Animation

We have begun to look at animation.  We started off as a whole class and discussed animations we have watched.  After we viewed a short film of Wallace and Gromit we shared what we noticed.

The first step is to create a thaumatrope - we used two pictures opposite each other when we spun them fast the images blended into one another giving the illusion that the bird was in the cage or the fish was in the bowl.

Claymation

Using the camera on their chromebook they set up their stage 

Groups were given the task to make their ball roll, make their snake slither and make their clay grow.

Once they had viewed their work they downloaded the Clap motion app from the google chrome store.

They used a story board to draw their plan for their story.

The juniors used letters and an ipad to animate spelling words.  They started with their names.

Creating bookmarks by following instructions

Making the bookmarks also worked with the younger class.  I adapted my plan by getting them to go through the process step by step as a whole class, we wrote up the instructions together on the whiteboard and used less words and more pictures. 

Using googly eyes and cutting out our parts for the face worked better as than drawing freehand.

Colour by Pixel- Programming through pixels

Programming through pixels

- Recapped on how to read  X & Y axis and follow coordinates

Writing their own program for their pixel picture

Students come up with their own pixel design and wrote the program for it

- Students made a grid 4x4

- Teacher called out coordinates for them to plot

- Created their first pixel on paper

- They then created their own after reading a program and plotting the coordinates

- To finish off they create their own pixel picture and write the program for it

Write an algorithm

Make an emoji bookmark 😁

Sequence, debugging, algorithm, decomposition

• Watch the video of how to make the bookmarks
• Record on paper the steps of instructions on how to make them- use sketches to help.  
• Choose your own design and make it.
• Test to see if it works  😃

Some students got creative and added bodies 

Bluebots lesson in action

BLUE BOTS

I taught several lessons throughout the Junior school.  We looked at how we could use the previous lessons we had covered on algorithm and coding and linked them to using the blue bots.

The children were very excited to watch the bots move after they had programmed to do so.  We worked together as a class first to practise finding the right way to get to certain shapes.
We then worked in pairs to master the step of the bug dance after we had read the story.  We lined all the bots up together to see which ones were able to successfully complete the dance.

Minecraft- Eco friendly house

Room 2 have been learning about Future proofing our world.  Their challenge is to investigate innovations in building that help to save energy and protect the environment.  In pairs or on their own they have brainstormed some ideas and they are using minecraft to build a new home that uses some of these techniques.

Some of the ideas they had to think about included:
-  water supply- to drink, use and irrigate, travel
- animal farm- to eat, use produce
- solar panels
- heating source- insulation and underfloor heating
- gardens- food source
- Green building materials- natural, from a local source
- Colour choices for heat absorptions and reflection
- position of places to the sun
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