# Brickomatic — Illustrated discovery collection 12 original pilot lessons for Grades 3–5. Six planned around BricQ Motion Essential #45401 and six around SPIKE Essential #45345. All are unpowered. Exact-kit builds, alternative materials and classroom delivery still need physical trials; no compatibility certification is claimed. **Status: draft pilot collection. No physical or classroom validation has been completed.** ## Pilot shortlist | Challenge | Grade | Subject | Set | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Deliver supplies across a gap | 3 | Engineering | 45401 | | Start, stop, rescue! | 3 | Science | 45401 | | The energy trail | 4 | Science | 45401 | | A pocket park for everyone | 3 | Math | 45401 | | Art that takes a turn | 4 | Math | 45401 | | Program a pattern parade | 5 | Technology | 45401 | | A lookout with a purpose | 4 | Engineering | 45345 | | Reach the rescue parcel | 5 | Engineering | 45345 | | Which way is down? | 5 | Science | 45345 | | Coordinate couriers | 5 | Math | 45345 | | Signals that make sense | 3 | Technology | 45345 | | A thoughtful sorting station | 4 | Technology | 45345 | ## Review each lesson The illustrations establish a situation; concept diagrams describe an idea or fair test. Neither is an assembly plan. ## Deliver supplies across a gap **gap-delivery · Grade 3 · Engineering + Art · 20 / 35 / 45 minutes** **Learning goal:** I can set a goal and limits for a design. **Challenge:** A field station needs supplies. Design a crossing over a 6 cm gap that holds three small bricks for five seconds. Use no more than 16 building pieces. The crossing must stand without your hands. ### Essentials per group - Up to 16 connecting bricks, plates or beams. Alternative to trial: Use other compatible connecting pieces; keep the same 16-piece limit. - Three matching small bricks for the load. Alternative to trial: Use three identical classroom counters; use those same counters for every trial. - Two equal-height books, ruler, paper and pencil. Alternative to trial: Use two stable, equal-height blocks instead of books; keep the gap at 6 cm. ### Student steps 1. Draw two different ideas. Label the gap, the load and your piece limit. 2. Choose one idea, build it, and test the same three-brick load three times. 3. Change one feature. Repeat the test and explain what changed. ### Success criteria - I can name our goal and two limits. - I record whether the load stays up in each trial. - I explain a change using our test results. ### Prerequisite learning Measure a short length in centimetres; distinguish a goal from a limit. ### Teacher preparation Place the books on the floor or a low table, 6 cm apart. Select a very light three-brick load. Trial the available pieces before class; adjust the gap for the whole class if needed and write the new criterion. Never use people as loads. ### Evidence to notice Listen for a clear need, a stated load and gap, and a piece limit. A failed crossing can still show good engineering reasoning when the student uses evidence to revise it. ### Exit prompt Our crossing needed to ____. We changed ____ because our test showed ____. ### Support Provide a picture of the two banks and help students label the goal. Allow a partner to count pieces and record pass/fail results. ### Extension Compare two designs with the same piece limit. Explain which you recommend and one trade-off. ### Artistic expression Give the field station a purpose and use colour or shape to express it without changing the load test. ### Questions to ask - What must your crossing do? What limits must it respect? - What will you keep the same so the second test is fair? ### Standards reference [3-5-ETS1-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/3-5-ets1-1-engineering-design) Targeted NGSS engineering practice. This short activity does not establish mastery of the full performance expectation. ### Illustration and concept diagram Supplies wait on one riverbank. Children and a field station wait across the water; there is no crossing. The gap is the space to cross. The load is what the crossing must hold. This diagram shows the test, not a design. **Physical kit trial: pending. Alternative materials: pending. Teacher trial: pending.** ## Start, stop, rescue! **rescue-stop · Grade 3 · Science + Art · 20 / 35 / 45 minutes** **Learning goal:** I can test how pushes change motion. **Challenge:** Supplies must move through a rescue station. Build a small rolling carrier. Find a gentle push that starts it moving, then investigate what happens when you push equally from opposite sides while it is at rest. ### Essentials per group - Four wheels with compatible axles and supports. Alternative to trial: Use a ready-made small toy car for the investigation. - Up to 12 connecting pieces for a carrier. Alternative to trial: Use the body of the same toy car; do not change cars between tests. - Flat floor space, a tape start line, paper and pencil. Alternative to trial: Use a flat tray with a drawn start line. ### Student steps 1. Keep the carrier, surface and starting point the same. Draw what you predict. 