Content area
The programming challenges align primarily to fourth and fifth grade content standards within the Common Core State Standards (CCSSI, 2010) such as the algebraic ideas behind patterns (4.OA.5), the relative size of measurement units (4.MD.1), angle measurement (4.MD.5.b), lines of symmetry (4.G.3), and multiplication fluency (5.NBT.5). introducing the stations To start, we gathered all students on the rug in the center of the classroom. Figure 2). programming challenges: a closer look at the mathematics Programming Challenge 1 required students to use their knowledge of geometry content by focusing on the properties of squares-including the number of sides and interior angle measures. While many mathematical concepts are central to each of the four programming challenges, there was explicit attention to students' mathematical thinking by having them complete questions in a math log (Figure 5). career connection: virtual meeting with computer programmers To link to real-world endeavors, our class videoconferenced with three computer programmers to engage in a meaningful conversation about mathematics in the workplace. Through the computer programmers' thoughtful responses, students were able to take away key ideas including: computer programmers love their careers because of the problem solving and mathematical thinking involved; some computer programmers create video games, but many programmers do other exciting work; and that, surprisingly for the students, it takes hundreds of people to put together all of the parts it takes to program (create) an entire computer!
Did you know that...
* Many students decide the STEM subjects are too challenging, boring, and/or uninteresting before they enter eighth grade (PCAST, 2010)?
* Women, minorities, and other groups remain vastly underrepresented as STEM majors and in STEM careers (Hill, Corbett, & Rose, 2010; PCAST, 2010)?
* Students who show interest in STEM disciplines by the eighth grade are up to three times more likely to become STEM majors in college (PCAST, 2010)?
We must respond to these STEM statistics! As stated in NCTM's Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All (2014), we must "increase the number of high school graduates, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups, who are interested in, and prepared for, STEM careers" (p. 3).
In this article, the authors share how students from a Southeastern urban city were transported from their current life as fifth graders to a STEM career as a computer programmer. We describe two different programming stations, engaging students in the same four programming challenges presented in Blocky programming language. You do not need to implement both stations in your classroom to meaningfully employ the computer programming challenges we share-you can use whichever one best aligns to your available resources. The programming challenges align primarily to fourth and fifth grade content standards within the Common Core State Standards (CCSSI, 2010) such as the algebraic ideas behind patterns (4.OA.5), the relative size of measurement units (4.MD.1), angle measurement (4.MD.5.b), lines of symmetry (4.G.3), and multiplication fluency (5.NBT.5).
introducing the stations
To start, we gathered all students on the rug in the center of the classroom. We then explained that they were going to complete four exciting Frozen®-themed programming challenges (Figure 1) at two different stations and have the opportunity to talk with real computer programmers at the end of class! We used a whole-group discussion, asking questions such as How does a robot know how and where to move? Do robots speak our language? and How can robots interpret our language? in order to help students begin to think like programmers and understand more precisely what is meant by the word coding. At the first station, students partnered on a laptop to engage in Frozen®themed coding challenge puzzles found on a free website, code.org (2017). At the second station, students completed the programming challenges with a real robot named Dash (Wonder Workshop, 2017; www.makewonder.com/Dash/: Figure 2).
programming challenges: a closer look at the mathematics
Programming Challenge 1 required students to use their knowledge of geometry content by focusing on the properties of squares-including the number of sides and interior angle measures. In order to precisely write code to successfully complete this challenge and represent the idea that squares have four equal sides, students had to program their robot to go the same distance when making each of the four sides of the square. The robot also must turn exactly 90° each time when forming the square (representing the interior angle measure of the four interior angles of a square). As students grappled with these ideas, they engaged in interesting conversations with their partner or with teachers, including conversations such as this:
Student: It [the distance] repeated four times.
Teacher: Why?
Student: It has to turn four times because there are four perimeters.
Teacher: Four times? Why four times for a square?
Student: Four times to get the perimeter.
