Coding for Kindergarteners

Grade/Subject: Kindergarten Math Time: 1:25-2:05 Duration: 40 min.

Overview of lesson:

Students will participate in a Catalan Christmas tradition to expose them to the diversity of
holidays around the world. They will receive a small treat that is useful for practicing their
patterning skills. They will also work collaboratively to put their Smartie boxes together to
construct the train that is pictured on the box.
Then, students will get an introduction to coding through completing patterns with their colored
smarties. They will experience a STEAM activity (contributing to their required exposure to
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) that will serve as an introduction to
the important skill of understanding computer programs that they will no doubt learn about as
they get older.

Program of studies (Goals and Objectives (Maximum 3 each) Be attentive to the terminology of the
Program of Study you are using.)

GLOs/GLEs SLOs/SLEs

2. Use patterns to describe the world 1. Demonstrate an understanding of

and to solve problems repeating patterns (two or three elements) by:
• identifying
• reproducing
• extending
2. Sort a set of objects based on a single
attribute, and explain the sorting rule.

Critical and Lesson Guiding Questions

(These guide the lesson, can be used for formative assessment and are lead-ins for pedagogical
discussion with students) A lesson can have several guiding questions.

How do people in Spain celebrate Christmas?

Can kindergarteners recognize and continue simple color patterns?
Learning objectives Teaching Strategies

Students will… Direct instruction- Modeling how children get

● Participate in a unique Spanish
Christmas tradition
● Develop collaboration skills by putting
their Smartie boxes together to form a
train
● Sort Smarties according to colors
● Recognize patterns
● Continue patterns by adding more
Smarties to their sheets
● Be rewarded for their hard work
● Take home their worksheet to practice
coding with candy at home
gifts from Caga Tio. Describing the Spanish
Christmas tradition.
Experiential learning- Students each have the
opportunity to hit Caga Tio with a stick and
receive a Christmas gift.
Independent study- They will also use their
Smarties to finish patterns featured on their
hand outs on their own.

Differentiation Accommodation Modification

(Example an alternative way for (Example: If a student has a hearing (Example: Student has
a student to receive information impediment) been identified with a
or engage with a lesson.) learning challenge
such as dyslexia)

Students are using candy to Students will receive close instruction

engage in a lesson about and assistance from the two teachers.
coding. Students will sit at the carpet so
teachers can keep a close eye on
them and so that they can help
eachother out.

Assessment

Formative (Example: Observation/Anecdotal, Student/Teacher conferencing, check list etc..)

Can students continue the patterns?

Can students use their Smarties to complete math rather than just eat them?

Summative

Preparation

● Hide Smartie boxes underneath Caga Tio

● Bring him to the carpet area
 ● Print out worksheets
● Bring over a cup of water for students to dip their chop sticks in

Material and equipment (Art supplies, manipulatives, smartboard, online whiteboard etc…)

● Smartie boxes for each student

● Caga Tio
● Coding worksheets

Lesson Procedure

Introduction (15-20 min.) (Description of Hook/Attention Grabber; Expectations for Learning and
Behavior; Transition to Body, etc.)

Celebrating Catalan Christmas (11-15 min.)

● Ask students if they remember what Caga Tio does on Christmas time?
● Does anyone remember which country he is from?
● Go over the present bringing process
○ Students must take a stick
○ Get the stick wet
○ Sing Christmas carols to Caga Tio while they
○ Hit him with a stick
Formative assessment : Call on random students to repeat the steps
● :Which song would we like to sing to him?
● Hand out chopsticks to quietest student
● Pass around the water bowl to wet the sticks
● Inform students that they are not to hit him until I say so
● Have them wait until I have the background music ready
● Tell them to start as soon as music starts
● Sing loud”
● Make sure to sing while beating him
● At the end of the song, have the kids lift the blanket together
● When students receive their gift, they must go sit down in the circle and thank
caga tio
● Don’t let them open their boxes yet!
Building the train (5 min.)
● Ask students if they recognize anything about their smartie boxes?
● Have them work together to build the train
● Remind students not to eat their Smarties yet, were going to do a cool activity
with them first

Body (5-10 min.)

(Descriptive and clearly organized steps/scaffolding and transitions in lesson. Indicate timing of each
section. Identify teaching strategies, organization of class etc. How and when are you using formative
assessment in your lesson?)
Coding for kindergarteners explanation (5 min.)
● Show students the worksheet
● Explain the task to them
● Does anyone know what coding means?
● Essentially it is a different language made up of random letters and symbols that
somehow make up the internet and the websites you see on the computer
● Today were going to do simple coding and maybe one day you will become software
engineers and write in on computers yourselves
● There is lots of money and opportunities in this job so we need lots of kids to start
learning while they are young
● Have them work at the carpet and finally open their Smarties boxes
● Have them sort into colors as a group before allowing them to work independently

Independent work (15 min.)

● Allow students to work on their own to complete their worksheets
● Allow them to eat Smarties when they are done
● Go around and ask students to describe the patterns they are working on

Closure (2 min.)
(Consolidation Learning; Indicate clean up protocol, material management etc.
Transition to Next Lesson. How do you plan to prepare students for the next period?
Are they changing classes? Is another teacher coming in to the room.)

Clean up (5 min.)
● Make sure all smarties are eaten or put away in backpacks
● Put worksheets in their agendas so they can bring them home
● If other students come back early and complain, remind them that they will do this
activity on Wednesday
● Dismiss for recess

Reflection : How did it go? What should you change? What did you forget?