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What this lesson includes
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Real-World Example
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Coding Tutorial
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Assessment
Overview Accordion
Learning Goals
- Explain how pollination works and the role bees play in this process
- Describe at least one way we can protect pollinator species
- Build a bee counter device that:
- uses the breakout board, touch sensor, and LED ring from the Climate Action Kit
- combines conditional statements and variables to track data such as bee visits
Preparation Accordion
Prerequisites
This lesson provides a strong real-world application and hands-on activity to supplement the following Grade 3-5 Next Generation Science Standards:
- plant life cycle (3-LS1-1)
- external and internal structures of plants (4-LS1-1)
- protecting Earth’s resources and environment (5-ESS3-1)
We recommend students have a basic understanding of the plant life cycle before starting this lesson.
Materials
- Climate Action Kit
- micro:bit V2
- Computer with access to Microsoft MakeCode
- Plant (real or crafted)
Get to Know the Content
- Make sure you've completed our 'Getting Started with the Climate Action Kit' course
- If it has been awhile, review the kit components featured in this lesson:
- Breakout Board
- Touch Sensor
- LED Ring
- Sonar Sensor (optional challenge for Modify and Create activities)
- Review the lesson, particularly the following thinking routines from Project Zero (Harvard Graduate School of Education):
Activity Accordion
Big Idea (15 minutes)
Learn about the important role bees play in the production of the vegetables, fruits, and flowers we enjoy and need.
Take Action (45 minutes)
Students will learn about the ways every day people and scientists are working together to monitor and save bee populations. Then, they will build their very own bee counter with the Climate Action Kit!
We've provided 3 ways students may build the project to support scaffolding and differentiation in your classroom: 'Use', 'Modify', and 'Create'.*
| Activity | Description |
|---|---|
| Use |
Students will follow a step-by-step tutorial to build & use their bee counter. Success CriteriaI can:
ResourcesTutorialFinal Code |
| Modify |
Students will follow a step-by-step tutorial to build their bee counter. After this, they will tinker with the code to understand how the variable and conditional statement work together to help us count bees. Finally, they will add LED output whenever a bee lands to demonstrate their understanding of conditional statements. Success CriteriaI can:
ResourcesTutorialFinal Code |
| Create |
Students will work in small groups to continue researching the ways scientists are studying bees and will design a prototype with the Climate Action Kit. Success CriteriaI can build a device to study or save bees with the Climate Action Kit that uses at least:
ResourcesBlank Project |
*Irene Lee, Fred Martin, Jill Denner, Bob Coulter, Walter Allan, Jeri Erickson, Joyce Malyn-Smith, and Linda Werner. 2011. Computational thinking for youth in practice. Acm Inroads 2, 1 (2011), 32–37.
Assessment Accordion
Use the following criteria to assess student learning. Students can:
Conversations
- Describe the role bees play within pollination
- Identify at least one way we can protect pollinator populations
- Explain the purpose of each smart component and building block in the main build (Use, Modify, Create)
- Explain the purpose of the conditional statements and variables in the bee counter project (Use, Modify, Create)
Observations
- Methodically test and debug their code to ensure it functions as intended (Modify, Create)
Products
- Correctly label key parts of the plant life cycle and pollination process
- Add comments to the code to demonstrate their understanding of each block (Use, Modify, Create)
- Create a conditional statement that represents a decision making point within their algorithm (Modify, Create)
- Design their own prototype that satisfies provided criteria (Create)
Standards Accordion
Next Generation Science Standards
Grade 3-5
3-LS1-1 Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles, but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
4-LS1-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
5-ESS3-1 Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment.
3-5-ETS1-2 Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
Computer Science Teachers Association Standards
Grade 3-5
1B-CS-01 Describe how internal and external parts of computing devices function to form a system.
1B-CS-02 Model how computer hardware and software work together as a system to accomplish tasks.
1B-AP-09 Create programs that use variables to store and modify data.
1B-AP-10 Create programs that include sequences, events, loops, and conditionals.
1B-AP-15 Test and debug (identify and fix errors) a program or algorithm to ensure it runs as intended.
1B-AP-16 Take on varying roles, with teacher guidance, when collaborating with peers during the design, implementation, and review stages of program development.
1B-AP-17 Describe choices made during program development using code comments, presentations, and demonstrations.
Common Career Technical Core Standards
STEM Cluster: Engineering & Technology Career Pathway
ST-ET 1.3 Use computer applications to solve problems by creating and using algorithms, and through simulation and modeling techniques.
ST-ET 2.1 Select and use information technology tools to collect, analyze, synthesize and display data to solve problems.
ST-ET 3.1 Use knowledge, techniques, skills and modern tools necessary for engineering practice.
ST-ET 3.2 Describe the elements of good engineering practice (e.g., understanding customer needs, planning requirements analysis, using appropriate engineering tools, prototyping, testing, evaluating and verifying).
ST-ET 3.4 Illustrate the ability to characterize a plan and identify the necessary engineering tools that will produce a technical solution when given a problem statement.
ST-ET 4.1 Explain why and how the contributions of great innovators are important to society.
ST-ET 4.2 Explain the elements and steps of the design process and tools or techniques that can be used for each step.
ST-ET 4.3 Describe design constraints, criteria, and trade-offs in regard to variety of conditions (e.g., technology, cost, safety, society, environment, time, human resources, manufacturability).
ST-ET 5.1 Apply the design process using appropriate modeling and prototyping, testing, verification and implementation techniques.
ST-ET 5.2 Demonstrate the ability to evaluate a design or product and improve the design using testing, modeling and research.
ST-ET 5.3 Demonstrate the ability to record and organize information and test data during design evaluation.
STEM Cluster: Science and Math Career Pathway
ST-SM 1.1 Apply science and mathematics concepts and principles to resolve plans, projects, processes, issues or problems through methods of inquiry.
ST-SM 1.2 Use the skills and abilities in science and mathematics to access, share, and use data to develop plans, processes, projects and solutions.
ST-SM 1.3 Use the skills and abilities in science and mathematics to integrate solutions related to technical or engineering activities using the content and concepts related to the situations.
ST-SM 1.4 Explain the role of modeling in science and engineering.
ST-SM 1.6 Communicate with others on inquiry or resolution of issues/problems in the global community.
ST-SM 2.1 Demonstrate the ability to recognize cause and effect when faced with assigned projects or issues.
ST-SM 3.1 Evaluate the impact of science on society based on products and processes used in the real world.
ST-SM 3.2 Evaluate the impact of mathematics on society based on products and processes used in the real world.
ST-SM 3.3 Research how science and mathematics influence the professions and occupations supported by the STEM Career Cluster.
Information Technology Cluster: Programming & Software Development Career Pathway
IT-PRG 4.1 Employ tools in developing software applications.
IT-PRG 6.1 Explain programming language concepts.
IT-PRG 6.3 Demonstrate proficiency in developing an application using an appropriate programming language.
IT-PRG 6.4 Explain basic software systems implementation.
IT-PRG 7.1 Develop a software test plan.
IT-PRG 7.2 Perform testing and validation.
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources Cluster: Plant Systems Career Pathway
AG-PL 2.1 Examine unique plant properties to identify/describe functional differences in plant structures including roots, stems, flowers, leaves, and fruit.
AG-PL 3.7 Demonstrate plant propagation techniques.
AG-PL 3.8 Apply principles and practices of sustainable agriculture to plant production