Grade 5 – Earth and Space Systems

Lesson Summary: Students will create a playable quiz game that demonstrates the impact of different forms of energy

and energy use on humans and the environment.

Curriculum Expectations: These expectations are intended to highlight the many ways in which this lesson could support

the curriculum. It is neither expected nor necessary for teachers to address all of these expectations at once. Teachers

are encouraged to select the most relevant expectations based on their unique context and intentions for the lesson.

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 and in

STEM-related fields

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

E1. assess effects of energy and

resource use on society and the

environment, and suggest options for

conserving energy and resources

E2. Demonstrate an understanding of

the conservation of energy, and the

forms, sources, and uses of energy

and resources

Specific Expectations

A2.1 write and execute code in

investigations and when modelling

concepts, with a focus on using

different methods to store and

process data for a variety of

purposes

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

E1.1 analyse long-term impacts of

human uses of energy and natural

resources, on society and the

environment, including climate

change, and suggest ways to mitigate

these impacts

E1.2 evaluate effects of various

technologies on energy consumption,

and describe ways in which

individuals can use technology to

reduce energy consumption

E1.3 analyse how First Nations, Métis,

and Inuit communities use their

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 conditional statements and

other control structures

C3.2 read and alter existing code,

including code that involves

conditional statements and other

control structures, and describe how

changes to the code affect

the outcomes

Overall Expectations

1. Generate, gather, and organize

ideas and information to write for an

intended purpose and audience

2. draft and revise their writing, using

a variety of informational, literary,

and graphic forms and stylistic

elements appropriate for the purpose

and audience

Specific Expectations

1.1 identify the topic, purpose,

audience, and form for writing

1.2 generate ideas about a potential

topic, using a variety of strategies and

resources

1.3 gather information to support

ideas for writing in a variety of ways

and/or from a variety of sources

1.4 sort ideas and information for

their writing in a variety of ways

1.5 identify and order main ideas and

sup- porting details into units that

could be used to develop a short,

simple para- graph, using graphic

organizers

1.6 determine whether the ideas and

information they have gathered are

relevant and adequate for the

purpose, and gather new material if

necessary

2.1 write short texts using a variety of

forms

2.3 use words and phrases that will

help convey their meaning as

specifically as possible

2.4 vary sentence structures and

maintain continuity by using joining

words (e.g., and, or) to combine

simple sentences and using words

that indicate time and sequence to

link sentences

2.6 identify elements of their writing

that need improvement, using

feedback from the teacher and peers,

with a focus on specific features

knowledges and ways of knowing to

conserve energy and resources

E2.1 identify a variety of forms of

energy, and describe how each form

is used in everyday life

E2.2 demonstrate an understanding

of the law of conservation of energy,

including how energy cannot be

created or destroyed but can only be

transformed from one form to

another

E2.3 describe how energy is stored as

potential energy and transformed in

a given device or system

E2.4 demonstrate an understanding

that when energy is transformed

from one form to another, some

energy may dissipate into the

environment in the form of heat,

light, and/or sound energy

E2.5 identify renewable and non-

renewable sources of energy

E2.6 explain how the use of energy

derived from fossil fuels changes the

composition of the atmosphere and

how these changes contribute to

climate change

2.7 make revisions to improve the

content, clarity, and interest of their

written work, using several types of

strategies

3.4 use punctuation to help

communicate their intended

meaning, with a focus on the use of:

quotation marks to indicate direct

speech; commas to mark

grammatical boundaries within

sentences; capital letters and final

punctuation to mark the beginning

and end of sentences

3.8 produce pieces of published work

to meet identified criteria based on

the expectations related to content,

organization, style, use of

conventions, and use of presentation

strategies

Breaking Down the Coding Expectations in Science & Technology:

In the Grade 5 Science & Technology curriculum, there are 2 coding related expectations:

A2.1 write and execute code in investigations and when modelling concepts, with a focus on using different

methods to store and process data for a variety of purposes

A2.2 identify and describe impacts of coding and of emerging technologies on everyday life, including skilled

trades

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 using data to influence code

● show how coding impacts our lives

Both expectations will be addressed through the project.

Learning Goals: We are learning to write code to create a playable quiz game to teach others about the impact of

different forms of energy and energy use on humans and the environment.

Success Criteria:

1. I can use a variety of event blocks to control the flow of my program

2. I can use conditionals to evaluate a player’s response

3. I can collect, store, and process data from the player to change the outcome of my program

4. I can describe different types of energy and their impacts

STEM Profile:

Dr. Rose Mutiso is a Kenyan energy researcher and activist who is trying to help solve

the energy crisis in developing countries.