2. Try one gentle push, then two opposing pushes while the carrier is still. Repeat each test three times. 3. Record motion or no motion. Explain which forces seemed balanced and which changed the motion. ### Success criteria - I keep the carrier and surface the same. - I record observations from both push tests. - I connect a change in motion to an unbalanced push. ### Prerequisite learning Describe an object as moving or still and identify the direction of a push. ### Teacher preparation Check that the wheels turn freely. Use gentle fingertip pushes on a low, flat surface. Two opposing pushes may not balance exactly; treat any movement as evidence, not a wrong answer. Explain that friction and the ground also exert forces. Physical trials are pending. ### Evidence to notice Students describe pushes in opposite directions and use observed movement to discuss balance. Being still does not mean no forces act. ### Exit prompt The carrier changed its motion when ____. My evidence is ____. ### Support Offer two observation boxes: moved / stayed still. A partner can draw arrows while the learner describes what happened. ### Extension Change only the direction of one push. Predict and test the change in motion. ### Artistic expression Design a rescue-station emblem and explain how its shapes communicate help or safety. ### Questions to ask - What changed between the two tests? - If the carrier stayed still, does that mean no one pushed? ### Standards reference [3-PS2-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/3-ps2-1-motion-and-stability-forces-and-interactions) Targeted qualitative force investigation. Does not measure force magnitude or cover all interactions in the standard. ### Illustration and concept diagram A wildlife supply depot has an empty test lane and a green stopping zone. Arrows show directions of pushes. Equal opposing pushes can balance; unequal pushes can change motion. **Physical kit trial: pending. Alternative materials: pending. Teacher trial: pending.** ## The energy trail **energy-trail · Grade 4 · Science + Art · 20 / 35 / 45 minutes** **Learning goal:** I can use observations to explain why a faster object has more energy. **Challenge:** A mountain team is testing supply deliveries. Build a rolling carrier and compare releases from two low ramp heights. What evidence suggests the faster run transfers more energy to a light paper cup? ### Essentials per group - Four wheels, compatible axles and connecting pieces. Alternative to trial: Use the same small toy car for all trials. - A stiff card ramp, two low supports and a light empty paper cup. Alternative to trial: Use a firm book as the ramp and a folded-paper target instead of a cup. - Ruler, tape, paper, pencil and clear floor space. Alternative to trial: Use a marked measuring strip instead of a ruler. ### Student steps 1. Keep the carrier, cup, ramp surface and release point on the ramp the same; change only ramp height. 2. Release without pushing. Compare speed near the bottom and measure how far the cup moves. Repeat three times at each height. 3. Draw or write an explanation using both speed observations and cup movement. ### Success criteria - I describe what stayed the same and what changed. - I record repeated observations, including cup travel. - I connect greater speed with evidence of greater energy transfer. ### Prerequisite learning Compare speeds qualitatively and measure travel from a fixed starting point. ### Teacher preparation Keep ramp heights at about 2 cm and 4 cm, with an adult checking stability. Run on the floor with a clear stop zone. The cup must slide freely. Model release without a push. If runs are indistinguishable, discuss the limits of the test rather than inventing a result. Physical trials are pending. ### Evidence to notice Look for a claim supported by repeated observations, alongside acknowledgement that cup travel depends on other conditions too. ### Exit prompt I think the ____ run transferred more energy because ____. One limit of our test was ____. ### Support Provide a two-column record sheet. Let students use faster / slower / unclear and measure together. ### Extension Explain why comparing different carriers would weaken this investigation. Suggest a better way to observe speed. ### Artistic expression Create a mountain expedition identity, keeping decorations light and unchanged across trials. ### Questions to ask - What evidence did you collect about speed? - What else could change the cup’s travel? ### Standards reference [4-PS3-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/4-ps3-1-energy) Targeted evidence-based explanation of speed and energy. Cup travel is an indirect indicator, not a direct energy measurement. ### Illustration and concept diagram Two paths start at different heights above a mountain delivery station. Observe speed, record the effect, then explain. Evidence comes from the test, not from the picture. **Physical kit trial: pending. Alternative materials: pending. Teacher trial: pending.