Focus & Review
You already know one of the most important words used in computer languages. What is that word?
(One of the students is selected to be our "if minion" to hold up a sign with "if" written in large letters.)
Objectives:
Students recall that they are very familiar with one of the most important words (“if”) used in Computer Languages.
Students recognize that "taking turns" by forming a circular loop is a helpful way for the class to use "if" to learn the ages of students in the classroom.
Students learn that "taking turns using a loop" is often called a for loop in Computer Languages.
Students learn that by using "if" and "for loop," Computer Languages and People can learn, and keep track of, large amounts of interesting and useful information.
Materials:
The website rsuperstars.com (visuals and animation) displayed on the class Smart Board.
Two large signs, one with "if" written in large letters, the other with "for loop" written in large letters.
Teacher Input:
It is easier for Computers and People to keep track of your answers to "if" by forming a "loop" and taking turns, much like how you take turns being served food in the school cafeteria. Since we are forming a loop, to take turns for each member of the loop, we often call this a for loop.
Refer to the images and animation on rsuperstars.com to show students how "if" and a "loop" can be combined to take turns learning information about students, such as the age of each student, or which students have pets at home.
Guided Learning:
The students are guided to form a loop at the front of the classroom and take turns walking past the "if minion." The "if" and "loop" are used to determine which students are a given age. (We select an age that applies to many of the students in the class.) A student gives a high-five to the "if minion" as they walk by only if that is indeed their age. One person is selected to be the "loop minion" to stand in the middle of our loop and make sure each student gets a turn walking past the "if minion."
Independent Learning:
We now know that all of the students fall into two (or possibly more) age groups. We realize that it might be better to use multiple "if minions" (one for each age group) so that every age in the class can be identified. We select another person to be the second "if minion." The students are asked to repeat the process with multiple "if minions" (one for each age) and a "loop" (taking turns) to determine the correct age for all the students in the class.
The students form a loop at the front of the classroom and take turns walking past the "if minions." Depending on their age, each student gives a high-five to the appropriate "if minion" as they walk by that minion.
Closure:
By way of review, students recall that they are very familiar with one of the most important words (“if”) used in Computer Languages.
Students recognize that "taking turns" by forming a circular loop is a helpful way for the class to use "if" to learn the age of each student in the classroom.
Students learn that "taking turns using a loop" is often called a for loop in Computer Languages. In this case, we used a for loop for each student to learn his or her age.
Students learn that by using "if" and "for loop," as we have just done, Computer Languages and People can learn, and keep track of, large amounts of interesting and useful information.