Grade 3 Computational Thinker Cornerstone Task Lesson

Grade 3 Computational Thinker Cornerstone Task Lesson

Select the tab below to view the lesson materials for each day.  If applicable an extension is also provided for each at the bottom of each tab.

 

 Teacher Preparation

  • Import Student Facing Module from Commons.
  • Review yellow highlighted content in the SF Module.  Create/Update content to meet the needs of your students.
  • Make sure that your Dash robots are charged and ready for class.
  • Provide copies of the Student Facing - Cornerstone Task Rubric Links to an external site. or the Plan - Student Friendly Language Links to an external site. to have available for students to review.
  • Consult with classroom teacher about students who work well or don't work well together to assist in creating groups of 3/4 students for the Cornerstone Task.
  • Review and adjust groups from Dash's puzzle lessons if needed for better success during cornerstone obstacle course
  • Create an Dash Obstacle Course in your Classroom using the mat provided from Print Shop and one of the practice Pseudocode trips from the SF Module.  The course should have 1 foot blocks in a 5x6 foot grid pattern. 
    • Set up the mat to match the trip image provided.
    • Obstacles can be any object that fits in the space and create an obstruction. (ex. cones, blocks, tissue boxes, Clorox wipe containers, file folders, etc.) since height is needed for sensing options to work
  • The Pseudocode practice trips are meant to help your students to better understand how to read and write pseudocode.  They are meant to be done as direct instruction.  Determine how many of the trips you work through together based on the needs of your students.  Three trips are provided.
  • Select your Assessment Measure: 
  • Optional Teacher Materials:

 

Motivation

Multiple Means of Motivation

  • Review Cornerstone Overview with students.
  • Introduce/Review Key Vocabulary that students may be familiar with.
  • Show students the How to Use iRobot Roomba Links to an external site. video provided in the SF Module.  Consider having students sit on the floor to watch the video.  
  • Pause the video periodically to ask students how Roomba knows to avoid certain obstacles such as furniture, toys, stairs, etc. 
  • Make sure that students understand that robots use sensors in order to help them navigate around.

Learning Target:

  • Students will understand that iRobot Roomba uses sensors to avoid obstacles.

Included in Student Facing Module:

Lesson

Multiple Means of Representation

  • Review with students the task requirements and the Cornerstone Task Rubric Links to an external site.
  • Allow time for students to ask questions as needed.  Remind students that each row on the rubric connects to one portion of the Cornerstone Task. 
  • Tell them that they should refer back to the rubric  and the student friendly language in the module as they are working.
  • Show students the classroom course Dash will have to navigate.
  • Tell students that much like the iRobot Roomba Dash will be using sensors to avoid obstacles (furniture). 
  • Elicit from students that the coding command that tells a sensor what to do is the If/Then Conditional. 
  • Ask students if they know what Pseudocode is?
  • Use the Understanding Pseudocode Links to an external site. - Google Slides to review the term Pseudocode.
  • Demonstrate for students that pseudocode is an informal way to quickly write code.  It is plain language code.  Ex. Start, Forward, turn left, if turn left/else go straight, etc.
  • Select one or more of the Practice Trips provided in the SF Module to complete with students as a whole group or in smaller groups to model Pseudocode.
  • Review with students the Plan - Student Friendly Language Links to an external site. so that they know the expectations for this section.

Learning Target:

  • Students will connect sensors used by iRobot Roomba are similar to those used by Dash.
  • Students will create pseudocode as a group based on Practice Trip Maps.
  • Use remaining time to practice Pseudo coding using the Practice Trips.

Included in Student Facing Module:

Assessment

Multiple Means of Expression

  • Students will complete a guided practice to practice creating pseudocode.

Learning Target:

    • Students will practice writing pseudocode that includes an event, a loop, a conditional and a sensor to avoid the obstacles on the course.

Included in the Student Facing Module:

  • Learning Pseudocode - Observational Submission 

 

 

 Teacher Preparation

 

Motivation

Multiple Means of Motivation

  • Ask students to summarize what we learned last week.
  • Review pseudocode with students. 
  • Tell students that today we are going to begin planning how to get Dash through the Obstacle Course. You will be arranging them into groups of 3/4 to work together to complete the Cornerstone Task.
  • Share with students that engineers work in teams in order to create and solve problems more efficiently.

