Tuesday 21 November 2017

Pacman Game Design Lesson 4 onwards

Over the next few lessons you are going to be creating your Pacman Game.  I've shown you how the game works so you have some idea of what it is that you are trying to make.

Objectives and Outcomes

  • be able to describe how your game should work
  • under your screenshots of your programming, be able to explain what the part of the program do
  • apply your programming skills to create your Pacman game
Here is a link to a help sheet to get you started...


You should have already have made your background maze and drawn your Pacman sprite from Lesson 3.  If not, here is a link to that one...


Remember to add screenshots to a Google doc with writing underneath explaining what the bits of programming do. 

Share it and add the link to a new post called Starting Pacman Game and publish

Friday 10 November 2017

Scratch lesson 3 - Graphics

In this lesson you will find out how to add a background image to your program, and how to create a background and sprites in preparation for your Pacman game.

Objectives and Outcomes

  • be able to describe how adding a background to a program can improve its appearance.
  • be able to explain how you can add an image as a background and how you can create your own background and sprite, eg for your Pacman game.
  • be able to apply this knowledge in Scratch programs.
  • be able to link the work from previous lessons and this lesson to how a good looking, functioning Pacman game can be created.


Your tasks

1.  Open up this link to my Graphics help sheet and follow all the instructions for Activity 1 (adding a background image to your program).  Make sure you read it carefully and look at the screenshots carefully.

Graphics in Scratch Tutorial Help sheet

2.  Program your sprite to move continually left and right, bouncing off the edge and saying "Didn't see that!" each time it touches the edge.

3.  Paste a screenshot of your program onto a Google Doc, titled 'Scratch Graphics'.

Save your Scratch work with the title 'Scratch Lesson 3'.

4.  Follow instructions for Activity 2 - drawing your background and sprite for your Pacman game.  Make sure you read it carefully and look at the screenshots carefully or your game won't be right for programming next lesson.

5.   Paste a screenshot of your program onto a Google Doc, underneath the first one.

6.  Save this Scratch program with the title 'Pacman' as we will be continuing with it next lesson.

7.  Share your Google doc as we did last lesson and copy/paste the link to a new blog post titled the same as this.  Underline the link and click 'Link' button.

Publish your post!

Friday 20 October 2017

Game Design Lessons 1 and 2

In this unit you are going to do some programming using Scratch.  Scratch is a free, online piece of software that lets you create your computer programs.

Objectives and Outcomes


  • Be able to define what is meant by software
  • Be able to explain what programming is
  • Apply your skills to create simple programs that use sequenceselection and repetition.

On a new blog post titled 'Scratch Lessons 1 and 2',
  • Copy/paste the Objectives and Outcomes.
  • Under those, define what software is,
  • define what a program is,
  • explain what sequence, selection and repetition mean
  • why you think these 3 instructions might be useful in programming

Now let's get started with the programming!

Here are the links to instruction sheets to get you started....

How to join Scratch

Starting to use Scratch

Task 1 - sequencing
Make a program where the sprite moves 10 steps using the up, down, left and right arrows on the keyboard.
Take a screenshot of your program and paste it on to a Google doc (title this as Scratch lessons 1 and 2)
Save your program as Lesson 1

Task 2 - selection
Change your first program so that if the sprite touches the edge of the screen a speech bubble (find this in 'Looks' section) says 'Ouch!'.  If it doesn't touch the edge, make it say 'Tum-tee-tum' each time it moves.
Take a screenshot of your program and paste it on to the same Google doc as before.
Re-save your program

Task 3 - repetition
Make a new program (click Create) so that your sprite turns right 4 times and then moves 10 steps forever, if it touches the edge it bounces (look through the Motion section to find a block that does this) forever.  
Take a screenshot of your program and paste it on to the same Google doc as before.
Save your program as Lesson 2

Now you need to Share your Google doc of screenshots to Anyone with the Link and copy/paste the link to your blog post.

Click here for the instructions on how to do that...









Friday 29 September 2017

Baseline Assessment Test



This is a test to see how much knowledge you already have about computers and computing.  There is no Pass or Fail!

Work through all the questions carefully, writing down your answers on paper. 

Make sure you are clear with question numbers so I know which question you are answering!

Link to Yr 7 Baseline Assessment

Wednesday 20 September 2017

History of Computing - Lesson 2


In this lesson, you are going to find out about Charles Babbage and what he did.  You will then make a slideshow with information and images about him.

Lesson Objectives and Outcomes

Explain who Charles Babbage was and what he did (band 4)
Apply your skills to create slideshow with information and images (band 5)

Your tasks
1.  Open your blog and a new post.