** ## A pocket park for everyone **pocket-park · Grade 3 · Math + Art · 20 / 35 / 45 minutes** **Learning goal:** I can measure a rectangle’s area using equal square units. **Challenge:** Your neighbourhood has room for a tiny rectangular park. Make a 3 by 4 square-unit plan, then find a different rectangle with the same area. Decide how your park will welcome people. ### Essentials per group - Four or more connecting bricks for park landmarks. Alternative to trial: Use four drawn landmark cards. - Twelve equal paper squares and squared paper. Alternative to trial: Draw and cut 12 equal squares with adult help, or mark 12 equal grid cells. - Pencils and a ruler. Alternative to trial: Use a pre-drawn equal-square grid instead of drawing it. ### Student steps 1. Draw equal square units and tile a 3 by 4 rectangle without gaps or overlaps. 2. Show its area by counting squares and by multiplying its side lengths. 3. Rearrange the same 12 square units into a different rectangle. Add brick landmarks outside the counted grid. ### Success criteria - I count area in square units. - My multiplication matches the rows and columns. - I show two rectangles with area 12 square units. ### Prerequisite learning Count equal groups and recognise a rectangle; use the earlier Grade 3 area lesson if needed. ### Teacher preparation Prepare 12 equal squares per group. The paper grid is the area model; differently sized bricks decorate the context and are not counted as equal area units. Check a 3 × 4 arrangement and a second rectangle yourself before class. Physical trials are pending. ### Evidence to notice Check that students count square units rather than just the border, and connect 3 rows of 4 to a total of 12. ### Exit prompt My rectangle is ____ by ____. Its area is ____ square units because ____. ### Support Provide a 3 × 4 grid and use one colour per row. Count one row, then count equal groups. ### Extension Find all whole-number rectangles with area 12. Compare their perimeters without confusing perimeter and area. ### Artistic expression Use the landmarks and a short story to show whom the park welcomes. ### Questions to ask - Where do you see each factor in your rectangle? - How can the shape change while the area stays the same? ### Standards reference [3.MD.C.7.a](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/3/MD/) Targeted work on rectangular area by tiling and multiplication. Brick studs are not used as square centimetres. ### Illustration and concept diagram An empty grid of land waits to become a neighbourhood park. Equal square units cover an area. Count every square once, with no gaps or overlaps. **Physical kit trial: pending. Alternative materials: pending. Teacher trial: pending.** ## Art that takes a turn **turning-art · Grade 4 · Math + Art · 20 / 35 / 45 minutes** **Learning goal:** I can describe a turn in degrees. **Challenge:** Create a turning artwork. Use a pointer to mark a quarter turn, a half turn and a full turn on paper. Make a design that uses all three turns. ### Essentials per group - One beam or long brick to use as a pointer. Alternative to trial: Use a stiff paper arrow. - One fixed centre marker and a sheet of paper. Alternative to trial: Draw a centre dot and hold the pointer at it with a fingertip. - Coloured pencils and a circular object to trace. Alternative to trial: Use a pre-drawn circle and any pencil. ### Student steps 1. Mark one centre and one starting direction. Turn your pointer through a quarter, half and full circle. 2. Label the turns 90°, 180° and 360°. Compare a short pointer with a longer pointer. 3. Explain why the amount of turn stays the same when pointer length changes. ### Success criteria - My angles share a clear centre. - I connect quarter, half and full turns to the correct degrees. - I explain why a longer pointer does not make the angle larger. ### Prerequisite learning Recognise halves and quarters of a circle. ### Teacher preparation A free pointer held over a paper centre is sufficient; no pin or sharp fastener is needed. Keep the starting direction visible. Compare two pointer lengths with the same turn. ### Evidence to notice Students attend to the turn between directions rather than the length of the lines. ### Exit prompt A half turn is ____ degrees. Changing pointer length changes ____ but not ____. ### Support Fold a paper circle into quarters first. Use a finger to trace the turn before recording it. ### Extension Combine two quarter turns and explain why the total is a half turn. ### Artistic expression Use repeated turns and colour choices to create a pattern with an intentional mood. ### Questions to ask - What stays fixed while the pointer turns? - Does a longer pointer change the fraction of the circle? ### Standards reference [4.MD.C.5.a](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/4/MD/) Targeted relationship between turns and degree measure; not full practice measuring arbitrary angles with a protractor. ### Illustration and concept diagram Blank circular paper, pencils and colourful arcs invite an exploration of turns. An angle measures the turn between two directions from the same centre. **Physical kit trial: pending. Alternative materials: pending. Teacher trial: pending.