ELA: Who Is Speaking?

Grade Level: First Grade

Overview: This project will be used in a first grade classroom for an ELA portion of the class. The lesson will be surrounding identifying what character is speaking during a book. When button A or B is pressed shortly or longer, a certain color and sound will light up and play determining what characters are speaking during the book. This will be beneficial for students who struggle with just reading to tell the change of a character speaking and need more visuals or sounds. 

Learning Objectives: Students will be able to hear a sound, see a lighted up color when a button on a circuit is pressed that that they will be able to acknowledge a switch in who is telling a story at various points in text. 

Standards: 

RL.1.3. Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

RL.1.6. Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.

Supply List: 

Circuit

Circuit Playground Express

USB connector

Paper

Colored Pencils

Markers 

Procedure

1) Create a poster with all characters listed in the story of your choice that will be read to students and a cut out for the circuit. (Four or less characters) 

2) Once poster is created make sure that the characters chosen are in the color that will be lighting up. For example: Pooh Bear , Piglet , Tiger , Eeyore 

3) After creating the poster with the colors organized correctly, begin programming the circuit on Circuit Playground Express.

a. You will need 2-4 "on button x" blocks depending on the amount of characters.

b. In each "on button x" block, you will need to add a "show ring" block and adjust the colors according to the poster. 

c. Once the blocks are completed, download the program.

d. Use the downloaded program (should be circuitplayground(Name)), drag into the CBOOT file on your computer. 

e. Test your circuit.

Testing: Make sure Circuit Playground is pulled up on your computer. Once the circuit is plugged into the computer green lights should pop up on the circuit. Once this green light is on begin testing the buttons to see if the different colors show up and the sounds are playing. 

4) Put your circuit in the poster and use for your story. 

Extras: Students can also add sounds or animations to their circuit. 

Grace Madill