Length of Lesson 3.7

Lesson 3.7 seems to me to be much longer than other lessons.
In addition to learning about parameters and several new command, there are quite a few interesting and challenging activities:

  • isosceles triangle
  • snowman
  • Bulls-eye
  • Series of arcs to create a snake like figure
  • translucent overlapping circles
  • smiley phase

The lesson plan does not indicate that this is a multi-day lesson.

Are others able to complete this lesson in the same amount of time as other single day lessons?
I’m thinking that I may need to do this lesson over two days.

@jpfasano

So IF a student is willing to read the supporting docs, most of these activities are quick. However, students do get stuck on how to draw the equilateral triangle. Here, I try to emphasize the following: read, try something, and keep trying until you get it. I think it is very important to develop their ability to figure it out for themselves and to use each other as resources. I may provide some more guidance like task cards or a log of attempts. Then, I have to let them prove what they tried before they can get help from me. Otherwise, I end up running around the room being the fixer. This will take longer than the allotted time but I think it will be better in the long run.

So, after all of that… I know this will take more than the timeframe provided in the plan.

Happy computing,
Andrea

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@jpfasano my students just did this today and most students did need more than one 55 minute class to finish this. Along with the lines of what @anmrobnott mentioned, I have a “ask three then me” rule in my class which works out great when we are in pods of 4! It works for classroom management and also to help students see themselves and others as valuable resources in the class.

I have a student in my AP CSA class this year who took CSP last year and said that the best thing she learned in CSP was that not getting something right away was part of the process in CS. It was a mindset shift for her (and other students). In CSA, if our code actually compiles the first time, it’s a WIN! I feel like students typically are used to having steps to follow (and either they know the steps or they don’t) but in CS, I really have to reinforce that students are there to CREATE the steps themselves. I could tell them exactly what to do to make an equilateral triangle, but then what’s the point?!

I know this perhaps goes beyond your original question of “how much time will this take”, but I thought I would add my 2 cents here too! Let us know how it goes!

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Thank you @anmrobnott & @kaitie_o_bryan for your insights. Much appreciated.
I ended up doing U3L07 and U3L08 over 3 class days, rather than 2.
This worked well.