Wonder Workshop Whiteboard Mat and Sketch Kit lesson Ideas For Dash, Grades 1st-6th

1st Grade:

Lesson Title: Introduction to Shapes and Patterns

1. Introduction (5 minutes):
   • Engage students with a discussion on everyday shapes and patterns.
   • Show examples of shapes in their surroundings and ask students to identify them.
2. Activity (25 minutes):
   • Demonstrate how to use the Dash robot to draw basic shapes (circle, square, triangle) on the whiteboard mat.
   • In pairs, have students take turns programming Dash to draw a shape, emphasizing symmetry and repetition.
   • Encourage students to explore creating simple patterns with the shapes.
3. Reflection (5 minutes):
   • Ask students to share their drawings and discuss the different patterns they created.
   • Reinforce the concepts of symmetry and repetition through a brief class discussion.

2nd Grade:

Lesson Title: Sequencing and Storytelling

1. Introduction (5 minutes):
   • Discuss the importance of sequencing in storytelling and how it helps convey a clear message.
2. Activity (25 minutes):
   • Introduce the concept of programming sequences to the students.
   • Have each student or pair create a sequence of commands for Dash to draw shapes that tell a simple story on the whiteboard mat.
   • Encourage creativity, and let students experiment with different storylines.
3. Reflection (5 minutes):
   • Allow students to share their stories with the class.
   • Discuss how sequencing is essential in both storytelling and coding.

3rd Grade:

Lesson Title: Coding Challenges with Dash

1. Introduction (5 minutes):
   • Review basic coding concepts such as commands, loops, and conditionals.
2. Activity (25 minutes):
   • Provide students with coding challenges to navigate Dash through a maze on the whiteboard mat.
   • Guide them in using loops and conditionals to overcome obstacles and reach the destination.
   • Encourage experimentation with different solutions.
3. Reflection (5 minutes):
   • Discuss the challenges faced during coding and how different approaches led to successful navigation.
   • Emphasize the problem-solving aspect of coding.

4th Grade:

Lesson Title: Collaborative Art Project

1. Introduction (5 minutes):
   • Discuss the importance of collaboration and teamwork in problem-solving.
2. Activity (25 minutes):
   • Divide students into small groups and assign each group a section of the whiteboard mat.
   • Instruct each group to program Dash to draw a part of a collaborative art project.
   • Emphasize communication and coordination among group members.
3. Reflection (5 minutes):
   • Have each group present their part of the art project.
   • Discuss the challenges and successes of working together.

5th Grade:

Lesson Title: Introduction to Variables

1. Introduction (5 minutes):
   • Introduce the concept of variables in programming and how they can be used to make code more dynamic.
2. Activity (25 minutes):
   • Guide students in programming Dash to draw shapes and patterns using variables for size, color, and position on the whiteboard mat.
   • Encourage experimentation with different variable values.
3. Reflection (5 minutes):
   • Discuss how variables make coding more flexible and powerful.
   • Allow students to share their variable-based creations and explain their choices.

6th Grade:

Lesson Title: Advanced Coding Challenges

1. Introduction (5 minutes):
   • Review coding concepts from previous years and introduce more advanced concepts like functions and events.
2. Activity (25 minutes):
   • Present challenging coding tasks, such as creating a program that responds to specific events or simulating a real-world scenario on the whiteboard mat.
   • Encourage students to use functions to organize their code.
3. Reflection (5 minutes):
   • Discuss the complexity of the challenges and how problem-solving skills can be applied to real-world situations.
   • Reflect on the importance of advanced coding concepts in solving complex problems.

Feel free to adapt these detailed activities to suit the needs and preferences of your students and the capabilities of the Wonder Workshop Whiteboard Mat, Sketch Kit, and Dash robot.