Lesson 5: Collecting Treasure with Laurel
55 minutes
Overview
In this skill-building lesson, students will continue to develop their understanding of algorithms and debugging. With a new character, Laurel the Adventurer, students will create sequential algorithms to get Laurel to pick up treasure as she walks along a path.
Purpose
In this lesson, students will be practicing their programming skills using a new character, Laurel the Adventurer. When someone starts programming they piece together instructions in a specific order using something that a machine can read. Through the use of programming, students will develop an understanding of how a computer navigates instructions and order. Using a new character with a different puzzle objective will help students widen their scope of experience with sequencing and algorithms in programming.
Standards
AP - Algorithms & Programming
- 1A-AP-09 - Model the way programs store and manipulate data by using numbers or other symbols to represent information.
- 1A-AP-11 - Decompose (break down) the steps needed to solve a problem into a precise sequence of instructions.
Agenda
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Develop problem solving and critical thinking skills by reviewing debugging practices.
- Order movement commands as sequential steps in a program.
- Represent an algorithm as a computer program.
Preparation
- Play through the puzzles to find potential problem areas for your class.
Links
Heads Up! Please make a copy of any documents you plan to share with students.
For the teachers
- CSF - Course C - Slides 2022-2023 - Slides (Download)
For the students
- Unplugged Blocks (Courses C-F) - Manipulatives
Vocabulary
- Algorithm - A list of steps to finish a task.
- Program - An algorithm that has been coded into something that can be run by a machine.
- Programming - The art of creating a program.
Teaching Guide
Warm Up (10 minutes)
Reflect
Reflect: When is it important to be persistent in your everyday life?
Vocabulary
Display: Show “Vocabulary” slide
- Algorithm - A list of steps to finish a task.
- Program - An algorithm that has been coded into something that can be run by a machine.
- Programming - The art of creating a program.
Introduction
Display: Show “New Block” slide
Say: Laurel the Adventurer will need to pick up the treasure that she is standing over. Our new block, collect, will allow her to do that.
This new block will be discussed more in the bridging activity.
Bridging Activity (10 minutes)
Previewing Online Puzzles as a Class
Display: Show “Bridging Activity” slide
Say: Describe the algorithm that you think will get Laurel the Adventurer to collect all the treasure.
Ask the students to share. See how many other students had the same answer!
Display: Show “Sample Answer” slide
Main Activity (30 minutes)
Collecting Treasure with Laurel
Laurel the Adventurer is looking to collect as much treasure as she can. Instruct the students to traverse the puzzle to collect whatever they can. Some levels will require you to only pick up one piece of treasure, but others will require you to pick up every piece of treasure. Pay attention to the instructions to know what to do!
Display: Show “The Collector” video
Display: Show “Level 2-7 - Skill Building” slide
Display: Show “Level 9-11 - Practice” slide
Display: Show “Level 12 - Prediction” slide
Display: Show “Lesson Extras slide
Wrap Up (5 minutes)
Reflection
Display: Show “Reflect” slide
Reflect: When did you use persistence in solving the puzzles today?
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