9th Grade Plotting Shapes Lesson Plan (Career and Technical Education)

Topic:Communicating through shapes in Game Lab

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the challenges of communicating position in Game Lab.
• Students will be able to program a hidden image in Game Lab using a tool that allows for interactive placement of shapes.
• Students will be able to communicate their understanding of the programming process to a partner.

Materials

• Computer with access to Game Lab
• Pen and paper for drawing

Warm Up

• Have students stand in a small circle and give each student a pen and a piece of paper.
• Ask students to draw a simple shape (e.g. square, circle, etc.) on their paper without showing their peers.
• Once students have finished drawing, have them fold their paper in half, hiding their drawing.
• Ask students to unfold their paper and hold it up in front of them so that their peers can see the unfolded half, but not the half with the drawing.
• Ask students to describe to their peers the location and shape of the hidden drawing, without referring to their paper.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce Game Lab and its ability to create interactive 2D games.
• Demonstrate the grid tool in Game Lab, which allows users to create a 400 by 400 grid.
• Explain the challenges of communicating position without a shared reference point, and how this is an issue when communicating how to draw a shape in Game Lab.
• Introduce the idea of using shapes to communicate how to draw a hidden image in Game Lab, and the challenges that this may present.

Guided Practice

• Have students work in pairs to create a hidden image on the 400 by 400 grid, using the grid tool and shapes in Game Lab.
• Have students take turns instructing their partner on how to draw the hidden image, accounting for the challenges of communicating position and using shapes in Game Lab.

Independent Practice

• Have students work in small groups to create their own hidden images to communicate with their partners.
• Have students take turns instructing their partners on how to draw their hidden images, accounting for the challenges of communicating position and using shapes in Game Lab.

Closure

• Have students share their experiences with their partners and reflect on the challenges they encountered when trying to communicate with shapes and position in Game Lab.

Assessment

• Observation of students using the tool during the independent practice activity
• Quality of the image created during independent practice.
• Participation in class discussion during the closure activity.