2.  Title your post (in the box at the top of the page) the same as this one.


3.  Open another internet tab and find my blog and this lesson's post.


4.  Copy/paste the Lesson objectives and Outcomes from this post onto your new one.


5.  Open up a third internet, click on the 3x3 grid of little squares at the top right and click on Slides.


6.  Click on the link below to take you to the relevant section of the Prezi 


Charles Babbage

Try to find out the following details (if it's not on the Prezi, open another internet tab and search on Google):

a)  When did Charles Babbage live?

b)  What did he build, what was it called and what did it do?
c)  We say that a machine is a computer because it solves problems for humans - what was the problem then that needed a solution?

Share your slideshow - click Share - then Advanced - where it says Private, click Change and choose Anyone with the Link - copy/paste the blue highlighted link on to your post under your Lesson Objectives.

7. Under your link, say what band you think your work is and why.

Publish!!

8. If you have spare time, go back and do more work on your Stonehenge slideshow.  
You can find this in your Drive (a triangle symbol in the 3x3 grid drop-down menu).  The link updates as you go along so you won't need to re-share or anything complicated like that!







Charles Babbage information

Sunday 10 September 2017

History of Computing - Lesson 1

We're going to be looking at the history of computers and computing.  This unit will also start you using the different Google apps and learn how to share work and attach it to your blog post for each lesson.

Don't worry if it's all very new to start with; you'll soon get the hang of it!

Just remember - don't panic if you don't understand!  Take a deep breath in, then out.....and ask!  :-)


Lesson Objectives and Outcomes:
Define: What is meant by the term computer (Level 3)
Explain: Why people think Stonehenge could be the first computer (Level 4)
Create: A post on your blog about the first computer (Level 5)


Your tasks
1.  Go to your blog and open a new post.  Title this post the same as this one.

2.  Open a new internet tab at the top of your screen.

3.  At the top right of the new screen, you should see a 3 x 3 grid of squares.  Click on this and look for 'Slides' (it's yellow).  Click on it.

4.  Click on this link to a special slide show / movie (called a Prezi).  It will take you to some information abut Stonehenge.

https://prezi.com/zllcxfqh85rr/2500bc-stone-age-people-and-stonehenge/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Click on the right-facing arrow at the bottom to go through it.

5.  You are going to write information on your slideshow (it works like a PowerPoint but saves as it goes along) about the following questions:

a) what is Stonehenge?
b) when was it built?
c) why do people think it was built?  What was its purpose?
d) why can Stonehenge be called a "computer"?

6.  Try and add some images to your slides.

7.  Go back to your new post for this lesson.  Copy/paste the learning objectives from my blog onto the top of your post (copy = ctrl-c,  paste = ctrl-v).

8.  Ask me how you share your slideshow correctly and copy/paste the link to your blog post.

9.  Under your slideshow link on your post, write down what level you think you have achieved and why.

Publish your post!




Monday 4 September 2017

Introduction to Computer Science at Cooper School

Welcome!

We do not have exercise books in Computer Science so you will need to set up your own personal Comp Sci blog.  This will be the equivalent to your exercise book and you will write a post every lesson, possibly with some work attached to it, and publish it at the end of the lesson.  I will have access to it to mark it by adding marking comments to it.

To set up your blog....
1.  Open a new tab and go to www.blogger.com

2.  Go to this shared Google slide show for instructions for how to set up your own Comp Sci blog......How to set up your Comp Sci blog

3.  When you have done this, let me know so I can check I have an invitation to your blog and can accept it.

Friday 7 July 2017

Programming challenges

Programming challenges

You are going to use Scratch to create a program or programs that use sequence, repetition and selection.

Objectives and outcomes:
  • to apply your understanding of sequence, repetition and selection to create a program in Scratch (band 5)
  • link your programming to anything similar you have encountered in real-life (band 6)

You can create:
  • an animation with music
  • a game with one or more players
This work will cover 2 lessons.

1.  Go to scratch.mit.edu and log into your account.

2.  Evidence your programming for the lesson with screenshots copy/pasted on to a Google doc.  

3.  Explain what your program is doing underneath each screenshot to show your understanding.

4.  Share your Google doc to Anyone with the link and copy/paste the link to your blog post for today - 'Scratch challenge 1'.

Publish!

Tuesday 4 July 2017

Text-based programming Lesson 5 - Procedures

Text-based programming  Lesson 5 - Procedures

A procedure is a block of instructions that carry out a task.  Procedures are useful if a task is to be carried out a number of times.  It means that the programming for that procedure does not have to be written out lots of times, saving file size and time!