** ## Program a pattern parade **pattern-parade · Grade 5 · Technology + Art · 20 / 35 / 45 minutes** **Learning goal:** I can write a repeating rule with a count and a stop. **Challenge:** A parade needs a banner. Invent a short colour pattern and write instructions that repeat it. Keep a count of completed repeats and stop when the count reaches four. ### Essentials per group - At least 12 loose pieces in two or three colours. Alternative to trial: Use 12 labelled paper tokens; symbols can replace colours. - Paper instruction cards and a pencil. Alternative to trial: Use a whiteboard and dry-wipe pen. - A clear space to lay out the sequence. Alternative to trial: Use a shallow tray. ### Student steps 1. Choose a pattern of two or three brick colours or labelled symbols. Set the repeat count to zero. 2. Give a partner instructions to add the pattern, increase the count by one, and repeat until the count is four. 3. Test a second pattern. Trace the count and fix any instruction that makes the banner too short or too long. ### Success criteria - I show the starting count and how it changes. - My stopping rule ends after four repeats. - A partner can follow my instructions without guessing. ### Prerequisite learning Follow an ordered sequence and recognise a repeated group. ### Teacher preparation Keep the banner flat; pieces need not connect. Demonstrate what a count represents without supplying the students’ pattern. A loop needs an explicit stop rule. Include labels for students who cannot distinguish colours. Physical trials are pending. ### Evidence to notice A student traces 0 → 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 and stops. Watch for counting individual bricks when the variable is intended to count whole repeats. ### Exit prompt My count means ____. The process stops when ____. ### Support Supply four spaces for repeat groups and move a counter after each complete group. ### Extension Change the stop value to six and predict the number of tokens needed before testing. ### Artistic expression Choose a celebration and explain how the pattern communicates its character. ### Questions to ask - When does the count change? - Would your instructions still work with a different pattern? ### Standards reference [1B-AP-10 (2017)](https://csteachers.org/2017standards/interactive/) Targeted unplugged practice toward CSTA 2017 1B-AP-10 (sequences, events, loops, and conditionals). No device program is created. Check the standards edition adopted by your school. ### Illustration and concept diagram Separate coloured pennants wait beside an empty string for a celebration. Do the steps, update the count, check the stop rule. A loop repeats a process. **Physical kit trial: pending. Alternative materials: pending. Teacher trial: pending.** ## A lookout with a purpose **lookout · Grade 4 · Engineering + Art · 20 / 35 / 45 minutes** **Learning goal:** I can compare two designs using the same requirements. **Challenge:** Wildlife researchers need a lookout. Sketch two structures that hold a paper observer 12 cm above the table. Use up to 20 connecting pieces. Choose an idea and explain your decision. ### Essentials per group - Up to 20 compatible bricks, plates or beams. Alternative to trial: Use another compatible connecting-brick collection with the same limit. - One lightweight paper observer. Alternative to trial: Use a small paper flag; do not use a heavy figure. - Ruler, paper and pencil. Alternative to trial: Use a marked 12 cm measuring strip. ### Student steps 1. Sketch two ideas and compare height, footprint and piece use. 2. Build your chosen idea. Measure its height and check that it stands for ten seconds without hands. 3. Explain a benefit and a trade-off. Improve one feature and test again. ### Success criteria - I compare two ideas using the same requirements. - I measure and record the result of a test. - I explain why I chose one idea and what I would improve. ### Prerequisite learning Measure height from the table and describe a requirement that can be checked. ### Teacher preparation Check that 12 cm is feasible with your collection. Change the common target before class if necessary. Use a lightweight paper observer and a low work surface. Invite different shapes; do not demonstrate a finished tower. Physical trials are pending. ### Evidence to notice Students compare more than appearance: look for reasoning about height, stability or limited materials. ### Exit prompt I chose ____ because ____. Compared with my other idea, its trade-off is ____. ### Support Give two blank sketch boxes labelled Idea A and Idea B. Help students compare one criterion at a time. ### Extension