Learning Target:

  • Students will understand that they will use pseudocode to plan a route for Dash to navigate the obstacle course.

Included in Student Facing Module:

Lesson

Multiple Means of Representation

  • Tell students that today they will be working to complete their planning guide. 
  • Allow each team time to determine if they will complete their planning guide on paper or digitally using Wixie. Alternatively the teacher may decide for the class.
  • Show students the classroom course that is set up on the Dash mat.
  • Tell students that in their group of engineers they will need create a plan and write pseudocode to to get Dash from the Start to the Finish without touching any obstacles.
  • Arrange students into previously assigned groups of 3/4 to work together to complete the Cornerstone Task.
  • Remind students that engineers work in teams in order to create and solve problems more efficiently.

Paper Submission Option

Digital Submission Option

Learning Target:

  • Students will create pseudocode based on their classroom map.
  • Students will write If/Then/Else and Repeat commands.

Included in Student Facing Module:

Assessment

Multiple Means of Expression

  • Students will complete the Cornerstone Planning Guide either on paper or digitally.

Learning Target:

  • Students will write pseudocode that includes an event, a loop, a conditional and a sensor to avoid the obstacles on the course.

Included in the Student Facing Module:

  • Getting Started - Paper Submission
  • Getting Started - Wixie Submission

 

 

 Teacher Preparation

 

Motivation

Multiple Means of Motivation

Learning Target:

  • Students will review their work from the previous class.
  • Students will prepare to input code in Dash's Blockly Page.

Lesson

Multiple Means of Representation

Learning Target:

  • Students will input their code in the Dash's Blockly page.
  • Students will input code that includes an event block, a loop, a conditional, and use of a sensor.
  • Students will prepare to test their robot on the obstacle course.

Included in Student Facing Module:

Assessment

Multiple Means of Expression

  • Student will input their code into the Dash's Blockly Page

Learning Target:

  • Students will input code that includes an event block, a loop, a conditional, and use of a sensor.

Included in the Student Facing Module:

  • Completing the Cornerstone - Observational Submission

 

 

 Teacher Preparation

 

Motivation

Multiple Means of Motivation

  • Demonstrate for students how to open their Dash Blockly Page Links to an external site. project from Day 3.  
  • Have students review their completed code that they built from Day 3.  
  • Students will prepare to test their code on the classroom course.

Learning Target:

  • Students will review their work from the previous class.
  • Students will prepare to test their code on the classroom course

Included in Student Facing Module:

Lesson

Multiple Means of Representation

  • Review with students the Cornerstone Task Job Cards Links to an external site. and ensure that all students have selected jobs in each group.
  • Review and demonstrate for students how to test and record their work on the classroom course.
    • Provide students with a set amount of time on the course to work, debug, and try again OR provide them with a certain number of attempts. Recommended 10-15 minutes on the course or 2-3 attempts.
    • Consider creating a practice course if space allows for students to test and then only record their official final run on the official course.
    • Review with students the directions for submitting a video or sound recording using the Canvas assignment.
    • Remind students of the Task Requirements and Rubric Links to an external site. Use the Test - Student Friendly Language Links to an external site. as needed with students to understand how their work will be assessed.

Learning Target:

  • Students will assume a job role for the testing of the classroom course.
  • Students will test their code on the classroom course. They will have an opportunity to debug their code.

Included in Student Facing Module:

Assessment

Multiple Means of Expression

  • Students will submit their group recordings through Canvas for assessment.
  • Guide students through the submitting a survey where they will reflect on working with their group.  Remind students that this is a personal reflection. Encourage reflective statements such as "[this] didn't go well, but next time I could....."
  • Remind students of the Task Requirements and Rubric Links to an external site. Use the Reflect - Student Friendly Language Links to an external site. as needed with students to understand how their work will be assessed.

Learning Target:

  • Students will create a recording of their Dash robot completing the obstacle course.
  • Students will complete a survey to reflect on their experience working with a group to complete the cornerstone task.

Included in the Student Facing Module:

 

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