13 Coding Lesson Idea

Coding and Computational Thinking
Lesson Idea Name: Scale Factor

Content Area: Math
Grade Level(s): 7th Grade
Content Standard Addressed: CCSS.Math.Content.7.G.A.1 Solve problems involving scale drawings of
geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale
drawing at a different scale.
Technology Standard Addressed: 5 -Computational Thinker

5c. break problems into component parts, extract key information, and develop descriptive models to
understand complex systems or facilitate problem solving
5d. understand how automation works and use algorithmic thinking to develop a sequence of steps to
create and test automated solutions
Objective: SWBAT solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including
computing actual lengths & areas from a scale drawing & reproducing a scale drawing at a different
scale.
Selected Technology Tool:

URL(s) to support the lesson: Student worksheet:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1To83ZfuzoUs9WuN_2U8o12irImIaA1jBL6OenpYkbXg/edit
Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☐ Remembering ☐ Understanding ☐ Applying ☐ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☒
Creating
Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4:
Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement
Universal Design for Learning (UDL):
Engagement: Provide opportunities for collaboration, peer tutoring and support; Emphasize process,
effort, improvements in meeting standards as alternatives to external evaluation, performance goals,
competition
Representation: Clarify unfamiliar syntax; Activate prior knowledge (e.g. using routines); “Chunk”
information into smaller elements; Explicit opportunities for spaced review and practice
Action and Expression: Use prompts that embed “stop and think’ before acting, coaches or mentors
that model think- aloud of the process, and prompts for categorizing and systematizing; break long-
term goals into reachable short-term goals
Lesson idea implementation
Ask students if they know what computer programmers do. Take 1-2 ideas, quickly. Explain that
computer programmers write instructions for computers to follow, to make programs that people use.
Give some examples of programs - apps, MS Word, websites, games, etc. Explain that today they
will learn how to do some beginning computer programming using a language called Scratch. One
thing that computer programmers sometimes do is to use computer programs to help figure out
problems. You will be writing programs to solve problems related to geometry.
You Do: (2 min.)
 Show students how to create an account in Scratch. Students have the instructions on their
handout. Alternatively, you could create accounts for the students
ahead of time and give them their log-in info.
 You may want to give them pointers for creating usernames that are
NOT their full names. Edit the handout to reflect this.
 Have students write down their username and password in a safe,
secret place, such as inside their agendas/homework books.
Students Do: (5 min.)

 Students open up the laptops, open Scratch, and create an account,
following the directions on their handout and modeled by you.
You Do: (10 min.)

 Model for students how to explore the canvas coordinates. Have them label the drawing on
their handout.
o [x-axis goes from -240 to 240, y-axis goes from -180 to 180]
 With student participation, ask how you would draw a line
representing the x-axis:
o start at (-240, 0) and draw line to (240, 0)
 Repeat for y-axis.
o start at (0, 180) and draw line to (0, -180)
 Model for students how to create event scripts in Scratch. Draw a

line using the first script shown at right.
 Explain that a loop tells the program to repeat the same actions
multiple times. Use a loop to modify the script to draw a square, as
in the second script shown at right.
 Ask students to calculate the area and perimeter of the square.
o [A = 50 * 50 = 2500 units, P = 50 * 4 = 200 units]
 Ask students to sketch this square and label the coordinates of the corners. Note that the
square is in Quadrant IV on the coordinate plane (pos x, neg y).
o In order drawn, coordinates are (0, 0), (50, 0), (50, -50), (0, -50)
 Tell the students that today we will be working on scale

drawings. We are going to make a program that can ask
someone to give a scale factor and will then draw the original
square as well as the square scaled up or down by the scale
factor.
 Review (or introduce) the concept of scale factor: a number

that you use to make a shape bigger or smaller by the same
amount in all directions. (Feel free to use your own, better, kid-
friendly definition.) Have them write it in #6.
 Model the first step in creating our “Magnifier” program. Create
the program shown at right, using the block found in

the Operators menu. Run the program, and you’ll see the
original square inside the scaled up square.
o Consider adding “Wait __ sec” blocks inside the repeat
loops to slow down the drawing of the squares a bit.
Find it in the Control menu.
o Consider setting the width of the pen to 3 at the start of the program to make the lines
easier to see when projecting. You could also set the program to draw each square
using a different color pen. Look for these blocks in the Pen menu.
 Discuss the change in size. Ask, what did it do to the area? To the perimeter?
o [A = (2 * 50) * (2 * 50) = 10,000 → area is multiplied by 4]
o [P = 2 * 50 * 4 = 400 → perimeter is multiplied by 2]
Students Do: (15 min.)

 When students appear to be getting it and eager to start, allow them to start exploring the
Challenges.
 Circulate & assist students.
Closure: (5 min.)
 Celebrate students who completed the final challenge. If technology & time permit, show off
their programs (on projector or by having students cluster around that student).
 Point out that students can play around with Scratch more on their own, creating animations,
games, and more!
Lesson directly from: http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/resources/hour-code-scratch-ccss-7th-grade-

math-scale-factor
Importance of technology: Coding is require animating the shapes and see them change by the scale
factor. This also teaches students the skills of decomposition. The teacher will need a projector to
show students steps and have them follow along when needed.
Inspiration (optional): http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/resources/hour-code-scratch-ccss-7th-grade-
math-scale-factor
Internet Safety and Student Privacy: Students user name on Scratch will be nothing related to their
real name. In addition, we will go over safe internet practices addressed on previous pages. Students
will be using their school email address.
Reflective Practice: I feel this project will be very engaging to students. Scratch does have a learning
curve that can be difficult, so the teacher would need to be very adept in the program to help students
troubleshoot and figure out the lesson. Coding is becoming very prevalent and a useful skill to have
students learn and teach them to think more critically. This lesson could be done with another class at
the same time or students could work in pairs.

13 Coding Lesson Idea

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Coding and Computational Thinking

Lesson Idea Name: Scale Factor

Technology Standard Addressed: 5 -Computational Thinker

Selected Technology Tool:

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

Students Do: (5 min.)

You Do: (10 min.)

 Model for students how to create event scripts in Scratch. Draw a

 Tell the students that today we will be working on scale

 Review (or introduce) the concept of scale factor: a number

 Model the first step in creating our “Magnifier” program. Create

the program shown at right, using the block found in

Students Do: (15 min.)

Lesson directly from: http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/resources/hour-code-scratch-ccss-7th-grade-

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