Workshop at the 2nd Scientix Conference, 24-26 October 2014, Brussels, Belgium

1. WS11
–
#ScientixConf
1
LEARN
MATH
THROUGH
CODE
(Tullia
Urschitz
–
utullia@gmail.com)
Aim
of
the
workshop
is
to
involve
participants
in
an
active
learning
environment
that
can
be
useful
to
stimulate
first
grades
and
prescholar
children
to
develop
maths
and
problem
solving
skills
through
coding
activities
that
don’t
require
the
use
of
computer.
Using
simple
“coding”
instructions,
children
will
be
introduced
through
several
skills
and
STEM
concepts:
-­‐ quantity
-­‐ counting
-­‐ spatial
orientation
-­‐ problem
solving
-­‐ use
of
specific
language
-­‐ …
setting:
-­‐ open
space
materials:
-­‐ “Twister-­‐like”
surface
(it
is
possible
to
use
the
Twister
game
surface
but
it
is
better
creating
a”Twister-­‐like
surface”
with
coloured
circle
of
paper
on
the
ground,
setting
same
colours
not
in
regular
rows).
contents:

2. WS11
–
#ScientixConf
2
To
introduce
young
students
to
a
programming
language,
is
first
necessary
make
them
practice
with
a
little
game,
to
be
sure
they
understand
what
is
a
“procedure”.
Blind
one
volunteer
with
a
scarf:
he
will
be
a
“submarine”;
ask
another
participant,
“the
pilot”,
to
put
his
hands
over
“submarine”
shoulders
and
drive
it
from
one
point
to
another
fixed
one,
following
the
instructions
of
classmates.
As
we
want
to
work
only
with
lower
level
instructions,
the
only
possible
commands
should
be:
-­‐ “one
step
ahead”
-­‐ “turn
that
side”
(meaning
by
this,
turn
90°
on
the
right,
but
this
is
something
little
children
cannot
understand,
so
it
would
be
necessary
to
show
them
what
we
mean
by
“turn
that
side”)
-­‐ “turn
this
side”
(meaning
by
this,
turn
90°
on
the
left,
but
this
is
something
little
children
cannot
understand,
so
it
would
be
necessary
to
show
them
what
we
mean
by
“turn
this
side”)
-­‐
Of
course
working
with
adults
is
not
like
working
with
children
so,
even
if
participants
can
understand
the
importance
of
a
proper
language
to
reach
the
target,
they
cannot
completely
imagine
that
working
with
children
is
much
more
creative…
After
first
icebreaking
game,
is
now
time
to
use
the
“Twister
surface”
for
the
“orientation”
game.
Participants
are
split
in
groups
of
five:
one
of
them
is
the
“esecutor”
who
moves
over
the
game
surface,
the
other
four
are
the
programmers,
who
have
to
“compile”
the
procedure
to
make
the
esecutor
moving
from
the
start
and
reach
the
end,
touching
at
least
one
time
each
colour.
Commands,
as
in
the
previous
game,
can
be
only:
-­‐ “one
step
ahead”
-­‐ “turn
that
side”
(meaning
by
this,
turn
90°
on
the
right,
but
this
is
something
little
children
cannot
understand,
so
it
would
be
necessary
to
show
them
what
we
mean
by
“turn
that
side”)
-­‐ “turn
this
side”
(meaning
by
this,
turn
90°
on
the
left,
but
this
is
something
little
children
cannot
understand,
so
it
would
be
necessary
to
show
them
what
we
mean
by
“turn
this
side”)
Go
digital!
Little
children
love
games.
To
help
them
becoming
“makers”
and
build
their
own
games,
it
is
possible,
after
practicing
the
coding
hands-­‐on
activity
on
the
ground,
introduce
the
use
of
a
simple
programming
language,
like
Scratchjr,
and
ask
them
to
“help
the
seahorse”
to
reach
“the
seafish”

3. WS11
–
#ScientixConf
3
Going
on
with
the
game,
every
group
who
have
completed
this
level
can
go
on
with
next
level,
in
which
children
can
work
with
amounts
(adding
and
subtracting
points)
In
this
step,
each
time
that
the
“esecutor”
touchs
a
green
circle,
he
earns
one
point;
if
he
touch
a
red
circle
he
loses
one
point.
After
reaching
the
end,
the
team
is
requested
to
calculate
points.
The
steps
described
above
can
fit
with
prescholar
children
and
with
1st
and
2nd
grades.
To
increase
difficulties,
for
elder
students
(1
to
3
grades),
is
possible
to
introduce
“control
structures”
and
prevent
the
“esecutor”
to
go
on
a
specific
colour
If
<condition>
then
<instruction1>
else
<instruction2>
If
<red+red>
then
<green
is
not
allowed>
else
<choose
the
colour>
Suggestions
for
implementation:
this
workshop
can
also
be
the
starting
point
for
some
mathematical
activities
with
Scratch
Programming
for
students
in
6th
to
8th
grade
who
already
use
to
program
with
Scratch.