Rose knows that access to renewable, sustainable, and affordable energy is important

for addressing the impacts of poverty without worsening the climate crisis. On top of

working for the U.S. Department of Energy and being the research director of the Energy

for Growth Hub, she also works with the Mawazo Institute to train more women in

research and engineering to support the energy sector in countries like Kenya. In 2020,

Rose was shortlisted for the Pritzker Emerging Environmental Genius Award.

If we want to be like Rose, then we will need to understand the impact of different forms

of energy so we can help ensure access to energy for all as well as protect our planet.

Let’s get started!

Minds On:

1. Students will have different experience levels when it comes to coding.

a. If students have never experienced coding before, please watch the “What is Coding?” video.

b. If students have experienced coding before, have a quick discussion in which students share their definition

of coding. Some responses to look for include:

i. Coding is the language that computers speak

ii. Coding is how we talk to computers or get computers to do what we want

iii. Coding is the instructions that we give to a computer

2. Introduce the idea of a conditional, a statement that allows the computer to respond to different situations (or

conditions) based on a certain set of criteria. There are two main types of conditionals.

a. If/then conditionals are only able to respond to one condition. You can create multiple conditionals to

respond to different data, but each conditional on its own is just able to respond to one condition. Some

real-life examples include:

● If it is raining, then bring an umbrella

● If you are hungry, then eat a snack

● If it is cold outside, then wear a sweater

b. If/then/else conditionals are slightly different. The else can be thought of as a “none of the above” option,

similar to a multiple choice test. The else will only run if the condition for the if/then is false. Some real-

life examples include:

● If it is raining, then bring an umbrella, else leave the umbrella at home

● If you are hungry, then eat a snack, else don’t eat a snack

● If it is cold outside, then wear a sweater, else wear a t-shirt.

Discussion: Can students think of other real-life examples of conditional statements?

3. Brainstorm with students to generate ideas for their game. For this project, students are encouraged to include a

mix of between three and ten questions about the impacts of energy on humans and the environment, as well as

strategies that can be used to reduce this impact. Some sample prompts include:

o What are different forms of energy?

o What do we use energy for?

o What are the effects of ____ energy on humans and the environment?

o Which forms of energy have the least or most impact on humans and the environment?

Planning Our Project:

Provide students with the animated story project planner and encourage students to create between three and ten

questions for their game. Students should outline of their questions by drawing pictures and writing a few words or

sentences, including any dialogue that will appear on screen, and starting to plan their code, if applicable. Teachers may

wish to provide a list of words from which to choose, a scribe, or other assistive technology to support students.

Creating Our Project:

Since every student’s project will be unique, there is no single, step-by-step set of instructions to follow; however, the

information below will support your students in the general process of creating a game, as well as key features that they

will likely want to include. This sample code further demonstrates how the project might work and please note that

there is code included for each of the sprites and the stage. For your reference, Scratch determines where to display

sprites and controls movement using a Cartesian coordinate system, with (0,0) being the center of the screen and it may

be helpful to pre-teach this concept, if it is one with which students are unfamiliar.

Part 1: Set Up

1. Use the Choose a Backdrop button and select the Paint Editor to create a series of backdrops that include the

answers to each question that will be asked. Each question should have its own backdrop that includes just the

answers for that question (i.e., the question will be included as part of your code) and be sure to name your

backgrounds clearly.

2. Choose a sprite to serve as the “host” of your game. All code written for this project will be in this sprite.

Part 2: Opening Scene & Score 
 
1.  Add the When Green Flag Clicked block and use the Go To X () Y () block to position your sprite 
2.  In the Variables menu, create a variable called Score and uncheck the variable so it does not appear on screen.  
3.  Use the Set () to () block to set the Score variable to 0.  
4.  Using as many Say () for () Seconds blocks as needed, provide information that the player needs to know at the start 
of the game, including but not limited to: 
a.  Introduce the sprite as the host 
b.  Explain the goal of the game 
c.  Explain how the player will be presented questions and be able to answer them 
5.  Finally, add a Say () block and instruct the player to press the space bar to begin the game. 
6.  Use a Wait Until () block and drag a Key () Pressed? block from the blue Sensing menu into the empty space of the 
Wait Until () block. Set it to the Space key.  
7.  Finally, add a Switch Backdrop To () block and set it to switch to the background that represents your first question. 
 
