We Do 2.0 Activity

Madi and I chose the activity, Plants and Pollinators.We are going to build our own Plant and Pollinator by first creating the model and then seeing how much time we need to set aside to be able to support our students during this assignment. This project uses models to represent a real-world concept. This project is intended to be an application of students’ prior knowledge regarding the relationship between plants and pollinators.The standards we use as a guide are as follows. 

     Learner 

5.1.a - Set professional learning goals to explore and apply teaching strategies for integrating CT practices into learning activities in ways that enhance student learning of both the academic discipline and CS concepts.

Students will practice CT skills by creating and programming a model of a bee and flower to mimic the relationship between the pollinator and the plant. Students will then present and document the different models you have created of plants and their pollinators. This helps students learn and explore while incorporating CT practices.

5.1.c - Leverage CT and CS experts, resources, and professional learning networks to continuously improve practice integrating CT across content areas.

Students will be using the We Do 2.0 program to code sequenced actions for their desired task.

5.1.d - Develop resilience and perseverance when approaching CS and CT learning experiences, build comfort with ambiguity and open-ended problems, and see failure as an opportunity to learn and innovate.

As students work towards building their own pollination model, they will experience trial and error. This will help build resilience and perseverance when it comes to computational thinking within computer science. Something that is necessary when working in the field.

     Facilitator 

5.5.c - Use a variety of instructional approaches to help students frame problems in ways that can be represented as computational steps or algorithms to be performed by a computer.

Students will create their own Pollinator model. They will work through their problems using the provided program. As a facilitator, I will support students in decision-making and will offer solutions when frustration arises. I will also help students navigate algorithms that will be made using the We Do 2.0 program. 

     Example of Plant and Pollinator Model

    Our Finished Model

                                                                  

                        

                                                                            

                                                                          Madi and I finished building our robot on Day 1.

      This creation will turn the motor on in one direction until the bee is detected on top of the flower.

    When this happens, the motor will stop and the bee sound will be played with a sequenced algorithm using the

                                                                                        We Do 2.0 program. 

Our Design required 51 steps in order for the Pollinator model to be completed. To save time and to give students longer opportunities to work with code, we have decided to have the Pollinator partially completed prior to meeting with Metro Elementary students. Students will only spend a little of their time building part of the Plant Pollinator and spend most of their time working with code.

Students will have access to printed instructions as well as online directions.

View Building Instructions

 

    Steps

                                                           Step 1: Read the prompt to the students

Pollination is only one step in a flowering plant’s life cycle. After the flower has been pollinated, the fruit or the seed will develop on the plant. The plant then gets further assistance from animals or an external force, such as the wind or rain, to disperse the seeds.

Step 2: Show listed video on Lego Education and ask a few questions

- What are the parts of a flower?

(Anther, Stamen, Stigma, Style, Pollen, Nectar)

- Name three stages in the life of a flowering plant?

(Seed, Seedling, and mature plant with flower)

- What is the role of a flower?

(The flower is the organ developed by a plant to attract animals in order to get help in the reproductive process and create seeds)

- Do all flowers get pollinated by a pollinator?

(Some pollination takes place using the wind or rain)

Step 3: Tell Students they will be creating a Pollinator Model of their own with Legos.

Step 4: Introduce the We Do 2.0 App

Open the We Do 2.0 App

Step 5: Give an example of how to use the App

Step 6: Let students practice building code

(Have a working code as an example for students)

Step 7: Let Students practice

Allow time for students to practice with the 2.0  App and their completed Pollinator creation.

Step 8: Conclusion

- What did you find most challenging?

- Were there any problems that you ran into?

- What was your solution/ how did you workout the problem?

- Is there anything that can be changed to make the program easier?

- Would you like to use this program for future lessons and activities?