Reduce the piece allowance by four while keeping the height goal. Explain what changed. ### Artistic expression Give the lookout a visual identity that fits its environment while keeping the observer visible. ### Questions to ask - How do your two ideas meet the same need differently? - What did you gain or give up by choosing this idea? ### Standards reference [3-5-ETS1-2](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/3-5-ets1-2-engineering-design) Targeted NGSS engineering practice. This short activity does not establish mastery of the full performance expectation. ### Illustration and concept diagram A wildlife researcher looks towards birds above tall grasses. No lookout structure is shown. Compare ideas using the same goal and limits. A good choice has reasons. **Physical kit trial: pending. Alternative materials: pending. Teacher trial: pending.** ## Reach the rescue parcel **rescue-reach · Grade 5 · Engineering + Art · 20 / 35 / 45 minutes** **Learning goal:** I can improve a design using fair test results. **Challenge:** A small paper parcel sits 10 cm beyond a line. Design a tool that moves it back across the line. Keep your hands behind the line and use at most 16 connecting pieces. ### Essentials per group - Up to 16 beams, plates, bricks and compatible connectors. Alternative to trial: Use other compatible connecting pieces; keep the same limit. - One loosely folded paper parcel. Alternative to trial: Use the same lightweight scrunched-paper ball in every trial. - Ruler, tape, paper and pencil. Alternative to trial: Draw a start line and use a marked 10 cm strip. ### Student steps 1. Agree on the parcel, its starting position and what counts as a rescue. 2. Build a tool and run three trials. Record success or failure and where the tool struggled. 3. Change one feature, repeat the same trials, and use your evidence to explain the improvement. ### Success criteria - My trials use the same parcel and distance. - I record results before and after one change. - I identify a weak point using evidence. ### Prerequisite learning Tally outcomes and distinguish a design change from a changed test condition. ### Teacher preparation Use a floor or low table and a very light parcel. No actual water, sharp parts or string is needed. Trial the available connectors for reach and adjust the common distance before class if necessary. Physical trials are pending. ### Evidence to notice Students keep the test conditions constant, describe an observed weakness and link their revision to it. ### Exit prompt Before our change, ____ of three tests succeeded. Afterwards, ____. This suggests ____. ### Support Use a three-box tally record. A partner can reset the parcel while the learner tests. ### Extension Ask another group to repeat your test and compare results. Discuss inconsistent outcomes. ### Artistic expression Design a rescue-service symbol and explain how it helps communicate the tool’s purpose. ### Questions to ask - Which part of the task failed most often? - How will you know your change helped rather than the test becoming easier? ### Standards reference [3-5-ETS1-3](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/3-5-ets1-3-engineering-design) Targeted NGSS engineering practice. This short activity does not establish mastery of the full performance expectation. ### Illustration and concept diagram A small supply capsule waits on an island beyond an empty work area. Test → record → change one feature → retest. Keep the test conditions the same. **Physical kit trial: pending. Alternative materials: pending. Teacher trial: pending.** ## Which way is down? **gravity-guide · Grade 5 · Science + Art · 20 / 35 / 45 minutes** **Learning goal:** I can show how gravity pulls objects towards Earth’s centre. **Challenge:** Create a tiny field station to investigate falling objects. Release two different safe objects from the same low height. Then use an Earth diagram to explain what “down” means in different places. ### Essentials per group - Six or more connecting pieces for a release-height marker. Alternative to trial: Use a paper strip marked at 5 cm. - One small brick, one paper ball and a tray. Alternative to trial: Use two different small, light, non-breakable classroom objects. - Paper, pencil and a circle template. Alternative to trial: Trace a round cup to represent Earth. ### Student steps 1. Build a marker for a release height of 5 cm above a tray. Predict the direction each object will move. 2. Release each object three times without pushing. Record direction, not which falls fastest. 