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Science & Technology | Mathematics | Language - Writing |
Overall Expectations A2. use coding in investigations and to model concepts, and assess the impact of coding and of emerging technologies on everyday life A3. demonstrate an understanding of the practical applications of science and technology, and of contributions to science and technology from people with diverse lived experiences C1. assess uses of energy at home, at school, and in the community, and suggest ways to use energy responsibly C2. demonstrate an understanding of how energy affects their lives, and that the Sun is the principal source of energy for Earth Specific Expectations A2.1 write and execute code in investigations and when modelling concepts, with a focus on creating clear and precise instructions for simple algorithms A2.2 identify and describe impacts of coding and of emerging technologies on everyday life A3.3 analyse contributions to science and technology from various communities C1.1 describe everyday uses of energy at school and at home, and suggest ways to use energy responsibly C2.4 identify everyday uses of various sources of energy C2.5 demonstrate an understanding that humans get the energy resources they need from the world around them, and that the supply of many of these resources is limited | Overall Expectations C3. solve problems and create computational representations of mathematical situations using coding concepts and skills Specific Expectations C3.1 solve problems and create computational representations of mathematical situations by writing and executing code, including code that involves sequential events C3.2 read and alter existing code, including code that involves sequential events, and describe how changes to the code affect the outcomes | Overall Expectations
Specific Expectations
2.3 use familiar words and phrases to convey a clear meaning 2.4 write simple but complete sentences that make sense 3.4 use punctuation to help communicate their intended meaning, with a focus on the use of: a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence; a period, question mark, or exclamation mark at the end 3.8 produce pieces of published work to meet criteria identified by the teacher, based on the expectations |
In the Grade 1 Science & Technology curriculum, there are 2 coding related expectations:
To paraphrase these expectations and express them in plainer language, students are being asked to:
write code to demonstrate a science-related concept, focusing on understanding how algorithms (a series of instructions for a computer to execute) are written
show how coding impacts our lives
Both expectations will be addressed through the project.
I can use basic start blocks and movement blocks to code my characters to move
I can add a background to my project that makes sense with the dialogue
I can explain sequence in my own words
I can explain algorithms in my own words
I can share strategies to help others use energy responsibly
You may know famous Canadian David Suzuki as the host of the popular show “The Nature of Things”, but his commitment to protecting the environment goes much deeper than just our TV screens!
In 1989 David Suzuki was the host of an award-winning radio series called “It’s A Matter of Survival” that talked about how humans were harming the environment through their actions. After more than 17,000 shocked listeners wrote in to find out how they could help, he knew he had to do more than just talk about the issue. It was time to take action!
Over many years, David Suzuki has focused on climate change, protecting our oceans, and especially making the switch to renewable energy. He has used his voice to stand up to companies and governments to push them to take action.
Like David, we will be helping others understand how one person can make a difference and inspire others to use energy responsibly.
Students will have different experience levels when it comes to coding.
If students have never experienced coding before, please watch the “What is Coding?” video.
If students have experienced coding before, have a quick discussion in which students share their definition of coding. Some responses to look for include:
Coding is the language that computers speak
Coding is how we talk to computers or get computers to do what we want
Coding is the instructions that we give to a computer
Introduce the idea of an algorithm, which is a set of steps we can give to a computer so it can perform a task. You may want to watch this video to further explain the idea.
Similar to the concept of an algorithm is the concept of a sequence. A sequence is the order in which you write your code and the order matters. Think of a recipe to make a cake; if the steps are put in the wrong order (think back to the algorithm), the cake will come out all wrong. When writing code, a task needs to be broken down into smaller steps and put in the right order for the algorithm to be successful.
Discussion: Can students think of a time when they did the steps of a task in the wrong order? What happened?
Brainstorm with students ideas for their story. This can be done in small groups or as a whole class. Sample prompts include:
What are examples of things at home that use energy?
How can we lower our energy use?
Why is it important to use energy responsibly?
What would happen if this energy source did not exist?
How do humans use this energy source?
How can we encourage others to use energy responsibly?
Students should create a rough sketch of what will happen in each scene by writing a few words or a sentence describing what happens in the scene. Teachers may wish to provide a list of words from which to choose, a scribe, or other assistive technology to support students.
sample project and all its code.
If you have not used Scratch Jr before, please consider watching the videos at the following links in order to understand the basics of the platform:
In the first page of the project, add the first background using the Change Background button (5).
Choose the main character and begin writing the code to move and animate the character. Students are encouraged to use the “Say” block from the purple “Looks” menu to add dialogue to their story or to record and add a sound from the green “Sounds” menu to add audio files to communicate orally. Students can also add multiple characters, and even design their own characters using the Paint Editor if they wish. Make sure that all of their blocks of code are connected to a trigger block, such as the “Start on Green Flag” block.
