Learning binary with Legos
Lesson # in sequence: 1 of 5
Grade Level: 3rd grade
Curriculum Materials Needed: Legos (of varying colors) & lego boards
Central Focus for Learning Segment: Understanding and applying binary language
CS Framework/Standards Concept Objective(s): Algorithms and Programming
CS Framework/Standards Practices Objective(s): Collaborating Around Computing & Creating Computational Artifacts
Total lesson time: 1 hour
Lesson Agenda
Rationale or learning progression – How does this lesson connect with prior lessons and/or prior knowledge of students? What are you trying to accomplish in this lesson? How does the lesson “flow” together?
This lesson should reinforce the standards (ideally) met by the students by the end of 2nd grade. If not, then adjustments and accommodations can be made. Essentially, what this project aims to do is help students further their knowledge by learning the basics of coding, so to start, an introduction to the language of binary will show students how computers interpret and process information. This lesson then serves as our gateway to the second one, where students learn how to create sequences of orders that computers would be able to interpret to accomplish certain tasks or goals.
Beginning the lesson (30 minutes total)
At the beginning of this lesson we will start off as an entire group and go into our example of binary code bracelets. We will explain binary coding and what it looks like with 0’s and 1’s. (15 mins) We will make sure that they understand binary by having them write simple messages to each other in binary (10 mins)
Throughout the beginning the goal should be to address the following question: What is coding and what does it look like? In whatever way appropriate within the conversation. (5 mins)
Adaptations for student support:
If students are having trouble getting this down we will then provide 5 minutes for clarification/ student response.
Modify for students with different learning abilities and guidance
Middle of the lesson (Small Group/Individual Work/Whole Class Discussion) ( 20 minutes total)
The students will be in pairs working with one lego board and choosing a phrase or a small collection of words to have spelled out on the board. They will be able to choose two colors of smaller lego pieces to serve as the 0’s and 1’s on their boards. (25 mins)
Adaptations for student support:
As teachers we will check along the way to make sure that students are understanding how to do the binary code with the legos. We will walk around and assess each group and clarify anything when necessary.
End of the lesson: (10 minutes total)
At the end of the lesson, students should have a lego board that has at least three or four words on it, illustrating the coding with the color-coded lego pieces. The students will have a short 5 minute gallery walk to look at their peers’ creations, as well as test their own memory/knowledge of certain letters to see if they can decode! If not, they can walk around with sheets with all of the letters’ codes to decipher the words.
Assessing for understanding:
We will assess students work by seeing if we can interpret their lego board and if their peers can interpret them as well.
Adaptations for student support:
If students had trouble understanding the language, we can spend a little extra time one-on-one or in a smaller group to explain the way the language works.