Day 1
01 Workshop Opener 02 Blind Spots 03 Break 04 Intro to App Lab 05 Intro Circuit Playground 06 Previously, on Unit 6 07 Lunch 08 Model Lesson 09 Model Lesson Reflection 10 Break 11 Curriculum Investigation 12 Conclusions and Connections 13 Wrap Up 14 Debrief

Session 6: Previously, on Unit 6

20 minutes

facilitator presentation

Purpose

The session sets the stage for the model lesson by exposing participants to the essential content in lessons 1 through 4. Portions of these lessons were explored in the previous two sessions. This session is an opportunity to put these experiences together in the context of the start of Unit 6.

Objectives

  • Participants have been exposed to the essential content knowledge necessary to plan and implement Lessons 1 through 4 of Unit 6: Physical Computing.

Supplies & Prep

Room Setup:

  • Participants are seated in pods

Facilitator Supplies:

Teacher Materials:

Agenda

Unit 6 Introduction (10 minutes)

Problem Solving Process for Programming (9 minutes)

Model Lesson Context Setting (1 minute)

Facilitation Guide

Unit 6 Introduction (10 minutes)

(2 minutes) Context Setting

Remarks

The focus of the first few lessons of Unit 6 is on getting acquainted will the tools available for the unit. One thing to note is that skipping over these units with students may result in students not understanding how to use the tools in order to create without scaffolded support later in the unit. Today we went through a sampling of these lessons fairly quickly. When implementing these lessons with students, you can expect to spend more time engaging with these tools.

Display the unit calendar and highlight the lesson activities that were included in the previous two sessions.

So far today we have done the following lesson activities to highlight key aspects of app lab and the circuit playground:

  • Introduction to App Lab:
    • U6L2 - Warm Up: UI Element Refresher
    • U6L2 - Levels 1 - 5: Designing with setProperties()
    • U6L4 - Levels 1 - 2: Comparing Inputs
    • U6L4 - Wrap Up
  • Introduction to Circuit Playground:
    • U6L3 - Warm Up: Board Inspection
    • U6L3 - Levels 4 - 7: Using the LED

Facilitator Tip

This is a high level overview of the content in the first four lessons of Unit 6. It is intended to provide background context for the following model lesson. Mastery is not an expectation here.

(2 minutes) U6L1 - Innovations in Computing

Lesson Overview: Students explore a wide variety of new and innovative computing platforms while expanding their understanding of what a computer can be.

Lesson Objectives:

  • Identify computing innovations within a given field
  • For a given device, articulate the likely inputs and outputs
  • Suggest improvements to help a device better solve a specific problem

(2 minutes) U6L2 - Designing Screens with Code

Lesson Overview: By reading and changing the content on the screen of an app, the class starts to build apps that only need a single screen. Even with just one screen, students can begin to see that these techniques allow for lots of user interaction and functionality.

Lesson Objectives:

  • Set the properties of UI elements using code
  • Respond to user input using an event handler
  • Write programs that change multiple elements on a single screen instead of changing screens

(2 minutes) U6L3 - The Circuit Playground

Lesson Overview: In this lesson, students get to know the Circuit Playground. Using App Lab, they develop programs that use the Circuit Playground for output.

Lesson Objectives:

  • Connect and troubleshoot external devices
  • Turn on and off an LED with code
  • Use code to control a physical device

(2 minutes) U6L4 - Input Unplugged

Lesson Overview: Students experience two different ways that an app can take input from a user, while learning more about the event - driven programming model using App Lab.

Lesson Objectives:

  • Compare and contrast multiple ways to get input from a user
  • Model different methods of taking user input

Problem Solving Process for Programming (9 minutes)

(2 minutes) Problem Solving Process Review

  • Display the Problem Solving Process for Programming.
  • Have participants read the description of the Problem Solving Process for Programming on page 53 of the curriculum guide. (There is an electronic copy of the curriculum guide linked in the shared notes doc.)

(7 minutes) Think - Pair - Share

Prompt: During the “try” phase, what additional bugs do you anticipate students will encounter as they begin to use the Circuit Playground? What supports do you have in place in your classroom to help students work through these bugs?

  • (1 minute) Think: individual reflection
  • (2 minutes) Pair: discuss with a partner
  • (4 minutes) Share: share and discuss with the whole group

Model Lesson Context Setting (1 minute)

(1 minute) Set the Scene

Facilitator Tip

It is recommended that participants are paired by similar ability for the model lesson. Prior to dismissing participants for lunch, the facilitator should either announce preassigned pairs or provided pairing recommendations for participants.

Remarks

When we return from lunch we will be engaging in a model lesson. In the same way we did in previous workshops, we will be focusing on two “hats”. I will be wearing the “teacher hat” and you will be wearing the “learner hat”. After we finish this model lesson, we are going to have a conversation about some of the teaching strategies you experienced in the model lesson with a focus on the “role of the student”. For this lesson you will be working with a partner using pair programming. During break, move to sit with your partner and decide which computer you will use for the lesson.