3. On a circle representing Earth, draw people in three places and arrows pointing toward its centre. Explain how this connects to your observations. ### Success criteria - I record observed directions of motion. - My Earth arrows point toward the centre from different places. - I use evidence to explain gravity’s direction. ### Prerequisite learning Distinguish the centre of a circle from the bottom of a page. ### Teacher preparation Use a 5 cm release over a tray and light objects only. Do not assess fall speed. Explain that the drawn Earth is a model, not a scale diagram. At each location, local down points toward the centre. Physical trials are pending. ### Evidence to notice Students distinguish what they observed locally from what the Earth model explains. Watch for arrows all pointing to the bottom edge of the paper. ### Exit prompt Down means ____ on Earth. Our tray test showed ____, and our model helps explain ____. ### Support Provide an Earth circle and three people. Let students point toward the centre before drawing arrows. ### Extension Explain why a person on the other side of Earth does not fall away into space. ### Artistic expression Give each field station its own environment, keeping the scientific arrows separate and clear. ### Questions to ask - What did your observations show directly? - Where would down point for a person on the opposite side of Earth? ### Standards reference [5-PS2-1](https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/5-ps2-1-motion-and-stability-forces-and-interactions) Targeted argument about gravity acting toward Earth’s centre. Classroom observations alone do not establish a global conclusion; the Earth model and established scientific explanation provide that connection. ### Illustration and concept diagram Earth, an apple and a leaf set the scene for thinking about gravity. This is a story illustration, not a force diagram. At different places on Earth, gravity points toward Earth’s centre. This is a simplified model. **Physical kit trial: pending. Alternative materials: pending. Teacher trial: pending.** ## Coordinate couriers **coordinate-courier · Grade 5 · Math + Art · 20 / 35 / 45 minutes** **Learning goal:** I can use (x, y) to find a position. **Challenge:** Build three tiny destinations on a paper grid. Give a partner their coordinates so a supply courier can find each place. Then swap jobs and check the deliveries. ### Essentials per group - At least six connecting pieces for three landmarks. Alternative to trial: Use three labelled paper landmark cards. - Squared paper with a 0–6 coordinate grid. Alternative to trial: Draw a grid with a ruler; use equal spacing on each axis. - A small courier token and a pencil. Alternative to trial: Use a paper dot or fingertip as the courier. ### Student steps 1. Draw perpendicular x and y axes, label the origin (0,0), and mark equal units from 0 to 6. 2. Place three brick destinations at grid intersections. Record each destination as (x,y). 3. Exchange coordinates. Plot the destinations and explain what each number tells the courier. ### Success criteria - I start from the origin and use equal units. - I record horizontal position first, then vertical position. - My partner can locate each destination from its coordinates. ### Prerequisite learning Read a number line and use equal spacing; review the origin and axis names. ### Teacher preparation Keep all destinations on intersections. Label x, y and the origin clearly. Put a dot beneath each landmark so its exact position is unambiguous. Do not allow the landmark footprint to obscure the grid. Physical trials are pending. ### Evidence to notice Students interpret each coordinate in the town context, rather than merely reciting a rule. ### Exit prompt Our ____ is at (__,__). The first number means ____; the second means ____. ### Support Colour-code the axes and practise moving across, then up. Start with a single destination. ### Extension Include a destination on an axis and explain what a zero coordinate means. ### Artistic expression Give the town a theme and design landmarks with a recognisable purpose. ### Questions to ask - What does the first number describe? - Could (2,5) and (5,2) refer to the same location on this grid? ### Standards reference [5.G.A.2](https://www.thecorestandards.org/Math/Content/5/G/) Targeted representation and interpretation of first-quadrant points. Coordinates mark a location, not a route or distance travelled. ### Illustration and concept diagram A town with separate landmarks and an unlabelled grid waits for a delivery route. For (x,y), locate x across the horizontal axis, then y up the vertical axis. **Physical kit trial: pending. Alternative materials: pending. Teacher trial: pending.** ## Signals that make sense **signal-sequence · Grade 3 · Technology + Art · 20 / 35 / 45 minutes** **Learning goal:** I can write instructions with a start signal, repetition and a choice. **Challenge:** Boats need a clear harbour signal. Build or lay out three signal symbols. Write a sequence a partner can perform when a boat arrives, with a repeated action and a choice for safe or unsafe conditions. ### Essentials per group - Six pieces in three distinguishable colours or shapes. Alternative to trial: Use three labelled paper signal cards. - Paper boat token and two condition cards: safe / unsafe. Alternative to trial: Use a drawn boat and say each condition aloud. - Paper and pencil for the instructions. Alternative to trial: Dictate the instructions to a partner or adult. ### Student steps 1. Invent and label the signal symbols. Write what starts the sequence. 