CHRISTMAS CODING MAZE

Celebrating Christmas becomes more interesting for our young students this year! The students of the 3rd and 4th class have to crack the code to discover what's behind the squares in an unplugged activity that combines PIXEL ART with coding!

Students will learn about coding concepts such as sequencing and algorithms by creating a "program" to light up a Christmas tree with a specific pattern of colours. This activity promotes logical thinking and understanding of how to create and follow step-by-step instructions.

STEPS:

1) Students will be given a coding key that assigns each colour of the "Christmas light" a specific number or symbol. For example:

        Red = ♥

        Green = ☘

        Blue = ❄

        Yellow = ★

    Students will be shown how each colour is represented by a symbol, and get informed that they will create a sequence of instructions (an algorithm) to "light up" the Christmas tree in a specific pattern. The goal is for students to "program" a Christmas tree by placing the colored lights (using coloured paper circles) in a specific order according to the code they create.

2) Students decide on a pattern of lights for their tree. They will write the sequence using the symbols from the coding key.

3) After writing their code, students will follow the sequence to place the coloured paper lights on a cardboard tree outline, gluing them in the order specified by their code.

4) Once the students have placed all their lights, they are asked to check if their Christmas tree matches the code they wrote. This helps them understand the concept of "debugging" or fixing mistakes in their code. If the light pattern doesn't match the original code, students should find where they made a mistake and correct it. They can rewrite the code and adjust the coloured lights on the tree accordingly.

Students will collaboratively write a simple Christmas-themed story using basic coding concepts like sequencing and conditional instructions. They will use an AI tool to generate illustrations for their story, reinforcing language learning and teamwork.

Part 1: Introducing Story Coding

• Explain the Basics of Coding in Storytelling:
  The teacher introduce the idea that just like in coding, a story follows a sequence of events, explaining that there can also be "if-then" conditions (e.g., "If it snows, then we will decorate the tree") or "loops" (repeating actions, like singing carols every day).

• Coding Cards Introduction:
  The teacher hands out the coding cards:

  • "Sequence": Tells what happens first, next, and last.
  • "If-Then": Adds a condition (e.g., "If Santa arrives, then we open presents").
  • "Loop": Repeats an action (e.g., "Repeat singing 'Jingle Bells' 3 times").
  • "End": Marks the story's ending.

• Introduce the AI for Illustrations:
  The teacher explains that after writing their story, students will use an AI tool (CANVA, chatgtpt etc) to generate pictures based on the scenes they describe. The AI will help bring their story to life!

• PART 2: Collaborative Story Writing

  1. Form Small Groups (3-4 students per group):
     Each group will work together to write a short Christmas story. Provide a simple story structure with prompts, such as:

     • Beginning: Who are the characters? Where is the story set? (e.g., "Once upon a time, in a snowy village...")
     • Middle: What happens? (e.g., "The children were decorating the Christmas tree when...")
     • End: How does the story finish? (e.g., "And then everyone sang carols together by the fireplace.")

  2. Use the Coding Cards to Guide the Story:
     Each group will decide on the sequence of events, add any conditions ("If the star falls from the tree, then..."), and decide if there are any repeated actions (like "knocking on doors to sing carols").

  3. Write the Story in Simple English:
     The students use short, simple sentences and vocabulary they are familiar with.

  4. Describe the Scenes for AI:
     Once the story is written,  each group describes the scenes they want to illustrate. For example:

     • "A snowy village with children decorating a Christmas tree."
     • "Santa arrives on a sleigh pulled by reindeer."
     • "Children sing Christmas carols by a fireplace."

  5. Generate the Images with AI (Facilitated by the Teacher):
     They input the descriptions into the AI tool to create illustrations for each scene.

  6. Compile the Stories and Illustrations:
     They then put together the written story with the AI-generated images. Each group can present their story to the class, showing the pictures and reading their story aloud.