ALEX Learning Activity

  

Build It or Bust! Giving Directions and Reflecting With Video

A Learning Activity is a strategy a teacher chooses to actively engage students in learning a concept or skill using a digital tool/resource.

You may save this Learning Activity to your hard drive as an .html file by selecting “File”,then “Save As” from your browser’s pull down menu. The file name extension must be .html.
  This learning activity provided by:  
Author: Mollie Bounds
System:Madison City
School:Madison City Board Of Education
  General Activity Information  
Activity ID: 1849
Title:
Build It or Bust! Giving Directions and Reflecting With Video
Digital Tool/Resource:
 
Web Address – URL:
Not Applicable
Overview:

While students are in pairs and without being able to see each other, student 1 designs and provides oral instructions to student 2 in order for student 2 to recreate a shape and/or structure only student 1 can see. Student 2 can ask clarifying questions, but that is all. This activity builds skills in sequencing, classifying, sorting, orientation, and relative position of objects. It also builds listening skills for oral comprehension and asking and answering concise questions.

This activity was created as a result of the DLCS COS Resource Development Summit.
  Associated Standards and Objectives  
Content Standard(s):
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: K
R1) Identify, demonstrate, and apply personal safe use of digital devices.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • can use devices responsibly.
  • can use software responsibly with help.
  • can obey internet safety rules.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • information
  • devices
  • software
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • how to identify responsible uses of devices.
  • how to identify responsible uses of software.
  • how to remember internet safety rules.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • identify responsible uses of devices: keeping them clean, correct methods for use.
  • identify responsible uses of software.
  • remember internet safety rules.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • they are responsible for using devices carefully to ensure they work and do not get broken.
  • there are correct ways to use software.
  • it is important to follow all rules when working on a computer.
  • they should only work on a computer when an adult is helping them.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: K
1) List the sequence of events required to solve problems.

Examples: Tying shoes, making a sandwich, brushing teeth.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • will identify the order of events related to a specific task.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • sequence
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • certain tasks require a specific sequence.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • tell the order of events for specific task.
  • identify what comes next for specific tasks.
  • identify a step that is not in the correct order.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • the order of events is important.
  • events are made up of several different steps.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: K
5) Demonstrate appropriate behaviors for working with others responsibly and kindly.

Examples: Face-to-face collaborative groups or interactions, online interactions, role play.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • will work with others and follow rules.
  • will be respectful of others.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • respect
  • task
  • communicate
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • taking turns is important to getting a task done on or off a computing device.
  • speaking/typing and behaving in a respectful way is important to getting a task done.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • take turns on and off a computing device.
  • speak/type and behave in a respectful way on and off a device.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • taking turns is necessary for positive and productive communication on and/or off a computing device.
  • being respectful on and/or off a computing device looks the same.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: K
12) Use a variety of digital devices, in both independent and collaborative settings.

Examples: Interactive boards, tablets, laptops, other handheld devices.

Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • will use basic features of various types of devices both independently and collaboratively.
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • basic features of various digital devices.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • use basic features of handheld/mobile devices collaboratively.
  • use basic features of handheld/mobile devices independently.
  • use basic features of desktops and laptops collaboratively.
  • use basic features of desktops and laptops independently.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • they can interact with apps on handheld devices via touch.
  • they can access programs and software on computing devices.
  • they can enter information in various ways.
Mathematics
MA2019 (2019)
Grade: K
18. Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.
Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Describe objects in the environment using name of shapes (squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres).
  • Describe the relative position of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • Two dimensional
  • Three dimensional
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • 2D and 3D shapes.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes.
  • Describe the relative position of objects.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • the world is made up of geometric shapes.
Diverse Learning Needs:
Essential Skills:
Learning Objectives:
M.K.18.1: Recognize location and position.
Examples: above, below, beside, in front of, behind, next to.
M.K.18.2: Identify cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres.
M.K.18.3: Imitate actions to place items.
Examples: in, on, under.
M.K.18.4: Match shapes.