2. Include a short repeated action and an if/else choice for safe or unsafe conditions. 3. Let a partner follow the instructions exactly. Test both conditions and fix one unclear step. ### Success criteria - My instructions have an arrival event, an ordered sequence and a repeat. - Both safe and unsafe conditions lead to an explicit action. - I find and improve a confusing instruction. ### Prerequisite learning Follow short ordered instructions and recognise a choice with two outcomes. ### Teacher preparation This is unplugged computing: a person follows the algorithm; the hub, motors and coding app stay off. Agree that these are invented classroom signals, not real marine safety instructions. Test both branches. Physical trials are pending. ### Evidence to notice Students separate an event from a step and make both branches explicit. A partner follows the written instructions rather than reading the author’s mind. ### Exit prompt We found a bug when ____. We changed ____ so that ____. ### Support Offer cards for start, show, repeat and if/else. Keep the sequence to four or five actions. ### Extension Add a second arriving boat. Explain whether the repeat and condition should run again. ### Artistic expression Choose symbols readable without colour alone and explain why they communicate clearly. ### Questions to ask - What starts the program? - Which action happens if conditions are unsafe? ### Standards reference [1B-AP-10 (2017)](https://csteachers.org/2017standards/interactive/) Targeted unplugged practice toward CSTA 2017 1B-AP-10 (sequences, events, loops, and conditionals). No device program is created. Check the standards edition adopted by your school. ### Illustration and concept diagram Boats wait offshore beside three unlit coloured signal lanterns. An event starts the instructions. A sequence orders actions. A condition chooses what happens next. **Physical kit trial: pending. Alternative materials: pending. Teacher trial: pending.** ## A thoughtful sorting station **sorting-station · Grade 4 · Technology + Art · 20 / 35 / 45 minutes** **Learning goal:** I can test rules that repeat and make choices. **Challenge:** Design a sorting station for a collection of brick parcels. A partner must be able to use your rules to sort every parcel, including one that does not fit the usual categories. ### Essentials per group - Six varied loose bricks or parts. Alternative to trial: Use six paper tokens with different labelled shapes. - Three paper collection bays. Alternative to trial: Draw three labelled areas on one sheet. - Paper and pencil for rules and a result record. Alternative to trial: Dictate rules to a partner and use tally marks. ### Student steps 1. Choose two clear properties and label your collection bays. Include an “otherwise” place. 2. Write a repeated process: take the next parcel, test your conditions, place it, then check whether parcels remain. 3. Try six parcels, including an unusual one. Debug any rule that leaves a parcel with no place or two places. ### Success criteria - I use an explicit condition and an otherwise action. - My process repeats until all parcels are handled. - I test an unusual case and explain a revision. ### Prerequisite learning Group objects by a property and follow an if/otherwise instruction. ### Teacher preparation Use a collection with overlapping properties and at least one unusual case. Students choose their own rules; the key is unambiguous decisions and termination. This is a manual algorithm, not automated colour sensing. Physical trials are pending. ### Evidence to notice Students use ordered tests or mutually exclusive conditions, include an otherwise branch, and check for remaining input. ### Exit prompt Our unusual parcel was ____. Our rule handled it by ____. We improved ____. ### Support Begin with one condition and an otherwise bay, then add a second condition after a successful test. ### Extension Exchange collections with another group and test rules without rewriting them first. Explain what broke. ### Artistic expression Design labels using shapes and words so someone else can understand the station at a glance. ### Questions to ask - What happens to a parcel that meets both conditions? - How does the process know it is finished? ### Standards reference [1B-AP-10 (2017)](https://csteachers.org/2017standards/interactive/) Targeted unplugged practice toward CSTA 2017 1B-AP-10 (sequences, events, loops, and conditionals). No device program is created. Check the standards edition adopted by your school. ### Illustration and concept diagram Loose parcels and empty collection bays wait for someone to choose sorting rules. Test a condition, choose an action, then repeat for the next item. Include an otherwise path. **Physical kit trial: pending. Alternative materials: pending. Teacher trial: pending.**