Acorn Was a Little Wild (Patterns & Sequences: Coding): Home

K, 1, 2, 3

K-2: Innovation: Design: Practice a Design Process: 

• Use a process to solve problems, with support.
• Predict an outcome and test it, with support.

3: Innovation: Design: Practice a Design Process:

• Use a process to solve problems.
• Predict an outcome and test it.

Missouri Learning Standards (Computer Science Performance Standards):

K.AP.C.01 With guidance, independently or collaboratively create programs to accomplish tasks using a programming language, robot device or unplugged activity that includes sequencing (i.e., emphasizing the beginning, middle and end).

1.AP.A.01 With guidance, model daily processes and follow algorithms (sets of step‐by‐step instructions) to complete tasks verbally, kinesthetically, with robot devices or a programing language

1.AP.C.01 With guidance, independently or collaboratively create programs to accomplish tasks using a programming language, robot device or unplugged activity that includes sequencing and repetition.

2.AP.A.01 With guidance, model daily processes by creating and following algorithms (sets of step‐by‐step instructions) to complete tasks verbally, kinesthetically, with robot devices or a programing language.

2.AP.C.01 With guidance, create programs using a programming language, robot device or unplugged activity that utilize sequencing and simple looping to solve a problem or express ideas both independently and collaboratively.

3.AP.A.01 Compare multiple algorithms (sets of step‐by‐step instructions) for accomplishing the same task verbally and kinesthetically, with robot devices or a programming language.

1 class period (25-30 minutes)

This lesson was created by Marlana Howerton from Ezard Elementary School. 

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Students can explore patterns and sequences using the story Acorn Was a Little Wild by Jen Arena. Through unplugged coding activities, students collaboratively create and discuss patterns while coding a path for acorn to reach the oak tree. 

Book: Acorn Was a Little Wild by Jen Arena (A soundscape for this book is available in the Novel Effect app.)

Projector/screen to project coding game example

Wild Acorn Coding Activity 

• (I prepared one baggie set of colored coding pieces, maps, and black/white code writing sheets for each table from the Wild Acorn Coding Activity. If you prefer, you can print the black/white copies for each student.)

Acorn Was a Little Wild Wakelet

Early Finishers Activity: Do These Animals Eat Acorns?

Objectives:

1. Students will be able to identify and create simple sequences inspired by the book Acorn Was a Little Wild by Jen Arena.
2. Students will be able to use basic coding concepts to express and recreate patterns through unplugged coding activities.
3. Students will be able to use a process to solve problems. (K-2: with support)
4. Students will be able to predict an outcome and test it. (K-2: with support)

I Can Statements

1. I can identify patterns and sequences in the book Acorn Was a Little Wild.
2. I can use unplugged coding cards to create a sequence on the coding map. 
3. I can explain the sequence we created as a class and how it relates to coding.
4. I can use a process to solve problems. (K-2: with support)
5. I can predict an outcome and test it. (K-2: with support)

Introduction & Discussion: (10 minutes)

1. Begin by asking students to discuss coding. (ex. writing instructions for a computer to follow) 

2. Read Acorn Was a Little Wild to the class, discussing the story's characters and the different patterns and sequences observed in the book.

Activity Instructions: (15-20 minutes)

1. Explain to students that just like in the story, we can create patterns and sequences using simple instructions by coding. 

2. Use the Google Slides activity, Wild Acorn Coding, to demonstrate how to code a path for the acorn to reach the oak tree.

3. Explain to students that they will be able to predict the outcome of their coding activity and they will be using a process to solve a problem when coding their wild acorn. Provide support for K-2 students. 

4. To start this activity, use slide one of the Wild Acorn Coding file to demonstrate how to create a Coding Map for acorn to get to the oak tree. (The pieces are draggable on slide one. Just drag and drop them onto the Coding Map to create the acorn's path.)  Add the start and end pieces first. Then, add two puddles and three friends along the path. Finish the path by adding the path pieces (leaves) to fill in the blank spots throughout the path only. 

5. Once you create the map, display slide three to go over symbols students need to write to show the code for the acorn's path to the oak tree. 

6. Then, put slide one in Presenter/Presentation Mode. Use a Wild Acorn Code Writing sheet and a clipboard and have students tell you each code you need to write to get the acorn to the oak tree. While looking at the code that was written, move the cursor on your device to show the path that students told you to write. If mistakes are made, have students troubleshoot how they went wrong and correct the code. 

7. After this is completed, 2nd-3rd graders can go on to the Group Work activity below. For K-1, Have students demonstrate their understanding of coding by adding kinesthetic movements for the code that was written in the last step. (For example, all students start by standing. Then, stand tall with hands over head for move up, crouch down for move down, take one step left for move left and take one step right for move right. For the smiley face, have students shake hands with someone next to them while smiling. For the X, have students cross their arms in front of them in an X pattern and then jump up at the same time. Be sure to demonstrate exactly what this looks like and then have students follow along to your verbal directions before attempting to mimic the movements to the code they wrote. (If there is extra time, create a new Wild Acorn Coding Map by hitting the undo button as many times as needed to empty the current Coding Map of the pieces used in slide one and then start over.)  

Group Work: 

1. Students will work as a table group to complete this coding activity. 

2. Each group needs one Wild Acorn Coding Mat, one set of Wild Acorn Coding Pieces and 2 copies of Wild Acorn Code Writing. 

3. Two students at the table arrange the map pieces on the Wild Acorn Coding Map starting with the acorn and ending with the oak tree. Then, they place two puddles along the path and three friends (worm, dog and frog) along the path. They finish by adding path pieces (oak leaves) in between all the other pieces to connect them.

4. The rest of the table then writes the code for the path of the acorn, using the provided symbols to draw the actions/directions that acorn must travel (ex. directional arrows for up, down, left, right). When the acorn comes to a friend, students will draw the smiley face to indicate shaking hands with the friends. When acorn reaches a puddle, students draw an X to jump over the puddle. 

5. The first two students check the code and coach part 2 of their group, as needed. 

6. Once completed, the Coding Map pieces are cleared and students switch roles in the group. (Ex. The second part of the group now creates the map and the first part of the group writes the code.)

Early Finishers Activity: Do These Animals Eat Acorns? - This sorting activity allows students to sort animals that eat acorns and those that don't. The sort can be used digitally, as a center or station for group work or individually as a worksheet. The template was created in Canva so you can edit it to fit your needs. You can also visit this Wakelet with several read alouds, a YouTube life cycle video, and more. . 

Observe student participation and engagement during the unplugged coding activity.

Students can use self-reflection to determine their level of participation in the activity. 

Differentiate the difficulty of coding by offering more or fewer coding cards for students to use in their sequences.

Create mixed-ability pairs during the collaborative unplugged coding activity to encourage peer support.