes on a paper or in a google doc, and keep your notes for next time.
5th grade: History of Technology, Innovations and Computer Science
Lesson 3: Ada Lovelace - the first programmer
week 27 & week 28 (3/3 - 3/7, 3/10 - 3/15)
1st grade: Code.org. Advanced: BeeBots.
4th grade: Scratch coding: Finish your Guess the Number game, OR remix, debug and fix this buggy version: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1140527681/ In either case, submit your working guess the number game in the Exit Ticket.
5th grade: History of Technology, Innovations and Computer Science
Lesson 2: The Internet
How does the internet work?
Watch CNN 10 February 24th, Monday
Vocabulary
internet
Activity
1. Refresher. Look at the ASCII Binary Code chart again: http://sticksandstones.kstrom.com/appen.html
Look at a,b,c. Do you see a pattern? Can you figure out what d would be? How about B?
2. Watch Binary on BrainPop, then submit the Quiz. you will get a GRADE for it!
week 26 (2/24 - 2/28) - Welcome Back from February Break!
1st grade: Scratch Jr, 2nd grade: Typing and Google docs/slides, 3rd grade: Scratch coding, Typing
4th grade: Scratch coding: Guess the Number. Play the abcya.com Guess the Number (1-10) game for 5 minutes, then make your own Guess the Number game in Scratch. Allow unlimited guesses (hint: forever loop). Challenge: can you change the program, so it only allows for 5 guesses, then displays sorry, you lost.
5th grade: History of Technology, Innovations and Computer Science
Lesson 1: Computers and Binary Data
Learning Objectives - SWBAT (Students Will Be Able To)
explain what a computer is
understand how computers store information
encode text to binary (and decode binary to text)
e.g. hi -> 01101000 01101001
Vocabulary
Computer, input, output, information, data, binary, transistor, chip
Activity
1. Start a new google document. Title it Binary Practice. Type in your first name in English, then encode your name to binary (manualluy) with the help of this chart: http://sticksandstones.kstrom.com/appen.html
2. Play with binarytranslator.com. What did you do during the break? use the binary translator to translate your answer into binary, then copy and paste it into your document.
3. Share with ablake@bostonpublicschools.org
February: week 23 and week 24 (2/2 - 2/15)
Word Wall:
Role Model: a person who people look up to and sets examples to others
Determination: the act of not giving up no matter how hard things get
K1: Hibernation (BrainPop Jr). Practice using an iPad (another form of technology). On / Off and Volumbe buttons. Home screen. ABC Letter Trace App. Extra time: Ground Hog Day or The Magic School Bus Staying Warm in Winter
K2: Hibernation (BrainPop Jr). Complete the assigned the Draw and Write about it vocabulary activity in BrainPop Jr.
1st grade: Scratch Jr Retell a Story. BrainPop Jr. Mae Jemison. Retell her story in a Scratch Jr project, or retell her story in the BrainPop Jr. Word Play (draw and write) activity.
2nd grade: Scratch coding - Finish your Black History project, Share it, then submit it in the exit ticket. Extra time: Look at what other JQES students created this year. You may play these games (today only) during class: . Create a project for black history month. Two characters have a conversation about a famous person.
What to do AFTER you submitted your project: Go to BrainPop Jr, and find your assignment on Mae Jemison. Watch the movie, then take the Easy Quiz. If you still have extra time, find and complete the Draw About it activity.
3rd and 4th grade: US Symbols, Malware, Lasers, Mae Jemison (astronaut) and Jackie Robinson (baseball player).
5th grade: Write about a Scratch Project you created:
Make a copy of this document then type your response on the bottom half. When finished, click the Share button (upper right corner) and type ablake@bostonpublicschools.org in the Add People field. Click Send.
If you feel stuck, you can read these Sentence Starters, or a sample response before you start writing.
January: Week 19, 20, 21, 22
1/6 - 1/10, 1/13 - 1/17, 1/22 - 1/25, 1/27 - 1/31 If you have extra time, play this fun typing game: A letter to Amy
K1: Read A Snowy Day. Make a map to show all the fun places where Peter went. Learn to code BeeBots to navigate to different places on the mat. Also learn about the writer / illustrator Ezra Jack Keats and his other children books.
K2: BeeBots. Lunar New Year (BrainPop Jr). Chinese New Year Dragon Dance. Work in small groups to program 2 or more bees to do a line dance.
1st grade: Scratch Jr
2nd grade: Scratch coding - Lesson 1: A Conversation. Create a project for black history month. Two characters have a conversation about a famous person. Here is an example for Mae Jameson and for Rosa Parks
Note: This will take us two or three weeks depending on the group of students.
Requirements:
1. Black history research: find a relevant person on Pebble Go, or in a book, or anywhere else. Learn some facts about them: name, what they were famous for, and anything else we should know about the person. Some random suggestions in case you are stuck... Look up: Mae Jemison (astronaut), Leland Melvin (astronaut), Halle Bailey (The Little Mermaid), Beyoncé (singer), Chadwick Boseman, Dwayne Johnson, Madam C.J. Walker, Oprah Winfrey, Gabby Douglas (gymnast), Simone Biles (gymnast), Frederick Richard (gymnast), Lonnie Johnson (inventor), George Washington Carver (peanut products inventor), Kelvin Doe (inventor), Frederick Douglass (speeches against slavery), Rosa Parks (civil rights pioneer), LeBron James (basketball). There are many more in pebble go.