When students are ready to create their second scene, add another page.
In the second scene, add a background, characters, and write the code. Remember that the code for each character and on each page is created separately. Students can copy a character and its code, if needed.
When students are happy with their second scene, go back to page 1. In the code for the character whose code ends last, use the “Go to Page” end block to specify the page project. If students have already added multiple pages, make sure to choose the correct page (look for the #). This will trigger the next scene to start automatically.
Repeat for scenes 3 and 4.
To play the story, press the Green Flag button. Students are encouraged to use Presentation Mode to make their story full screen.
Students can explore efforts made by First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples to talk about the importance of
using energy responsibly, as well as the issue of “energy poverty” in remote communities
Students are encouraged to explore alternative/renewable energy sources (i.e., solar) to incorporate into their work
Students can use the camera on their device to take photos to serve as the background or as a character using the Paint Editor.
To go deeper into learning about David Suzuki, consider the following books and/or videos:
Students should be provided with time to share their projects with others and to engage in self and peer assessment. This can be done in a variety of different formats, including a gallery walk, whole class presentation, or “trading” their project with another student. Students can provide feedback in a variety of ways, including written and verbal. A variety of feedback options and templates are available in Appendix A.
An important aspect of assessing student understanding is focusing on the process, not the product. While it is important to have a final product that functions as intended, students are often asked to produce something within a limited time frame; therefore, it may be the case that, given more time, a student would be able to produce a fully functional product.
To assess learning, teachers can conference with students throughout the creation of their projects using the anecdotal prompts in Appendix B and documenting these discussions using an anecdotal observations chart. Teachers are encouraged to consider the troubleshooting strategies used by students throughout the project, their ability to explain how their project works, and what they might do differently in the future.
A rubric can be used to evaluate the final product. This and other assessment and evaluation tools can be modified, as needed.
While it is ideal to have one device per student, this is not the reality for many classrooms. If you are planning to have students work in groups, we recommend groups of 2 students to ensure as much “hands-on” time with coding as possible. If you have very limited access to devices, you may wish to implement this lesson as part of a station rotation within your classroom or use another strategy to work with small groups.
Scratch Jr does not require access to the internet beyond downloading the app.
If you have no devices at all, you can:
print off these cards from Scratch Jr, cut them out, and have students create their code with the paper blocks instead
use these templates to create printable stickers and use the stickers to allow students to create their code
You may also wish to print out images of the background scenes and characters to further support students
Student Self Assessment
Peer Assessment
Throughout the time when students are creating their projects, teachers are encouraged to circulate and conference with students to discuss their projects and progress. The process is just as, if not more, important than the final product when it comes to coding, so this is key to truly understanding a student's understanding.
Students should be able to identify, name, and explain key coding concepts in their own words; for example, sequence can be described as “the order in which you write your code matters”. Conditionals can be described as “if-then statements that give your computer options to choose from.” The wording may be unique to each student, but they should be able to explain the concept.
Suggested Prompts:
Can you tell me what you know about ?
Can you show me where in your code you used ? How does it work?
There may be times when students “stumble” into the “right” answer in their code without fully understanding how they got there, while another student may have a project that isn’t working the way they intend, but they know exactly why and are able to very clearly articulate the steps they would take to fix the issue, if they had more time. Just because a student’s project is not working exactly as they want it does not necessarily mean that they don’t understand so it is important to take the time to discuss with students.
Suggested Prompts:
Can you tell me what this section of your code does?
It seems like this section of code isn’t working the way you want it to. Why do you think that might be? How might you fix it?
What would happen if you made change?
In the world of code, a lot of mistakes are going to be made. Not only is this completely normal (and it happens to professional computer programmers all the time), but it is actually HOW we learn to code. To move from making the mistake into learning from it, students need to develop and utilize effective troubleshooting strategies. If a student just sits there staring at their code for a week trying to figure out an issue without ever asking for help, they are not demonstrating effective troubleshooting strategies. Effective troubleshooting strategies that students may demonstrate include:
Reading their code out loud to themselves to attempt to identify errors
Sharing their code with a peer to ask for help in identifying an error
Dealing with frustration by taking a break from their code
Searching the web for answers to their questions
Suggested Prompts:
Can you tell me about a time where your code wasn’t working the way you wanted it to? What did you do to
fix it?
It seems like this section of code isn’t working the way you want it to. Why do you think that might be? How
might you fix it?
What are some mistakes you made when creating your project? What would you do differently next time?