Category: BEE BOTS

BEE BOTS, Coding, Computer Science, Digital Breakouts, Digital Escape Rooms, Digital Literacy, Tech in the Classroom

3 Ways to Celebrate Dr. Seuss’ Birthday for Read Across America Week 2020

Tonya Coffey

Every March 2nd, classrooms across the U.S. and beyond celebrate the birthday of one of the most iconic authors of all time –  Theodore Seuss Geisel. Under the pen name – Dr. Seuss, Mr. Geisel wrote and illustrated more than 60 books which include many of the most popular children’s books of all time. 

Let’s Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday with a Digital Breakout!

In this digital breakout, students will celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday by solving some clues. Digital Breakouts are such a fun and authentic way to practice teamwork, communication, problem-solving and critical thinking.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss Digital Breakout (Grades 3-5)

This digital breakout contains four locks. Want to learn more about how this digital breakout is set up? Check out this blog post!

Lock 1 – Students will select the Dr. Seuss book for each quote using a Google Form. Once each student complete the Google Form have them Submit. They will need to pay attention to the feedback for the clue.

Lock 2 – Students will unscramble the Dr. Seuss characters and then add or subtract each letter.

Lock 3 – Students will put the events of Dr. Seuss’s life in order.

Lock 4 – Students will fill in the blanks and then navigate through a Dr. Seuss maze.

Let’s Celebrate with Coding Robots (Bee-Bot & More)

In this activity, students will program the ROBOT to the provided sequence of rhyming words, but watch out for hats. Students will need to program a route around hats.

Coding Robots (Bee-Bot & More) – Rhyming

Students will have a BLAST reviewing rhyming words while practicing coding! Don’t have a Bee-Bot, no problem! Other coding robots may be used.

Let’s Celebrate with a Digital Hundreds Chart Mystery Picture Using Google Slides

Digital Hundreds Chart Mystery Picture – Pixel Art – Cat

In this activity, students will use the “fill” formatting tool in Google Slides to create three different Dr. Seuss characters. Students will use the numbers found in the speaker notes.

So many ways to celebrate an author that has provided us with hours upon hours of reading enjoyment!

Want to explore additional digital activities for the classroom, check out my tpt store; Shen Valley Vegan Teacher

Be sure to follow my tpt store to get the latest and greatest resources for your classroom!

Happy Teaching!

Tonya

This post contains affiliate links. I will make a commission on any product you buy through those links at no extra charge to you.

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BEE BOTS, Coding, Computer Science, Digital Breakouts, Digital Escape Rooms, Digital Literacy, Tech in the Classroom

4 Fun-Filled Activities to share on Valentine’s Day

Tonya Coffey

Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday. But it’s not about the candy or gifts that I might receive, it’s a special day to show my love to others. A special kind word, a pat on the back, a congrats, job well done. Valentine’s Day reminds me that spreading kindness promotes joy and peace. 

Let’s share this special day with our students with some fun-filled activities. Digital Breakouts are a great way to show and practice kindness to one another.

Digital Breakouts help to improve team-building skills, communication, and collaboration engagingly and authentically.

For this Valentine’s Day, why not share a digital breakout with your students and help them to build these important skills?

Interested in learning more about digital breakouts, click HERE!

Digital Breakout Escape Room – Love Monster (Grades 3-5)

Lock 1 – Students will follow algorithms to the correct colored heart.

Lock 2 – Students will find the missing digit to each math equation.

Lock 3 – Students will write an algorithm for the shortest route.

Lock 4 – Students will use binary code to crack the code.

Digital Breakout Escape Room – Cuddles Wishes for a Valentine (Grades K-2)

Word Lock – Student will determine the correct math to spell a word.

Number Lock – Students will drag and drop the correct number of Valentines to fill each ten frame to make 20.

Direction Lock – Students will put the events in order to make a card for Valentine’s Day.

Color Lock – Students will drag and drop the correct missing letter to complete each word.

Plugged and Unplugged – How to Make a Valentine

Have you begun the task of integrating computer science into your curriculum? If so, or you are just beginning, check out these Valentine’s Day coding activities.

Students will learn the steps in how to make a valentine while learning the basic commands of coding. No device is required for this unplugged activity.

Do you have a coding device? The coding robots plugged activity might just be the resource you have been looking for!

Students will code a “robot” to each step in how to make a valentine.

Interested in learning more about plugged and unplugged coding, click HERE!

Plugged and Unplugged Coding – How to Make a Valentine

Digital Hundreds Chart Mystery Picture Using Google Slides

Another team-building resource! Pair students up to complete this digital mystery picture! Completed in Google Slides, students will use the key in the speaker notes to complete the activity. Enjoy mystery pictures? Check out this MONEY SAVING BUNDLE!