Prior Knowledge Skills:
  • Notice same/different and some/all.
  • Begin to name and match colors, sizes, and shapes.
  • Enjoy playing with all kinds of objects.
  • Point to matching or similar objects.
  • Understand that words can label sameness and differences.
  • Understand that some have more, and some have less.
  • Sort objects based on shape or color.
  • Name and match primary colors.
  • Sort objects on the basis of both color and shape.
  • Sort a variety of objects in a group that have one thing in common.
  • Recognize and sort familiar objects with the same color, shape, or size.
  • Understand and point to a triangle, a circle, and a square, rectangle.
  • Understand the concept of same shape and size.
  • Have an interest in the order of things.
  • Understand the concept of smallest and shortest.
  • Begin to learn positional words.
Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
M.AAS.K.18 Recognize and match shapes of the same size and orientation, and describe the relative positions using in front of and behind (limited to circle, square, rectangle, and triangle).
Mathematics
MA2019 (2019)
Grade: K
19. Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall sizes.
Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Use visual characteristics of shapes to orally justify naming 2D and 3D shapes in a variety of sizes and orientations.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • Two dimensional
  • Three dimensional
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • 2D and 3D shapes.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Use geometric reasoning and visual characteristics of shapes to name shapes in a variety of sizes and orientations.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • geometric shapes can be sorted based on like characteristics.
Diverse Learning Needs:
Essential Skills:
Learning Objectives:
M.K.19.1: Recognize shapes.
M.K.19.2: Sort shapes with different attributes.
Examples: sort different size or color squares, circles, triangles, rectangles or hexagons.

Prior Knowledge Skills:
  • Notice same/different and some/all.
  • Begin to name and match colors, sizes, and shapes.
  • Enjoy playing with all kinds of objects.
  • Point to matching or similar objects.
  • Understand that words can label sameness and differences.
  • Understand that some have more, and some have less.
  • Sort objects based on shape or color.
  • Name and match primary colors.
  • Sort objects on the basis of both color and shape.
  • Sort a variety of objects in a group that have one thing in common.
  • Recognize and sort familiar objects with the same color, shape, or size.
  • Understand and point to a triangle, a circle, a square and rectangle.
  • Understand the concept of same shape and size.
Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
M.AAS.K.18 Recognize and match shapes of the same size and orientation, and describe the relative positions using in front of and behind (limited to circle, square, rectangle, and triangle).
Mathematics
MA2019 (2019)
Grade: K
20. Identify shapes as two-dimensional (lying in a plane, "flat") or three-dimensional ("solid").
Unpacked Content
Evidence Of Student Attainment:
Students:
  • Use visual characteristics of shapes (flat, fat, sticking out, solid, etc.) to justify categorizing shapes as 2D or 3D.
Teacher Vocabulary:
  • Two dimensional
  • Three dimensional
Knowledge:
Students know:
  • Characteristics of 2D and 3D shapes.
Skills:
Students are able to:
  • Use geometric reasoning and visual characteristics of shapes to designate shapes as 2D or 3D.
Understanding:
Students understand that:
  • geometrics shapes can be grouped into classes of 2D or 3D shapes based on their physical characteristics.
Diverse Learning Needs:
Essential Skills:
Learning Objectives:
M.K.20.1: Define two-dimensional and three-dimensional.
Example: two-dimensional shapes are flat, three-dimensional figures are solid.
M.K.20.2: Sort flat and solid objects.
M.K.20.3: Explore two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional figures.

Prior Knowledge Skills:
  • Notice same/different and some/all.
  • Begin to name and match sizes and shapes.
  • Enjoy playing with all kinds of objects.
  • Point to matching or similar objects.
  • Understand that words can label sameness and differences.
  • Sort objects on the basis of shape.
  • Recognize and sort familiar objects with the same shape or size.
  • Understand and point to a triangle, a circle, a square and rectangle.
  • Understand the concept of same shape and size.
Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
M.AAS.K.18 Recognize and match shapes of the same size and orientation, and describe the relative positions using in front of and behind (limited to circle, square, rectangle, and triangle).
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: K
4. With guidance and support, ask and answer questions to seek help, get information, or clarify information presented orally, through text, or other media.

