Math Block

Each unit begins with and contains multiple lessons introducing students to new material, for approximately 14 days throughout each unit.  On the first day, students learn new programming skills and concepts, and then practice those skills and build on other skills on day 2. Additionally, students sign up for new applications and tools (if needed), learn definitions of key concepts, understand how they’re used in context, practice using tools and concepts, and are assessed on what they’ve learned.

Introduction lessons are primarily taught by the teacher to the whole class with students completing their work independently.  Teachers begin the lesson by engaging the class in an online “Do Now” to activate prior knowledge either aloud in a class discussion and/or by completing a prompt online. Teachers then provide students with limited time to explore independently the concept or tool through the digital interface. Students are prompted to analyze code examples online to help them understand how the skill or concept works. After this exploration, teachers give students ample time to apply the new skill or concept independently or with a shoulder partner through a series of tasks asking them to create various tags, strings of code, or other digital outputs. The lesson then ends with the teacher prompting students to complete a check for understanding online, allowing the teacher to measure and respond to student mastery.

For example, in the 6th grade web design lesson on text tags, situated in a unit on website design using the programming languages HTML andCSS, students learn the definition of text tags in HTML, learn how text tags are written, and then practice typing tags on their own. The lesson starts with a Do Now, introducing students to the concepts of text tags in HTML and asking them to answer a few brief questions online about what they notice in the code provided. Students then have a few minutes to explore in partner pairs the definition for text tags and how text tags work, culminating in a brief whole class discussion. The students then have time to explore independently by typing their own tags online before the teacher gives them a check for understanding to test what they’ve learned about tags. Intro to Tags Lesson Plan

Challenge days commonly follow the Introduction to New Material days and involve students taking a few days’ worth of new ideas and combining them to tackle a set of programming challenges. This will be done either independently or in teams, depending on the lesson. Each challenge increases in difficulty and often builds up to how multiple skills work together in actual applications, websites, or other artifacts.

Challenge days begin with students completing a Do Now to review a prior concept or activate prior knowledge, usually by completing a series of questions online. Then, the teacher introduces an exemplar or rubric to the class, followed by a brief discussion. The bulk of the lesson is devoted to giving students independent opportunities to apply their understanding and use of the tool to a series of online challenges to practice using the tool, culminating in a brief check for understanding.

For example, a 6th grade web design Challenge day lesson plan combines HTML and CSS together in one challenge, so that students can differentiate between the two and feel comfortable with both. Students start with a Do Now error-correcting activity they complete independently, and then briefly discuss as a whole group. The teacher then has students explore a problem-solving rubric for web design and answer a few questions independently before discussing them with the whole group. Students then have the bulk of the lesson to work on a series of challenge prompts in which they practice using the problem-solving rubric to identify errors and correct them in both HTML and CSS. The challenges build upon each other and lead students toward mastery of the skills needed for the final project. At the end of the lesson, students complete a check for understanding to demonstrate their learning. Web Design Challenge Day Lesson Plan

Project days are days spent working on a project, the primary way in which students are assessed. Every unit has two projects, one shorter project (~3 days) and one longer project (~6 days), which happen at different times throughout the unit.  Projects can be independent or collaborative, depending on the content.

Project days typically include a launch day, where students are introduced to the project and its rubric, and 3–4 creation days, where students use creativity and work independently on an artifact. Some projects may have use or value outside the classroom (i.e., a computer game, website, animated story). Projects serve as unit assessments.

This 6th grade web design project gives students the opportunity to tell a historical figure’s story through the creation and design of a website. Students begin the project by receiving an overview of the project and rubric and participating in a quick whole group discussion on both. Students then have extended time to individually brainstorm ideas online with a series of prompts and potentially get individual feedback from the teacher on their ideas. On the creation days, students start with a Do Now, and then work alone or with the help of peers on selecting colors, choosing appropriate tags, adding images, and including facts about their figure for others to see in their finished project. They can seek help and feedback from the instructor and largely work independently. The teacher introduces a tip each day to support students as they complete their projects. Web Design Project and Pitch Day Lesson Plans

Units end with a day where students present their final projects, whether independently, with a partner, in small groups, or with a group to the whole class. The goal is to prepare students for pitching their ideas and to collaboratively share each student’s ideas and creations. Typically, students are placed in small groups with a structured protocol for presenting and giving feedback to presenters based on the project rubric, and they take turns presenting to their peers.

In this 6th grade presentation lesson plan, the teacher starts off by providing instructions and expectations for the pitch day. Students are then placed in groups of four and take turns pitching their websites and providing feedback to each other. The structure for pitch days commonly allows for 3 minutes to pitch their projects to their teammates, 2 minutes for teammates to critique these projects on the rubric presented at the beginning of the project and provide feedback, and 2 minutes to share feedback with teammates; each time, the presenter takes notes. With the remaining time, students can implement the feedback they were given or elect a member of their group to pitch their project to the whole class. The lesson plan provides structured time for the pitch and feedback, guiding questions, and a rubric, so that students can run their own pitch sessions without input from the teacher. Web Design Project and Pitch Day Lesson Plans