Lesson 4: Step by Step Instructions: an Introduction

Lesson 4: Step by Step instructions/thinking

?: An introduction

AIM In this lesson you will learn:

Understand the steps in doing various activities.

To follow step-wise instructions for any activity

Kaumudi – Illustration for Tejas and jyoti making objects with paper and wearing paper caps.

Tejas and Jyoti are making various objects with paper as Moz walks in. Moz: This is interesting. Please show me how to make the cap that you are wearing. Jyoti: The cap can be made by folding the paper. Paper folding is called origami.

Tejas gives the step wise instructions and Moz makes a cap with the paper. Kaumudi – Above are the illustrations of the steps of making the cap which Tejas is wearing. We can show Jyoti wearing a different cap.

Step 11 (caption): This is a SAILOR's CAP.

The picture in step 11 will be moz wearing the cap. We need not have step 12.

Moz: Thanks. The step wise instructions really helped in making the cap.

In any activity there are a sequence of steps that are followed.

[ the above in CONCEPT BOX ]

Steps to go for a water park picnic

1. make an announcement

2. ask students to give their names

3. book tickets

4. travel to the water park.

Moz: Is it possible to book tickets before collecting the names?

Tejas: No, because we do not know how many tickets to buy.

In some activities the sequence or order of the steps cannot be changed

[ Concept box ]

Moz brings out an aeroplane making kit.

Moz: Will you please join the different parts to make an aeroplane for me?

Tejas and Jyoti: Oh yes!

Tejas and Jyoti read the instructions sheet and make the aeroplanes using various parts given in the kit.

Tejas: The wings, wheels and nose have to be attached to the body of the aeroplane.

Jyoti: These parts can be assembled in any order. We can attach the nose first. We can also attach the wings first.

In some activities the sequence of some of the steps can be changed

[ the above points in Concept box ]

Illustration of aeroplane being assembled in two different ways

Ist way

1. body

2. wings

3. wheels 4. nose

II nd way

1. body

2. wheels

3. wings

4. nose

Moz: Now let us look at a toy which has some controls.

Tejas picks up the robot and examines it.

Tejas: It has a remote controller and the instruction sheet.

Jyoti reads the sheet which has step-wise instructions to start the robot and the instructions on “How to play with the robot”.

Jyoti: The remote controller has buttons to start, stop, move the robot in four directions.

Moz: These buttons are called control buttons.

An illustration of the robot with the remote controller.

Tejas: They are like the options we find on the tool bar of the computer.

Each button has an action.

Jyoti: Moz, the games on a computer also have control buttons. When we click on a button some action takes place.

Moz: Correct. Jyoti, can you please give me the pen which is on the table?

Tejas: I will give Jyoti step-wise instructions to get the pen.

Step 1: Move forward.

Step 2: Pick up the pen.

Step 3: Bring the pen.

Jyoti brings the pen and hands it over to Moz. An illustration of this sentence please.

Moz: Suppose we want the robot to get the pen then what should we do?

Tejas: Give it instructions.

Moz: The following steps are for the same activity but in more detail. A robot has to be instructed each step for any task that needs to be performed.

Step 1: Move forward 10 steps.

Step 2: Turn right. Take 5 steps.

Step 3: Lift your hand.

Step 4: Bring it near the pen and open the hand. Step 5: Hold the pen.

Step 6: Turn back. Take 5 steps.

Step 7: Turn left. Take 10 steps.

Step 8: Raise the hand. Open the hand and give the pen to Moz.

Jyoti: Oh! If we want to build a game of our own on the computer then we have to give all the instructions.

Moz: Correct.

A computer can only work using step by step instructions from us.

[ Concept box]

Moz: You are right. Giving these step-by-step instructions is called

Programming. You will learn more about it as we go along. Chin Chinaki.

LESSON OUTCOME

After you have studied this lesson, you will be able to:

Divide a task into a series of step-wise activities.

