Grade 5
C3.2 read and alter existing code, including code that involves conditional statements and other control structures, and describe how changes to the code affect the outcomes
Scroll down this page to see all activities available, or use the buttons below to quickly access specific activities.
Before getting into conditional statements and other control structures in coding with your grade 5s, you may want to visit the types of coding done is previous grades to help build their comfort with the basics, such as sequential coding.
(click on title for definition/description)
Conditionals with Cards - Unplugged Activity
Watch the video on the right for more details.
This is a fun and easy way to understand the concepts of conditional statements without doing any formal coding yet.
Conditional Chain Game
This activity will show that everyone understands the concept of if-then statements and can apply them in a conversation. Have everyone sit in a circle - if possible.
The teacher begins with a sentence, for example, 'if I go out tonight, I'll get pizza for dinner'. The next person (potentially in circle) must use the previous sentence with an "if" to begin their own sentence. For example, 'If I get pizza tonight, I'll watch a movie'. Then the next person could say, 'If I watch a movie, I'll watch Spiderman'.
Everyone goes around adding to the story with if statements.
Adapted from https://pinnguaq.com/learn/ice-hopping-conditional-statements#Conclusion & https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/conditional-chain-game
Navigational Coding (E1.4, C3.1)
Click on the button below to access a Google Drive folder that will provide you the resources to help students learn the following:
how to create a code to represent a mathematical situation (a trip route using the Cartesian plane)
how to describe and represent shape, location, and movement
how to plot and read coordinates in a Cartesian Plane
how to describe translations that move a point from one coordinate to another
(click on title for definition/description)
Movement & Using IF Statements Activity
In Scratch, you can control the movement of a Sprite (character) by deciding that if someone were to press the LEFT ARROW key, the Sprite would move left. If someone were to press the RIGHT ARROW key, the Sprite would then move right.
In this activity, students will be guided on how to add the appropriate blocks for this Sprite, Tera, move left and right using IF blocks of code. Students will be required to create, read, analyze, and alter their code to make Tera move correctly.
Instructions are provided in the activity with a comment block. You can also access them here.
Create a Virtual Pet!
This fun 4-step tutorial will show you how you can create your own virtual pet in Scratch. When students are done creating their virtual pet, they will have used the following skills:
Animation (changing costume)
Add speech bubble
Use of the wait control block
Create loops/nested events with repeat and forever blocks
Start a program when an object (sprite) is clicked
Broadcast a message and start program when message received (event listener)
Use ordered pairs to control where objects start, move to, and end (E1.5)
Introduce variable, hunger, and change the value up and down based on conditions set
Examples of Virtual Pets:
READ & ALTER EXISTING CODE
Typically, in math class, a child's reaction to a wrong answer is to try to forget it as fast as possible. In coding, 'the programmer is encouraged to study the bug rather than forget the error.' ~Papert
Debugging
A great example of an activity to read and alter code is to debug the code. This means, whenever you have an error, you will need to figure out where things went wrong. Read the code, alter the code, and then execute!
Watch the video on the left to watch a brief video that describes what debugging is all about. Then try the two debugging activities below.
Bug Walking Activities (C1.2, 3.1, 3.2, E1.4, E1.5)
On pages 7 - 19 in this digital book you will be looking at 4 activities created in Scratch that help students become familiar with Scratch and using the Pen tool to create squares. Students will be learning how to use sequence of events, repeat blocks, and then nested repeat blocks.
Inequalities (B2.1, C2.1, 2.4, 3.1, 3.2)
On pages 96 - 11 1 in this digital book teachers are provided with great guided unplugged activities to dig into inequalities, including a worksheet 'About Inequalities' that can be provided to students in English or French. Teachers are then given notes on how students will move forward to code with inequalities like x > 100, x + 50 > 100, and 2x + 40 > 100, using Scratch.
Note: activity pages that can given to students are provided in both English and French!
Conditional Statements Example
Have students run this program by clicking on the green flag and move their cursor up, down, left and right. They will see quickly what is going on when Scratchy the Cat touches the sky, trees, and ground.
Have them 'look inside' to read the code and see how it works.
Extension: Students can create a new background and change the code to reflect the new items that Scratchy would touch.
Connections: Other Curriculum Expectations + Coding
Below you will find activities created by educators in TLDSB and beyond. Curriculum aligned expectations will be noted in each activity and provided with more detail at the bottom of this page.
Create Table of Values (C1.1, C1.2, C1.3)
Introduction to creating Table of Values in Scratch.
Watch this video to see how you and your students can easily create a Table of Values in Scratch.
Alter Table of Values Code
This video will demonstrate how to alter the code created in the Introduction video to reflect a change in a pattern that add/subtracts different values. You will also see how to change your initial value in the table of values.
Practice!
Click here to access this program in Scratch. Have students Remix this program to make their own copy. Students should read the comment box inside the program. They will practice altering the code to reflect the patterns given for a, b, and c.
More Practice!
When students feel comfortable with making a Table of Values in Scratch, refer to page 9 (Number Patterns - with Scratch) in the Understanding Math + Coding Puzzles book. Page 10 will give you the French version. This activity will help students connect with some Patterns & Relationships curriculum expectations.
Click the button below for a slide deck that you can share with your students to start the conversation of creating a balanced budget.
Dig deeper into creating budgets with the resources provided in this Google Drive folder. You will have the lesson and resources to help students learn how to alter a sample spreadsheet to meet their own plans. The will learn how to design budgets and make choices based on challenging situations, such as wants and needs. (F1.3)
Patterns and Relationships
C1.1 identify and describe repeating, growing, and shrinking patterns, including patterns found in real-life contexts
C1.2 create and translate growing and shrinking patterns using various representations, including tables of values and graphs
C1.3 determine pattern rules and use them to extend patterns, make and justify predictions, and identify missing elements in repeating, growing, and shrinking patterns
Spatial Sense
Location and Movement
E1.4 plot and read coordinates in the first quadrant of a Cartesian plane using various scales, and describe the translations that move a point from one coordinate to another
Financial Literacy
F1.3 design sample basic budgets to manage finances for various earning and spending scenarios