Objectives and Outcomes:

  • be able to explain what a procedure is (band 4)
  • apply your understanding to create a program that uses a procedure (band 5)
  • link what you have learned and done today to an example in real-life where a procedure has been used by you on a computer (band 6)
You are going to write a procedure that draws a smiley face.

The link to the program to do this is below:


See the link below for a screenshot of the programming:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ROCN3A_cinkvzr_bcpBXCV_XCT5PD_GjhD09ubXnoO8/edit?usp=sharing

1.  On a new blog post, titled the same as this one, write an explanation of what a procedure is and why it is useful.

2.  Using my Google doc with screenshot, write the smiley face procedure.

3.  Paste a screenshot of your working program on a Google doc, correctly shared to Anyone with the Link.

4.  Now adapt your program so that the face is a different colour (but not black!)

5.  Paste a screenshot of this onto your Google doc, below the previous one.

6.  Now adapt your program to match my second screenshot (lower down on my Google doc you have already opened).  This is using variables to allow you to draw different smiley faces in different positions.

7.  Try to work out how to run the procedure so that it adds 3 more smiley face procedures in different parts of the screen.  They can be the same colour or different - it's up to you.  
Hint: Think of your screen as an invisible grid where you need to use co-ordinates to re-position each smiley face when you click Run.

8.  Paste a screenshot of this onto your Google doc, below the previous one.

9.  Copy/paste the link to your google doc onto your blog post, if you haven't already done so.

Publish!



Friday 30 June 2017

Setting up Yr 8 assessment blog

For next year, you are going to use a different blog to post your work for each assessed lesson during the year.  

This is so that every time you come to do your assessed work, you can easily read the STAR marking comments from the previous assessed work to find out what you need to do to move up to the next band.....and do it for that new piece of work!

Here is the link to my shared Google slide show explaining how to do this....

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1G0Ogj69fFjikbT_ze_dtwgiuP_dje-YqJrMr41n8M00/edit?usp=sharing

Follow the instructions exactly, looking at the screenshots carefully!

When you have done this, let me know so I can accept your invite for Comp Sci and tell you what I want you to do next.

Friday 23 June 2017

Text-based programming lesson 4 - Selection

Text-based programming lesson 4 - Selection


Objectives and Outcomes:

  • explain what selection is (band 4).
  • apply your understanding to a program that uses selection (band 5)
  • link what you have learned today to a previous lesson (band 6)

Selection is where the computer chooses which instruction to follow, depending on events or input.  It often includes repetition if the selection needs to be repeated.

Can you think of any example of this?  There's one that you use every computer science lesson!  

1.  Write your example of selection on a new blog post, titled the same as this one.

2.  As the repl.it python-turtle cannot be edited to complete the lesson on Learning Computing website, you are going to do your programming in Scratch instead (even though it's not text-based programming).

3.  Go to scratch.mit.edu and sign in (if you can't remember your user name, it should be written in your planner from earlier this year).

4.  Choose a background for your program and then create a program that has 2 or more sprites which move constantly.

5.  Add in Selection, whereby the sprites make a sound when they touch the edge and show a speech bubble each time they touch each other.

6.  Take a screenshot of your program and paste it to a Google doc, correctly shared to Anyone with the Link.

7.  Create another program which uses selection - free choice to do anything around that!

8.  Create another program that uses selection and loops / repetition.

9. Take a screenshot of your program and paste it to a Google doc, correctly shared to Anyone with the Link.

10.  Copy/paste the link to your Google doc onto your post.

Publish!










Saturday 17 June 2017

Text-based programming lesson 3

Text-based programming lesson 3


This lesson builds on the work you did with loops, to create an animation.

Objectives and Outcomes:

  • be able to explain what repetition is (band 4)
  • apply your understanding to create a program that uses repetition (band 5)
  • link what you have learned and done today to previous lessons where you have used repetition (band 6)

You will draw a large dot and then overlap it with a white one and loop between the two so it appears as though the blue dot is switching on and off.

Link to the program to do this is below:


See the link below for screenshots of the programming:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XlMSzotIQJ2TboRc6FidAsZpxIfNw60YbES9N1gOkm0/edit?usp=sharing


Your tasks
1.  Use my screenshots to help you create your own program of "flashing" spot.

