Endangered animals Unplugged coding activity

Escola Barrufet

Invite-only in-person activity

https://twinspace.etwinning.net/92652/pages/page/673520

Plaça de l'Agricultura, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain

It is an unplugged coding game created to be played as an optional activity integrated in an eTwinning project (Dear Earth). It's a role game created by children (all the materials) in previous lessons. The game will be carried out in the period from the 14th to the 20th of October. AIMS - Learn to propose and follow very clear instructions with a specific order - Introduce the most basic programming concepts in a fun way - Find out dangers and difficulties the endangered animals must overcome to survive - Be creative and work together to improve the “program” created WORK PROCESS “Coding is a creative process executed by computer programmers to tell a computer how to perform a task”. As we haven’t got any coding experience we want to start asking our children to “imagine” they are a team of “programmers” working on a program to improve the survival possibilities of animals in danger of extinction. They will be responsible to “test” different ways giving close and easy instructions to save as many animals as possible. To do that we will play a game using a giant grid painted on the floor and children as pieces of the game, acting as animals. The programmer team will give instructions to the “animals” to move and try find the best way to overcome the difficulties that can be found along the way (they can find “danger cards” in some“squares) . We want to combine a double task, to be aware and find out the problems these animals must overcome to survive and to try to create a program to direct the animal (using people as pieces of the game –animals) to reach the goal alive, moving by following instructions on a giant grid painted on the floor. The programmer team will use a dice (with 3 numbers) and very easy instructions (down, right). The programmer team must create the best program to succeed (As we presume most part of the animals could not complete their life-cycle (survive) the programmers team can make decisions and add conditions to the game to improve the first idea: Adding "instructions" ("turn right" , "go back")or numbers to the dice (first we begin with 3 numbers they can add till 6 to run more) Using “IF clauses“ (If the animals comes out of the grid it can follow beginning in the next line , If I cannot go down I can shoot again, etc The game is played on a giant grid (square board painted with chalk or created with tape on the floor… similar to a chess) on the ground with 36 squares (spaces). There are two big dices. One with numbers (from 1 to 3) and a second one with instructions (down –right ). We will ise flashcards with the instructions to help cpmprehension. There are two kinds of players: The programmer team and the animals (with medals with the name and photo o the endangered animal). The programmer team take turns to roll the dices and move their piece forward (animal players) following the dices results (example 2. Down). Previously they have placed different difficulties and dangers the animals can find in their life-cycles(deforestation, ilegal hunting, destruction of natural hábitats (fire in the Woods, buildings...), global pollution (for example ingesting plastics…). They place different “cartoons” with this difficulties on the squares of the board game. Perhaps they can add some “good squares” to help them survive, as creación of natural reserves. Out of the grid we can place their natural enemies (other animals) so if they leave the grid the animal also dies. The aim of the game is to save as much animals as posible. If the animals, following the instructions, falls into a box occupied by a “danger card” the animal die and leaves the grid. If following the instructions the animals gets out the grid he also diez (dejected by their natural enemies). Then the next animal begins the game and tries to survive. If we realize our “program” is not very successful we can improve it and try to program something different (adding something else, “return”, “left”…) and compare its success. (before coding we can become familiar with the “code“,Move 1,2,3 steps Move forward,Turn left,Turn right, Return…) EXPECTED RESULTS We think this game can help debate and raise awareness about endangered animals and the problems that causes their extinction and to help to start thinking like a programmer , being creative and trying new ways to solve the problems found.

https://blocs.xtec.cat/barrufetschool