Teacher: Is there a better word for four times?
Student: Four sides, because a square has four sides.
Teacher: Oh, four sides!
Programming Challenge 2 involved sequential and nonsequential patterning, which led students to create and understand algorithms as defined by a set of rules to be followed to complete a task, calculations, or other problem-solving operations. For example, students' programming of Dash to draw a square included code using a "Repeat" block (see Figure 3 as an example). This repeated process allowed us to discuss the concept of using multiplication in the programming world as a strategy for coding efficiency, rather than repeating the same lines of code. Using the repeat block to repeat multiple steps of code was a new, real-life, and interesting way to engage students in thinking about multistep patterns, something more typically explored in traditional mathematics lessons through noncontextual numerical or geometric patterns. The student work sample in Figure 4 highlights how students created algorithms, developing a reflective use as opposed to rote use. Along these same lines, Programming Challenges 3 and 4 introduced the idea of combining familiar simple shapes into complex designs with nested loops, eventually creating a beautiful snowflake as a culmination of their programming efforts. Of course, this was perfect within the Frozen® theme. These programming challenges further engaged students in the mathematical application of sequential patterns, repeats, and recursion through the context of computer programming.
While many mathematical concepts are central to each of the four programming challenges, there was explicit attention to students' mathematical thinking by having them complete questions in a math log (Figure 5).
career connection: virtual meeting with computer programmers
To link to real-world endeavors, our class videoconferenced with three computer programmers to engage in a meaningful conversation about mathematics in the workplace. Students were organized around three smartboards so they could see the programmers. We were also intentional in recruiting a female programmer, as we wanted students to recognize that all people have options to work within the computer programming business.
The computer programmers asked students: What mathematics did you need to use today to be able to complete the coding challenges? Students enthusiastically responded that they used patterns to repeat their code and they used multiplication to figure out how many times to repeat a code. Two mathematical ideas that emerged during the coding challenges were the use of both the properties of a square and angle measurement. Students explained that in order to code the creation of a square, they had to use their knowledge of geometric properties. When one student mentioned angles, that jostled other students' memories.
Next, we gave students the opportunity to ask questions about computer programming careers. They were eager to ask questions, both predicable and unpredictable, including: Are you able to program video game systems? How many people does it take to program a computer? What types of things do you program? What made you become a computer programmer? and How long have you been doing this career? Through the computer programmers' thoughtful responses, students were able to take away key ideas including: computer programmers love their careers because of the problem solving and mathematical thinking involved; some computer programmers create video games, but many programmers do other exciting work; and that, surprisingly for the students, it takes hundreds of people to put together all of the parts it takes to program (create) an entire computer! We have included two sets of questions (Figure 6): (1) Culminating Questions that can be used in part or whole, for students to answer individually or in a small- or whole-class groupings, after the programming challenges and prior to the virtual meeting and (2) Reflections Questions that were used at the end of our exploration.
conclusion
These computer programming challenges and accompanying career connections provided a relevant STEM context for working with important mathematics concepts related to measurement, geometry, multiplicative thinking, and algebraic thinking. We hope that by sharing this work we inspire other teachers to explore the integration of mathematics and technology via computer programming as a meaningful way to explore mathematics ideas conceptually and engage students in thinking about STEM careers!
references
Code.org. (2017). https://studio.code.org/courses
Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). (2010). Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. Common Core State Standards (College- and Career-Readiness Standards and K-12 Standards in English Language Arts and Math). Washington, DC: National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers. www. corestandards.org
Hill, C., Corbett, C., & St. Rose, A. (2010). Why so few? Women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. American Association of University Women. Washington, DC.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2014). Principles to actions: Ensuring mathematical success for all. Reston, VA: Author.
President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). (2010). Report to the President: Prepare and inspire: K-12 education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for America's future. Executive report.
Wonder Workshop. (2017). www. makewonder.com/dash
Copyright International Technology Education Association Dec 2018