Understand the difference between activities where the

order of the steps cannot/can be changed. Work Sheets

1. Number the pictures in the proper step by step order, from the beginning of the day. Check with your friends if they have written the same.

(Kaumudi, insert the box for entering the numbers close to each picture, change the picture to avoid confusion)

2. Here is a list of actions your mother does to cook a vegetable dish.

 She may ask you what you like to eat, or she may pick something that is healthy

for the day. Let’s say she picked Potatoes for the day.

 Then she peels and cuts the potatoes and keeps them aside.

 Then lights a stove on puts a cooking pan on the stove.

 Then she pours some oil in the pan and adds some seasoning. You might hear

popping sounds!

 Then she adds the potatoes, stirs them, adds salt and chili and covers it with a

plate.

 After sometime she turns the vegetable around with a spoon again so it cooks

evenly.

 Finally once the vegetable cooks, she severs it with rice or chapatti and you

enjoy eating it.

Tell what will happen if some of the steps are not followed correctly?

a) If she turned on the stove without cutting the vegetable :

b) If she forgets to add the salt or the seasoning :

c) If she puts the vegetable without the oil : 3. Here are some day to day activities you do every morning before going to the

school. Number them in the proper order.

You wear your shoes say bye to everyone and go to your school!

You eat breakfast and talk with your family members.

You take bath and get ready with your uniforms.

You get up with a smile, see everyone in the house and first brush your teeth.

You drink some milk

You make sure all your books are in your bag.

4. Neha is celebrating her birthday, number the pictures in the correct order. Check with your friends if they have written the same order. 5. We all know the story of the thirsty crow. The pictures given here are jumbled, number them properly. Check with your friends if they have written the same. 5. Help the thitsty crow to reach the water.

Activity for step-wise thinking: 3.4

1. Hex a hop: Your goal is to break all the green tiles by jumping on them. They will crack when you land on them and break when you jump off. Click on tile you would like to move to use and use backspace to undo a mistake. You should avoid getting trapped and jumping in water. 2. Tower of Hanoi 3. Divide class in 2 groups, have one group to name an activity and the other group specify the steps of the activity 4. [ any new ideas? ]

4. Draw the steps of water cycle using paint activity

EXPLORE:

1. What is the set of tasks that you do before travelling to a place?

2. List some tasks in which the sequence of steps can be interchanged. Teacher's Corner 3.4

1. This module can be conducted in the classroom or if possible take the students to the playground. This will raise the energy levels in the students. You can play a game with them, say fire in the mountain. Then gather them together and ask them what are the steps they followed to play the game. You may take them to the classroom and continue the module . Alternatively, you can give students craft paper and ask them to make a boat and later question them on what steps they followed to make it. 2.Ask them to give other examples where they follow steps to do an activity. Give them examples to explain that several activities involve different steps to be followed. For instance, ask them to plan a birthday party for their classmate. What things are required? Ask them to arrange all the activities they need to do in proper sequence so that your party turn out to be well organized.

3.Give them an assignment of making a daily timetable, so that they divide their time in school, study, play, sleep, eating, etc. In the next class, divide into group of two/ three students and ask them to discuss their respective plans amongst each other. Ask the students to follow the timetable. In the next class, they can exchange their experiences and make changes if required in their schedule. Question them on whether they can or cannot change the sequence of activity. 4. Ask the students to narrate their experience of using a remote control to watch television. They will mention pressing particular numbers to play a particular channel, sound buttons to change the volumes and so on. Now ask them how does the remote control functions and relate it to the different tools on the computer. You can also ask them to narrate their experience of playing with a remote controlled game. 5. Emphasize that many times we do actions without realising the different steps which we follow to do it. However, if the same action has to be done by a computer, it will require detailed instructions. Tell the students that computer cannot think on its own. Whatever it does is from the step by step instructions that we give.

Further reading: http://playubuntu.com/ http://www.exploratorium.edu/explore/online.html