Lesson 4: Collaborative Scratch Project

GRADE: 5th 

SUBJECT: Computer Science and Math 

TOPIC: Geometry and programming shapes 

RELEVANT STANDARDS: 

  • Idaho State Standard 3-5.AP.01
    • Identify and understand ways that teamwork and collaboration can support problem solving and the software design cycle 
    • Core Practices: 
      • Collaborating and computing 
    • The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standard: 
      • Creativity and innovation 
      • Critical thinking 
      • Problem solving 
      • Decision making 

LESSON FOCUS & GOALS: 

Lesson Focus:

  • Students will be able to learn and strengthen their communication skills and understand the importance of working in groups.
  • Students will be able to enrich their math skills as well as learn new computer science skills through coding shapes on the Scratch website.
  • Students will be able to integrate math concepts into coding concepts with the Scratch website. 
  • Students will have the opportunity to demonstrate and learn about the importance of technology and coding and how computer science connects to other subjects like math. 

Goals:

  • The goal is for the students to be able to work collaboratively on the Scratch website and to demonstrate their math and computer science skills. 
  • The goal for the students is to improve their coding skill and math skills.
  • Students will be able to form shapes using the knowledge that they already know.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

  • Computers 
  • Pencil 
  • Worksheets (attached below) 

PREP: 

  • Print all of the worksheets and handouts 
  • Familiarize yourself with the scratch website 

 

STRUCTURE/ACTIVITY:

Activity: Students will work in small groups (2-3 people) and code their sprite to draw a more challenging shape. After the students code shape, they will then present their project to the class and write a short reflection after. 

Step 1: explain the group project and form groups 

  1. First, tell students that they will be doing a project that involves using the Scratch website. “This project is very similar to the last lesson where you all coded your sprite to draw a square and triangle. This time you will be working in groups of 2-3 and you will code a more changing shape (you will provide a list to choose from). After coding a shape, your group will then present your shape to the class then you will write a short reflection. Unlike the first project, I won’t be demonstrating how to code the shapes. I want y’all to use what you have learned from the previous lesson to code more difficult shapes.” 
  2. Then, have students form groups of 2-3 people. You can form the groups yourself or have students form their own groups. 

Step 2: review how to set up the Scratch.mit.edu website

  1. Getting on the scratch website
  • Have students grab their computers (each group will only need one computer) 
  • Once everyone has their computers, direct them to the Scratch website (scratch.mit.edu) 
  • Explain that students will be coding a square and a equilateral triangle on Scratch (they will code a square first then the triangle)
  • Tell students to click the “create” button (on very top of the page) 
  • Then have the students click the button on the bottom left hand corner (a picture of the button is included below). This button allows them to choose an extension.

        2. Instruct students to to select the pen extension (picture included below) 

  • Walk around the room and make sure that all students are on Scratch and have selected the pen extension.

         3. Select a sprite 

  • Now you will have students select a sprite. Whenever a new project is started you will be automatically given the cat sprite. If students wish to select a new sprite, they can!
  • If the students want a different sprite, have them delete the cat. (Click on the garbage can symbol in the upper right hand corner of the sprite) 
  • Then tell the students to click on the cat symbol on the bottom right hand corner of their screen. (image included below) 

  • Allow the students 3-5 minutes to select a sprite 
  • When a new sprite is selected it will most likely be too big (the standard size is 100). So, instruct the students to change the size to 50 (it can go smaller or bigger if needed based on the sprite, but 50 is a good starting point). 

  • Walk around the room and make sure that all students have selected their sprite and that they are all the right size. 

Step 3: Review the list of shapes for the project and their properties 

  1. Pass out a worksheet that students will fill out as you talk about the shapes. 
  2. List the shapes to choose from (you can use the slideshow provided below) 
    1. Octagon 
    2. Hexagon 
    3. Rectangle 
    4. Pentagon 
    5. Star (if a group what a more challenging shape) 
  3. OCTAGON: an octagon has 8 sides and 8 angles. Each angle in an octagon equals 45 degrees. 
  4. HEXAGON: a hexagon has 6 sides and 6 angles. Each angle in an octagon equals 60 degrees. 
  5. RECTANGLE: a rectangle has 4 sides and the opposite sides are equal and parallel. The length of a triangle is a longer pair of sides and the width of a rectangle is the shorter pair of sides. 
  6. PENTAGON: a pentagon has 5 sides and 5 angles. Each angle in a pentagon equals 72 degrees. 
  7. STAR: To draw a star on paper you draw 5 lines that intersect each other. If you were to erase the lines in the center you would have 10 sides. A star has 5 angles and each angle equals 144 degrees. 

Step 4: have student start their projects 

  1. As students are working on their projects, walk around the room and check in with the groups and see if they need any help. 
  2. Make sure that all members in the group are actively participating. There should be one person in control at a time while the other members watch and make suggestions to the “driver.” All members in the group should get the opportunity to be the “driver” (this is where students will practice their communication skills)   
  3. Example codes for each shape will be attached below. You can refer to these pictures when helping students. 

 

Octagon example code: 

Hexagon example code: 

Rectangle example code: 

Pentagon example code:

Star example code: 

Step 5: Presenting the projects 

  1. After all groups have coded their sprite to draw their selected shape, turn to whole group discussion. 
  2. Have each group come up and connect their computer to the projector so the whole class can see their program run. Then have the students explain why they chose their shape and how they worked together to code it. 

Step 6: Reflection 

  1. Pass out the reflection worksheet (attached below) and allow the student 10 minutes to work on it. 

ASSESSMENT:

  • Each student will write a reflection on how their project went for them. The students will write a small reflection about 2-3 sentences about the highlight of their project and what could have gone better and if they would recommend this project to another peer why or why not.
  • As the teacher, you will provide feedback for the students because this activity is  considered a group project and it’s always good to be able to provide feedback, using the following rubric provided. (attached below) 

 

Teacher guide and worksheets for lesson 4

Lesson Four – (Teacher’s Guide)

Lesson Four – Shapes Review (slides)

Lesson Four – Notes Worksheet

Lesson Four – Notes worksheet (answer key)

Lesson Four – Scratch Project (Reflection)

Lesson Four – Project Rubric

Student Examples

Lesson Four –  Notes Worksheet 

Lesson Four – Reflection 

Student Project examples: Star, pentagon, rectangle, hexagon, octagon