Example: Use interrogatives who, what, where, when, why, and how to ask questions.
Unpacked Content
Teacher Vocabulary:
4.
  • Ask
  • Answer
  • Seek
  • Clarify
  • Orally
  • Media
  • Guidance
  • Support
Knowledge:
4. Students know:
  • Questions to seek help.
  • Questions to get information.
  • Questions to clarify information.
  • Common stems for asking questions (i.e., interrogatives like who, what, when, why, and how).
Skills:
4. Students are able to:
  • Ask and answer questions to seek help, get information, or clarify information presented orally, through text, or other media with guidance and support.
Understanding:
4. Students understand that:
  • They can seek help, get information, or clarify information presented orally, through text, or other media by asking and answering questions.
Learning Objectives:

Students will ask and answer clarifying questions orally.

Students will describe and create two-dimensional shapes and/or three-dimensional shapes.

Students will correctly name shapes.

Students will correctly use relational descriptors such as (but not limited to) next to, above, below, in front of, and behind.

Students will list the sequence of events required to solve problems.

Students will safely use a digital recording device.

Students will work with others kindly and respectfully.
  Strategies, Preparations and Variations  
Phase:
Before/Engage, During/Explore/Explain
Activity:

Students are placed in pairs. Each pair has a video recording device such as an iPad or tablet and a bag of pieces to create a structure (see advanced preparation section for setup instructions).

Assign which student will be the First Instructor and Builder. They will repeat the session and switch roles with a new structure.

Student 1, "The Instructor," analyzes the contraption in the photograph and thinks about a good sequence of instructions to tell "The Builder" (student 2). 

With a video recording device recording their session, the Instructor begins to give clear sequential instructions to the Builder. The Builder is allowed to ask clarifying questions but the Instructor cannot look at what the Builder is doing. They continue in this manner until the time is up. The recommended time is 1-2 minutes (depending upon how complex the structure is). 

Students then review the video. They reflect on how they could have been more clear with their instructions and questions. They also reflect on what would have been the best sequence of events. 

Students switch roles and repeat the steps above. 

Before the class comes back together. Have each pair turn and talk (examples):

  • I could have done a better job at ________. Next time I will _________. (take turns answering)

  • I really liked how you _________. (take turns answering)

  • I think if you did __________ it would have helped me better. (take turns answering)

  • I'm a little proud of how I _____________. (take turns answering)

At a class debrief, the teacher and class discuss the reflections that the pairs had, honing in on the content to be assessed such as shapes, relational directions, etc.

Possible Guiding Questions:

  • What big lessons about giving instructions did you learn?

  • Why is it so important to give clear instructions?

  • What was the most difficult part of this activity?

  • What could you have done better as a listener/builder and as an Instructor/instructions giver?

  • What kind of shapes and lines did you use?

  • How does being patient and respectful help you communicate?

  • What were some things you or your partner said were your strengths or weaknesses? 

*If the next step of this lesson is to go into block-based coding, this activity is related to the fact that the sequential steps must be very precise and clear for a computer to follow. 
Assessment Strategies:

Teacher observation during the session. (Rubric here)

Class debriefs

Because students are so young, a brief conference with each student pair would best suit the reflection process after the activity.
Advanced Preparation:

Decide what material you would like to build from (clay/sticks, Legos, K'nex, etc.) and design two sets of shapes for each pair of students. If you are working on a particular unit in which naming 2-D and 3-D shapes is the goal, then create shapes that have these attributes so that students can use the language. Don't make anything so simple that a student can simply say, "make a square," and then they are done.

Design the structures you would like students to build and take photographs of them. Print as many photographs as you would have pairs of students. 

Tablets, iPads, or a hand-held easy-to-use device is necessary if you decide to film.
Variation Tips (optional):

This activity could work really well in a center, where small groups of students move through the day.

This activity could be done more than once and students could eventually design the item to be built. 
Notes or Recommendations (optional):

This activity could be used as a before activity before moving into block-based coding. It shows the importance of sequential thinking and concise directions.

This activity could also be used as a during strategy for a geometry unit on shapes.
  Keywords and Search Tags  
Keywords and Search Tags: collaborative, computer science, digital literacy, oral language, questioning, speaking