Lesson 4: Collecting Treasure with Laurel
Overview
In this series of puzzles, students will continue to develop their understanding of algorithms and debugging. With a new character, Laurel the Adventurer, students will create sequential algorithms to get Laurel to pick up treasure as she walks along a path.
Purpose
In this lesson, students will be practicing their programming skills using a new character, Laurel the Adventurer. When someone starts programming they piece together instructions in a specific order using something that a machine can read. Through the use of programming, students will develop an understanding of how a computer navigates instructions and order. Using a new character with a different puzzle objective will help students widen their scope of experience with sequencing and algorithms in programming.
Agenda
Warm Up (5 min)
Bridging Activity - Programming (10 min)
Main Activity (30 min)
Wrap Up (5 - 10 min)
View on Code Studio
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Order movement commands as sequential steps in a program.
- Represent an algorithm as a computer program.
- Develop problem solving and critical thinking skills by reviewing debugging practices.
Preparation
- Play through the lesson to find potential problem areas for your class.
- Make sure every student has a journal.
Links
Heads Up! Please make a copy of any documents you plan to share with students.
For the Students
- Think Spot Journal - Reflection Journal
Vocabulary
- Algorithm - A list of steps to finish a task.
- Program - An algorithm that has been coded into something that can be run by a machine.
- Programming - The art of creating a program.
Support
Report a Bug
Teaching Guide
Warm Up (5 min)
Introduction
This lesson uses most of the same blocks from Programming in Maze and adds the ability to collect. Tell the students that this block will allow Laurel the Adventurer to pick up the treasure that she is standing over. This new block will be discussed more in the bridging activity.
Bridging Activity - Programming (10 min)
Previewing Online Puzzles as a Class
Pull a puzzle from the corresponding online stage. We recommend puzzle 7. Have students discuss a pattern that they think will get Laurel the Adventurer to collect all the treasure. Ask the students to share. See how many other students had the same answer!
Main Activity (30 min)
Online Puzzles
Laurel the Adventurer is looking to collect as much treasure as she can. Instruct the students to traverse the puzzle to collect whatever they can. Some levels will require you to only pick up one piece of treasure, but others will require you to pick up every piece of treasure. Pay attention to the instructions to know what to do!
Wrap Up (5 - 10 min)
Journaling
Having students write about what they learned, why it’s useful, and how they feel about it can help solidify any knowledge they obtained today and build a review sheet for them to look to in the future.
Journal Prompts:
- What was today’s lesson about?
- How did you feel during today’s lesson?
- Draw a maze that you might solve with the blocks you used today.
Student Instructions
This code isn't quite right!
Fix the code to help Scrat get to the acorn.
Student Instructions
Student Instructions
Something is not quite right.
Remove blocks to get Scrat to the acorn!
Student Instructions
Student Instructions
Student Instructions
Student Instructions
Student Instructions
Look closely at the code below. What is the first bug that will make this program fail?
The program won't fail. Scrat will get to the acorn.
Scrat will go the wrong way after his final turn.
Scrat takes one too few steps and ends up short of the acorn.
I don't know.
Student Instructions
Student Instructions
Student Instructions
If Scrat turns too often, he might get dizzy! Help him reach the acorn with only four turn commands.
Standards Alignment
View full course alignment
CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards (2017)
AP - Algorithms & Programming
- 1A-AP-09 - Model the way programs store and manipulate data by using numbers or other symbols to represent information.
- 1A-AP-11 - Decompose (break down) the steps needed to solve a problem into a precise sequence of instructions.
Cross-curricular Opportunities
This list represents opportunities in this lesson to support standards in other content areas.
Common Core English Language Arts Standards
L - Language
- 2.L.6 - Use words and phrases acquired through conversations, reading and being read to, and responding to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe (e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).
SL - Speaking & Listening
- 11-12.SL.1 - Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasiv
- 2.SL.1 - Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
Common Core Math Standards
MP - Math Practices
- MP.1 - Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
- MP.2 - Reason abstractly and quantitatively
- MP.5 - Use appropriate tools strategically
- MP.6 - Attend to precision
- MP.7 - Look for and make use of structure
- MP.8 - Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning
OA - Operations And Algebraic Thinking
- 2.OA.1 - Use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve one- and two-step word problems involving situations of adding to, taking from, putting together, taking apart, and comparing, with unknowns in all positions, e.g., by using drawings and equations with a sy
Next Generation Science Standards
ETS - Engineering in the Sciences
ETS1 - Engineering Design
- K-2-ETS1-1 - Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.
- K-2-ETS1-2 - Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.
- K-2-ETS1-3 - Analyze data from tests of two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs.