Day 1
01 Workshop Opener 02 Intro to Unit 4 03 Break 04 ML - U4L1 05 ML - U4L2 06 Lunch 07 Lesson Exploration - U4L3 08 Lesson Exploration - U4L4 09 Break 10 EIPM and The Big Picture 11 Collaborative Work 12 Wrap-Up

Session 8: Lesson Exploration - Variables Make - U4L4

45 minutes

lesson exploration

Purpose

This session rounds out the first EIPM sequence participants see in the curriculum. Participants should be familiar with the Make task to understand the full “arc” students will go through during an EIPM sequence. This should drive home the point that students have multiple opportunities to learn the content in different contexts during a sequence.

It also should be made clear to participants that Make tasks are not intended for summative assessment and that students will continue to use (and learn) the content in each EIPM sequence beyond the sequence it was introduced in.

Objectives

  • Participants gain practice reading a lesson plan, matching with slides, and understanding Code Studio resources within a Make lesson.
  • Participants can describe the role of the teacher and the student in a Make lesson.

Supplies & Prep

Room Setup

  • None

Facilitator Supplies

Teacher Materials

Agenda

Get to know the Variables Make Lesson (2 minutes)

Do the Task (20 minutes)

Discussion (10 minutes)

Differentiation (10 minutes)

Wrap-up (3 minutes)

Facilitation Guide

Get to know the Variables Make Lesson (2 minutes)

(1 min) Set the Scene

💷 Set the scene for participants by reviewing the description for Make lessons found on the “EIPM: A Short Introduction” document and share the goals for this session.

Remarks

Next we are going to take a look at the Make lesson for this unit. As a reminder, the goal of the Make lesson is for students to be able to independently decide when and how to use the new concept in the context of a larger project. To do this, we give students UI elements for an app, but students need to add functionality themselves.

This is an opportunity for students to encounter what we are calling a “blank screen moment”. Some students get overwhelmed by starting with nothing. The Makes provide a scaffold to that “real” blank screen moment in the Create task by giving them a UI and a goal for an outcome.

(1 min) Introduce the Task

💷 Do this:

  • Read the U4L4 lesson plan
  • Match the lesson plan with the slides
  • Review at the activity guide
  • Open Code Studio and create the app yourself

Remarks

“In our next activity, we are going to get to try out the Make lesson ourselves. Afterward, we will talk about the roles of the teacher and student in the Make lesson, but for right now, just get comfortable with the structure of a Make lesson.”

Do the Task (20 minutes)

Do this:

  • Read the U4L4 lesson plan
  • Match the lesson plan with the slides
  • Review at the activity guide
  • Open Code Studio and create the app yourself

Discussion (10 minutes)

💷 Think - Pair - Share (1 min - 1 min - 2 mins)

  • What are the responsibilities of the teacher during different points in this lesson?
  • What are the responsibilities of the students during different points in this lesson?

Discussion Goal

Participants can explain how the role of the teacher and the student in a Make lesson changes as compared to prior lessons.

💷 Whole Group Discussion (3 mins)

  • How are the responsibilities in the Make lesson different from the Practice lesson?
  • How are they the same?

Differentiation (10 minutes)

Pair-Share (1 min - 3 mins)

  • Prompt: Some students are more ready to “take-on” this task than others. This provides an opportunity for differentiation. How can you use the activity guide as a tool for differentiation?

Discussion Goal

Participants understand that the “Make lesson” type is not a one-size-fits all lesson. They can and should make adjustments to meet students' needs. It is not intended to be a summative assessment so teachers should give students what they need to be both challenged and successful in this lesson type.

Whole Group Discussion (6 mins)

  • Prompt: What are some other tools you may use to differentiate for this lesson?

Wrap-up (3 minutes)

Facilitator Tip

Only the bolded parts are on the slides. You are expected to add the rest of the color verbally.

Clarify the following points:

  • 💷 Students still need teachers during the Make lessons. While teachers are doing less “in front of class instruction”, it is still really important for teachers to know how to make this project. Especially early on in the year, students will have questions and teachers need to anticipate those questions and how they will respond.
  • Make lessons are one-day tasks - not multi-day events. Each Unit has an end-of-unit project that will allow for more creative and deeper problem solving, but if teachers spend many days on “Make” tasks, they will fall behind.
  • Make lessons are not the last opportunity for students to learn the content. Students will use the content in this EIPM sequence in future lessons. So even if teachers feel like students need more time on the content, they should keep in mind that there will be more opportunities to practice the content later on.