Warm Up (10 min)

Behaving in the Computer Lab

Review expectations and how to behave when they enter the computer lab.

Discuss:

Have a good discussion around your computer lab expectations to make sure that students understand the rules. Some topics of discussion might include:

• Is running in the computer lab okay?
• How loudly should we walk when we are in the computer lab?
• What should you do if you get stuck on a puzzle?
• If you get frustrated, will it help to hit the computer?
• When we're about to go to the computer lab, how should we get ready?

Bridging Activity - Drag and Drop (10 - 15 min)

To connect the unplugged lesson with the upcoming online lesson, choose one of the following activities to do with your class.

1) Unplugged Activity Using Paper Blocks

Model: Select a map from Move It, Move It - Map Activity from the Move It, Move It unplugged lesson. Using movement pieces from the Unplugged Blockly Blocks (Grades K-1) - Manipulatives, show students how you would code this structure in this new way.

Pair/Think: Next, choose another map and have the students program what blocks a "robot" would need to read to get to the goal.

Make sure that they understand that the blocks need to go from top to bottom and they all need to touch!

Share: Have the students check each other's answers and resolve any questions or bugs that may come up.

2) Online Activity Using Unplugged Arrows

Model: Pull a puzzle from the corresponding online levels. Show students how to get the Angry Bird to the pig using the symbols. It can be helpful to rename the arrows "North", "South, "East", and "West". Once you have a program, trace it with your finger (or a pointer) and show how the bird will travel when the program is run.

Pair/Think: Next, move back to an easier puzzle, and have students try writing programs (using arrows) on their own.

Share: Encourage students to share their programs with other groups and see if they came up with solutions that are the same or different. Can anyone come up with another way of solving the puzzle?

Main Activity (20 - 30 min)

Online Puzzles

This lesson will teach students how to use Code.org to complete online puzzles.

Watch the Pair Programming - Student Video with your students, then assign them to pairs. This should help students start off in the right direction.

Teachers play a vital role in computer science education and supporting a collaborative and vibrant classroom environment. During online activities, the role of the teacher is primarily one of encouragement and support. Online lessons are meant to be student-centered, so teachers should avoid stepping in when students get stuck. Some ideas on how to do this are:

• Utilize pair programming whenever possible during the activity.
• Encourage students with questions/challenges to start by asking their partner.
• Unanswered questions can be escalated to a nearby group, who might already know the solution.
• Remind students to use the debugging process before you approach.
• Have students describe the problem that they’re seeing. What is it supposed to do? What does it do? What does that tell you?
• Remind frustrated students that frustration is a step on the path to learning, and that persistence will pay off.
• If a student is still stuck after all of this, ask leading questions to get the student to spot an error on their own.

Wrap Up (5 - 10 min)

Journaling

Give the students a journal prompt to help them process some of the things that they encountered during the day.

Journal prompts could include:

• Draw one of the Feeling Faces - Emotion Images that shows how you felt about today's lesson in the corner of your journal page.
• Can you draw a sequence for getting ready to go to the computer lab?
• Draw a computer lab "Do" and a "Don't"

Extension Activities

If students complete the puzzles early, have them spend some time trying to come up with their own puzzles in their Think Spot Journal - Reflection Journal.