Headband lesson
Create a charades game to play with your friends.
Topic
Collection
Quick Links
Class
Year 7
Prior learning/place of lesson in scheme of work
Learn how to create a charades game using arrays to store and retrieve data. We’ll learn how to create a charades game using global variables, a collection of strings, math add, Boolean, on logo down, on logo up, forever loop, if statements, running time as well as simple commands, such as show string and show number.
What the teacher needs to know
- Algorithm: An unambiguous set of rules or a precise step-by-step guide to solve a problem or achieve a particular objective.
- Command: An instruction for the computer to execute, written in a particular programming language.
- Data: A structured set of numbers, possibly representing digitized text, images, sound or video, which can be processed or transmitted by a computer, also used for numerical (quantitative) information.
- Decomposing: The process through which problems or systems are broken down into their component parts, each of which may then be considered separately.
- Input: Data provided to a computer system, such as via a keyboard, mouse, microphone, camera or physical sensors.
- Output: The information produced by a computer system for its user, typically on a screen, through speakers or on a printer, but possibly through the control of motors in physical systems.
- Programmable toys: Robots designed for children to use, accepting input, storing short sequences of simple instructions and moving according to this stored program.
- Program: A stored set of instructions encoded in a language understood by the computer that does some form of computation, processing input and/or stored data to generate output.
- Script: A computer program typically executed one line at a time through an interpreter, such as the instructions for a Scratch character.
- Selection: A programming construct in which one section of code or another is executed depending on whether a particular condition is met.
- Sequence: To place program instructions in order, with each executed one after the other.
- Simulation: Using a computer to model the state and behaviour of real-world (or imaginary) systems, including physical or social systems; an integral part of most computer games.
- Variables: A way in which computer programs can store, retrieve or change data, such as a score, the time left, or the user’s name.
**QuickStart Computing Glossary
Documentation
Resources
Objectives
- learn how a collection is a group of variables of the same type stored together
- learn how to create a global variable as a place where you can store data so that you can use it later in your code, accessible across functions and in nested code blocks
- learn how to repeat code in the background forever
- learn how to learn how to conditionally run code depending on whether a condition is true or not
- learn how to run code when the micro:bit is oriented perpendicular to the floor with the logo down
- learn how to get the number of milliseconds elapsed since the script began
- learn how to show a string on the micro:bit screen
- learn how to show a number of the micro:bit screen
Links to the National Curriculum Programmes of Study for Computing
Progression Pathways / Computational Thinking Framework
Algorithms
- Designs solutions (algorithms) that use repetition and two-way selection, ie if, then and else.(AL)
- Uses logical reasoning to predict outputs, showing an awareness of inputs (AL)
- Recognises that different solutions exist for the same problem (AL) (AB) Understands that iteration is the repetition of a process such as a loop (AL)
- Represents solutions using a structured notation (AL) (AB)
Programming & Development
- Creates programs that implement algorithms to achieve given goals (AL)
- Declares and assigns variables(AB)
- Understands the difference between, and appropriately uses if and if, then and else statements(AL)
- Uses a variable and relational operators within a loop to govern termination (AL) (GE)
- Has practical experience of a high-level textual language, including using standard libraries when programming(AB) (AL)
- Uses a range of operators and expressions e.g. Boolean, and applies them in the context of program control. (AL)
- Selects the appropriate data types(AL) (AB
Data & Data Representation
- Understands the difference between data and information(AB)
- Performs more complex searches for information e.g. using Boolean and relational operators(AL) (GE) (EV)
Hardware & Processing
- Knows that computers collect data from various input devices, including sensors and application software (AB)
Communication Networks
- Demonstrates responsible use of technologies and online services, and knows a range of ways to report concerns Understands how search engines rank search results (AL)
Information Technology
- Collects, organizes, and presents data and information in digital content (AB)
- Makes appropriate improvements to solutions based on feedback received, and can comment on the success of the solution (EV)
- Uses criteria to evaluate the quality of solutions, can identify improvements making some refinements to the solution, and future solutions (EV)
Computational Thinking Concept: AB = Abstraction; DE = Decomposition; AL = Algorithmic Thinking; EV = Evaluation; GE = Generalisation
Activity
Intended follow on
Publish script to the classroom.