2.  Take a screenshot of your completed and working program and copy/paste it to a Google doc.

3.  Repeat instructions 1 and 2 for the second screenshot of programming.

4.  Edit your program to change the colour and size of your spot.

5.  Take a screenshot of your completed and working program and copy/paste it to a Google doc.

6.  Share your doc correctly - to Anyone with the Link and copy/paste the link to a new blog post, titled the same as mine.

7.  Under your link, explain why loops and repetition are useful in programming.

8.  Log into scratch online (scratch.mit.edu) and create a program that uses loops and repetition.

9.  Take a screenshot and paste it under your python ones for this lesson.

10.  Under the Scratch screenshot, explain what the program does.




Tuesday 6 June 2017

Text-based programming - Lesson 2

Objectives and Outcomes:

  • be able to explain what repetition is (band 4)
  • apply your understanding to create a program that uses repetition (band 5)
  • link what you have learned and done today to previous lessons where you have used repetition (band 6)

Computer programs like we did yesterday, drawing shapes, often need you to repeat the same sequence of instructions lots of times.  This is not very efficient!  It takes longer to type the instructions, you are more likely to make a mistake in typing, it's harder to find a mistake amongst all the lines of words and it takes up more memory as it's a bigger file of information.  Also, you would have to make lots of changes to your program if you wanted to change the end product, eg the size of your shape.

Programmers can use loops to repeat instructions.

Look at my screenshot of my program to draw a square using a loop:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_XxMothEdvVTzOs0UrkvW_PoXQxC-3ClUawxUb-9bV0/edit?usp=sharing

Your tasks

1.  On a new blog post, explain what repetition is and why it is inefficient.

2.  Explain what a loop is.


3.  Using my programming screenshot, use a loop to draw the following shapes:


  • a square
  • an equilateral triangle
  • a regular pentagon (5 sides)
  • a regular hexagon (6 sides)

Make sure you take a screenshot of each successful program and paste them to a Google doc.

Here is the link you need to get to the turtle programming:

https://repl.it/languages/python_turtle

4.  Share your Google doc to Anyone with the link and paste the link to your blog post underneath the writing you did at the start of the lesson.
Publish!



Monday 5 June 2017

Text-based programming - Lesson 1

Text-based programming lesson 1

Objectives and Outcomes:

  • be able to explain what a "sequencing" means in computing
  • be able to apply your understanding to create a program that uses sequencing.

On a new blog post, titled the same as this one, explain what 'sequence' means in programming.

Here is the link to the program you will be using:

https://repl.it/languages/python_turtle



2.  Take a screenshot of your successful program showing the result and paste it to a Google doc.

3.  Try to program your turtle to draw a triangle.

4.  Go to this link to see the programming for the German flag:

Note that you have to spell colour in the American style with no 'u'!

5.  Now you do it!  Take a screenshot of your successful program and paste it underneath your previous one.

6.  Try and draw the Spanish flag - red, yellow then red horizontal stripes.

7.  Take a screenshot and paste it under all the others on your Google doc.

8.  You can challenge yourself and try and draw the French flag - blue, white, red stripes - but vertical!

9. Take a screenshot and paste it under all the others on your Google doc.
Share your Google doc to 'Anyone with the link' and copy/paste the link to your post.

Publish!!

Thursday 11 May 2017

Modelling Lesson 3 & 4 Using a model and creating a model

For this lesson, you are going to do some activities from Lesson 3 and lesson 4 from Learning Computing website.

Lesson 3 - Using a model

For this work, go to Lesson 3 and click on the lemonade game simulation link below
http://www.primarygames.com/socstudies/sim-lemonade-millionaire/
1.  Take a screenshot of your best profit and paste it to a Google doc.
2.  Share your doc to Anyone with the link and copy/paste the link to a new blog post titled the same as this one.
3.  Under the link on your post, explain what a variable and a rule are.

Lesson 4 - Creating a model

For this work, go to Lesson 4 and go through the presentation at the top.
1.  On the same blog post, explain why spreadsheets are often used in computer modelling.
2.  Go to the spreadsheet in this link and make a copy of it
Modelling spreadsheet
3.  Work through all the tasks on the tabs at the bottom.
4.  Share to Anyone with the link and copy/paste the link to a new blog post titled the same as this one.

Publish!



Friday 28 April 2017

Modelling lesson 1

Modelling - lesson 1

Your tasks for the lesson!

1.  Work through Activity 1 and Activity 2 tasks. Use Google drawing instead of Popplet!

2.  On a new Blog post for today, titled the same as this, write the following (or put it on a correctly shared and linked Google doc):

Explain what a computer model is.

Give some examples of where they are used.

Share and link your Google drawing mind map to your Blog post.