A digital hundreds chart mystery picture pixel art math center for grades K-5. The activity can be used in Google Classroom, Chromebooks and other classroom devices. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!

I hope you and your classroom will plant the seed of kindness this Valentine’s Day! Let’s remember that kindness can be shared and cultivated every day!

Want to explore additional digital activities for the classroom, check out my tpt store; Shen Valley Vegan Teacher

Be sure to follow my tpt store to get the latest and greatest resources for your classroom!

Happy Teaching!

Tonya

This post contains affiliate links. I will make a commission on any product you buy through those links at no extra charge to you.

BEE BOTS, Coding, Computer Science, Tech in the Classroom

Bee Bot (Plugged and Unplugged) – Place Value

Tonya Coffey

I LOVE Bee Bots! Such as simple tool to teach and reinforce coding skills (plugged or unplugged). After completing the sorting network (unplugged) with several third grade classrooms, I wanted to return, but this time I wanted to share a plugged activity.

As with any tool or resource that I share with my teachers, I always begin with the learning objective. Why do you want your students to use this tool? How will the tool enhance the lesson?

For this lesson, it was to practice rounding numbers, then integrate CS by coding the Bee Bot to each digit of the rounded number. Sounds fun? It sure was!

There are several ways students can complete this acitivty.

They can answer each of the 12 questions, then check their answers with the provided QR code, then code the Bee Bot.

Or answer one question at a time, check, then code. This lesson takes about 90 minutes to complete. Obviously it will depend on your class and their needs.

Once students completed the task cards and were ready to go, I had them come sit with me on the rug and I provided them a plastic sleeve with a “My Program” page and a white board marker. I place the Bee Bot mat in front of me and brought out a Bee Bot.

coding-unplugged

I talked about what a programmer is and what is an algorithm. We then looked at our answer for the first question (7,540). I modeled how we were going to write an algorithm for each problem, then program the Bee Bot with our algorithm.

Once our “My Program” page was complete, I place the Bee Bot on the “Start Here” square. I then programmed the algorithm that we just wrote. I typically move the Bee Bot as I input the program.

After I model the first question, students were placed in five groups to complete the rest of their paper.

grade-3-place-value-and-rounding
Grade 3 Place Value and Rounding

It was a FUN activity, but most importantly they had the opportunity to practice place value in an authentic manner, further cementing this knowledge into their brains!

Interested in trying this lesson out in your classroom, Let’s Round Avocado!

This post contains affiliate links. I will make a commission on any product you buy through those links at no extra charge to you.

BEE BOTS, Coding, Computer Science

Sorting Networks (Unplugged) – Place Value & Rounding

Tonya Coffey

Sorting Networks (Unplugged) – You ever wonder how computers work together to solve problems. Working with a 3rd grade teacher, we decided to integrate CS into her math unit on place value. I was invited in to review place value with her students, then demonstrate how a network of computers work together to solve a problem. Using a lesson I found on csunplugged.org, students practiced putting numbers in order from least to greatest.

teach-computer-science
Sorting Networks

For this lesson, I purchased a painter’s tarp from Harbor Freight ($16.99) and an oil based sharpie ($7.99) from Michael’s. I then created a sorting network mat that I can use over and over again. I’m also created a 5×4 grid on the back to use for additional unplugged activities.

Word of caution! Make sure that students are careful walking on the mat so that they will not slip.

Here is the lesson plan. In all, it took about 45 minutes.

computer-science-unplugged
3rd grade students using the sorting network mat

For this activity, six students were chosen and were placed on the right side of the mat and given a number. The other students in the class were at their seats and had to write the six numbers from least to greatest on their desks.

Following the arrows, each student then move to the next correct rectangle.

This is where the students practice collaboration, communication, problem-solving and critical thinking. Once a pair of students were on each of the next three rectangles they had to compare numbers, the lowest number went left, the higher number went right. This continued until they were on the left side of the mat.

This was a challenging activity. It required students to go back and debug their program multiple times before getting it correct.

Plans for future use of the sorting mat:

  • Timeline
  • Telling Time
  • Birthdays
  • Map skills
  • ABC order

Can you think of any other?

Click HERE, to check out the Bee Bot (Plugged) Place Value activity for these 3rd and 4th grade students.

grade-3-place-value-and-rounding
Students checking their answer w/ a QR code before coding the BEE BOT!

This post contains affiliate links. I will make a commission on any product you buy through those links at no extra charge to you.