2. Go to Scratch.mit.edu and sign in to the Scratch account Ms. Blake created for you. Create a new project. Replace "untitled" with the famous person's name that your project is about.
3. Must use at least 2 Sprites from the sprite library. These two will talk to each other about the famous person.
4. Must use these 3 coding blocks: the When the green flag is Clicked block (from the Events menu), Say something for x seconds (from the Looks menu), and Wait (from the Control menu). Make sure you use the Wait blocks and calculate the correct wait times, so the two sprites talking will politely wait for the other to finish their sentences before talking. They have to take turns talking at least 3 times: pass the conversation. Other blocks are optional.
5. Fill out the yellow Exit Ticket on the top of the JQES computer specialty website
6. Extra Credit (in order to get a 4): Make it meaningful. Add more facts to the conversation. Make it interesting or fun by adding a background, extra sprites for decoration, a screenshot of the famous person, or use extra coding blocks.
7. If you finish early, practice on Typing.com or help another student learn Scratch (ask Ms. Blake first).
3rd, 4th and 5th grade: Cybersecurity lesson: Power up your password.
3D printing. Finish designing a snowflake or another small item.
Watch How to make a snowflake on tinkercad: Video by Eunny
How to Send your 3D design to Ms Boulogne to 3D print it:
Name your project like this: Karis Yu room 300 snowflake
Export
.STL
Go to your email, click Compose to start a new email to hboulogne@bostonpublicschools.org (Heidi Boulogne, our librarian)
Click the paperclip sign to attach the .STL file to your email
Write a polite email to ask Ms. Boulogne to please print your design
Send
Robotics: Spike.legoeducation.com. Getting started. What's in the box, how to take care of the kits.
1. Go to Spike.legoeducation.com and click Spike Prime.
2. Click Start to learn how to use Spike Prime. Complete the 6 tutorials: The Light Matrix, The Motor, The Color Sensor, etc.
3. Next: Click Units, then Invention Squad, then lesson 2 Build a Hopper.
FLL Submerged, Building Instructions: https://www.firstlegoleague.org/season#resources
Week 19
1/6 - 1/10
K1: Sneezy the snowman. Sequencing.
K2: code.org course A
1st grade: Scratch Jr
2nd grade: Scratch coding - Lesson 0: The point is to verify that you can share a project, submit the link in the Exit Ticket and the teacher can view your project.
1. Go to Scratch.mit.edu and sign in to the Scratch account Ms. Blake created for you.
2. Create a new project.
3. Make the cat say Hello.
4. Click the Share button (if you don't have the Share button, or it doesn't work, let me know, and i will give you another account that I created for you and it works. Don't try to send the confirmation email to fix the sharing problem yourself, and don't try to create another account, because BPSTech blocked the confirmation email in BPS student emails, so you won't be able to. Sorry.)
5. Fill out the yellow Exit Ticket on the top of the JQES computer specialty website.
6. AFTER YOU FILL OUT THE EXIT TICKET: If you have extra time, try some of the blue motion blocks. What does the Glide block do? What does "Go To 0,0" do? Explore on your own. What else did you find out?
3rd, 4th and 5th grade: 3D printing. Design a snowflake or another small item.
Watch How to make a snowflake on tinkercad: Video by Eunny
Instructions
Sign in to Tinkercad on Clever - Sign in with Google, Autodesk click Continue
IF this is our first time, Join your 3D Class for computer specialty with this class code:
5th grade: 7X3 MPT G28
Click Log In, Click Join with classcode, enter the classcode, then click the colorful G (for login with google) it will ask for your birthday. If you end up with a crazy username then go to Profile (click little person in top right corner, then Profile), change your screenname to match your bps google username. Click Save Changes.
Click on Resources / Learning Center on the left side of the screen to learn the basics “Move it!”, “Place it!”, “Rotate it!”
How to Send your 3D design to Ms Boulogne to 3D print it:
Name your project like this: Karis Yu room 300 snowflake
Export
.STL
Go to your email, click Compose to start a new email to hboulogne@bostonpublicschools.org (Heidi Boulogne, our librarian)
Click the paperclip sign to attach the .STL file to your email
Write a polite email to ask Ms. Boulogne to please print your design
Send
Canva project choices: an animation about...
something interesting you saw on CNN10. Here is an example I made about a nonprofit cleaning up the ocean.
acts of kindness
conflict resolution (make a new one if you already made one last year).
Earth Day
Robotics Club
Robotics: Spike.legoeducation.com. Getting started. What's in the box, how to take care of the kits.
1. Go to Spike.legoeducation.com and click Spike Prime.
2. Click Start to learn how to use Spike Prime. Complete the 6 tutorials: The Light Matrix, The Motor, The Color Sensor, etc.
3. Next: Click Units, then Invention Squad, then lesson 2 Build a Hopper.
FLL Submerged, Building Instructions and other resources: https://www.firstlegoleague.org/season#resources
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