Part 3: Setting Up Question 1 
 
1.  Add the When Backdrop Switches To () event block and set it to match your background that represents your first 
question.  
2.  Use the Go To X () Y () block to reposition your sprite, if necessary.  
3.  Use the Ask () And Wait block from the blue Sensing menu to ask the question that the player is expected to answer. 
The answer options should be shown as part of your background.  
4.  Drag out an If () Then, Else block add a () = () block from the green Operators menu to the black space of the If () 
Then, Else block.  
5.  In the first blank space of the () = () block, add the Answer block from the blue Sensing menu. In the second blank 
space, add the letter that matches the correct answer for your quiz question.   
6.  The If Then section of the If () Then, Else block will run if the player inputs the correct answer. In this section, add: 
a.  A Change () By () block from the orange Variables menu. Set it to match the Score variable and to increase 
by 1.  
b.  Use a Say () for () Seconds block to display a message to the player showing that they selected the correct 
answer.  
7.  The Else section of the If () Then, Else block will run if the player inputs the incorrect answer. In this section, just 
add a Say () for () Seconds block to display a message to the player showing that they selected the incorrect answer.  
8.  Finally, outside of the If () Then, Else block add a Switch Backdrop To () block and set it to the background for your 
second question.  
 
Part 4: Setting Up Additional Questions 
 
1.  Repeat the steps in Part 3 for all subsequent questions, using a new When Backdrop Switches To () event block to 
trigger the code for that question and the final  Switch Backdrop To () block being changed to move on to the 
following question. Make sure that the Answer = () operator aligns with the correct answer.  
2.  To save time, you can right click on a section of code and select Duplicate in order to make an exact copy of code 
that has already been written. 
 
Part 5: Ending the Quiz Game 
 
1.  In the line of code for the final quiz question, ensure that the Switch Backdrop To () block is set up to change to the 
background you created for your end game screen.  
2.  Use a When Backdrop Switches To () event block to trigger the end game screen.  
3.  Reposition your sprite using the Go To X () Y () block if necessary and add a Say () block.  
4.  Add a Join () () block from the green Operators menu to the blank space of the Say () block 
5.  In the first blank space of the Join () () block, write the beginning of a message that will tell the player what their 
final score was (do not include any number for the score).  
6.  In the second blank space of the Join () () block, drag the round Score block that was created in Part 2 from the 
orange Variables menu.  This  will ensure that the score displayed to the user represents  the actual  number of 
questions they got correct and will change each time the game is played, depending on the player’s performance.  
 
 

Extensions: 
 
●  Students can take their own photos and upload them as backdrops and/or sprites using the Paint Editor 
●  Students can also use the Sound Editor to record their own sounds. The Start Sound () and Play Sound () Until 
Done blocks will allow students to insert those files into their code.  
●  To learn more about Dr. Rose Mutiso and the impacts of energy use, consider the following books and videos: 
o  The energy Africa needs to develop -- and fight climate change | Rose M. Mutiso from TED 
o  Renewable Energy Sources - Types of Energy for Kids from Smile and Learn - English 
o  Types of Energy for Kids - Renewable and Non-Renewable Energies from Smile and Learn - English 
o  How  does  renewable  energy  work?  Solar,  Wind  &  Wave power  Explained|  LEGO  learning  -  Child 
Friendly from LEGO 
o  The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba 
o  Planet Power: Explore the World’s Renewable Energy by Stacy Clark 
 
Sharing Our Work/Consolidation: Students can share Scratch projects using these steps.  
 
1.  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. 
 
2.  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.   
 
3.  A rubric can be used to evaluate the final product. This and other assessment and evaluation tools can be modified, 
as needed. 
 
Low -Tech/No-Tech Modifications:  
 
●  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, consider a maximum group size of 2 students to ensure as much “hands-on” time 
with coding as possible. If access to devices is limited, 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.  
●  If you have no access to devices, you can: 
o  print images of the Scratch blocks in the folder at this link, cut them out and have students create their 
code with paper blocks instead. 
o  You may also wish to print out images of the background scenes and characters to further support students 
 
Appendix A: Self and Peer Feedback 
 
•  Student Self Assessment 
o  Thumbs Up 
o  WIN  
•  Peer Assessment 
o  Two Stars and a Wish 
o  TAG  
 
 
 

Appendix B: Anecdotal Prompts

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.

Key Concepts

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:

1. Can you tell me what you know about ______?

2. Can you show me where in your code you used _____? How does it work?

Application

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:

1. Can you tell me what this section of your code does?

2. 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?

3. What would happen if you made _____ change?

Troubleshooting/Debugging

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:

1. 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?

2. 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?

3. What are some mistakes you made when creating your project? What would you do differently next time?