Add in a screenshot of your work using the flight simulation (either directly to your blog post or on a shared & linked Google doc).

Evaluate the flight simulation (good and bad features, how realistic it was, how easy to fly, etc) and say whether you think it has prepared you for flying a real plane.

I have made these tasks coloured so that they link in with goldsilver and bronze so you can see which are the most challenging tasks.  Challenge yourself!

Publish your post when you have finished!

Friday 31 March 2017

Problem-solving extension

Computers were invented when there was a problem that humans needed to solve - think about why Stonehenge was built, why Charles Babbage built his Difference engine, why Alan Turing built his 'Colossus' computer.


1.  On a new Blog post, titled the same as this post, explain, in your own words why computers are invented and give details of one of the examples I've given above.

2.  Go to the website below and then follow the instructions on this post, written under the link


Here is the list of problems from this webpage that I want you to work through. 

Read through these problems in turn. Choose one from the list below, write the title of it on your blog post for today's lesson and, underneath the title, describe how you would sort out/solve the problem.  You can draw the answer in Google Drawing if it's easy but remember to share correctly and paste the link to your post.

When you've done one, choose another from the list and repeat the process. Make sure you do one of each type; visual, lateral and logical

I am happy for you to share ideas with the person next to you but you must each write up your own Blog post

List of problems to work out (you may not get through all of them in the lesson)

Visual - On the lawn
Lateral - Lift off
Logical - Car wash
Lateral - Half full or half empty
Visual - Pig pen
Logical - Socks
Lateral - A moment in time
Visual - Upside down
Logical - Paper thin

I shall be interested in your answers as I haven't worked out some of them for myself yet!

Remember to make sure it's detailed enough for me to understand! And don't forget to Publish your post before the lesson ends!

Tuesday 21 March 2017

Problem solving lesson 5

Problem solving group work lesson

When you have solved the three problems you've been given, and they've been checked by me, you need to write the following work on today's Blog post..

1.  Describe, in detail, each problem you had to solve, in the order you did them.
2. What was your answer to the Suspicious Death and how was it done?  What clues drew you to this conclusion?
3.  Describe how your group worked: was there one person taking charge, did you all play your part and contribute ideas, was it quicker to work in a group or do you think you'd have solved them faster on your own?

Publish!

Wednesday 8 March 2017

Lesson 4 Problem-solving Subroutines

Lesson 4 - Subroutines

Today's work

1.  In Google Draw, draw your flow chart for the song , using subroutines for repeated verses or chorus.

2.  Share your flow chart (click Share - Advanced - Anyone with the link - and copy the hyperlink.

3.  Paste the hyperlink to a new Blog post for today's lesson.

4.  Title your Blog post the same as this one.

5.  On your post, write a definition of what a subroutine is (check the teacher's presentation on Lesson 4).

6.  Explain why subroutines are useful in programming.

7.  Publish!

Tuesday 7 March 2017

Flow charts - problem-solving lesson 3 sequencing

Today's work

1. Start a new Blog post titled the same as this one.

2. Write this on your post for this lesson....

Lots of problems can be solved by describing the solution as a sequence of instructions.   Computers can follow a sequence of instructions which makes them very useful for solving problems.

3. Explain what the word 'algorithm' means.

4. In Google Drawing, draw your flow chart for a making a jam sandwich.

5. Share your drawing (Anyone at Cooper School with the link) and copy the hyperlink.

6. Paste the hyperlink to your Blog post.

7. Click Publish

If you don't finish this in the lesson, make sure it's finished for homework ready for the next lesson

Friday 3 March 2017

Divide and Conquer - Survival

Survival on a deserted island

Your plane crashed into the sea and you are washed ashore on a deserted island with a few school friends.  You are the only survivors.

  1. Form groups of 3 or 4 (you don't have to be sitting next to each other).
  2. Choose a lead person who then opens a Google drawing and shares it with the others.
  3. Lead person draws on the first 2 lines of the survival problem tree.
  4. Decide who is going to solve each problem.  Each person then adds a text box under their problem and writes how they could solve it.
You washed ashore with your rucksack containing the following items:
  • a notebook (now soggy!) and a pen
  • a bag of Haribos, Skittles and some biscuits.
  • mobile phone (now dead)
  • packed lunch box and plastic cutlery
  • drinks bottle
  • hoodie (now soggy)
  • first aid kit.
Blog work
  • Share your drawing again to anyone with the link and copy/paste it to a new post titled the same as this one.
  • Under your link, explain how 'divide and conquer' can be used to solve problems quickly and efficiently.
Publish!