Educational Focus Areas

Math skills, patterns, critical thinking, sequencing, spatial awareness, STEM, Computer Science (CS) skills, computational thinking

Description

The challenge of the exhibit is to code a cityscape design along a grid from one end of the city to the other. Landmarks, storefronts, roads, etc. representing Beaver Falls have been 3-D printed on magnetic square tiles each with coordinating code. To teach concepts of Block coding and early computational thinking, learners will be able to design the town of Beaver Falls however they envision it, and the town pieces will correlate with block coding pieces that can be found across the bottom in the Code Zone section. The mechanical exhibit teaches CS skills that can be translated to any coding application that uses block-based visual programming such as Blockly or Scratch. The exhibit will connect to our Hey Ruby curriculum. CODE City is installed on our Pattern Wall exhibit.  Children and adults can practice patterns, sequencing, predictions, and logical connections on our pattern wall.

Age Level

2 and up

Adaptations

braille text on city and coding tiles

PBS Connection: Dino-mite Patterns - Dinosaur Train

https://wqed.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/kids-lab-activity-dinosaur-train-dinomite-pattern/dino-mite-patterns-dinosaur-train/

Help children make patterns with letters in this Dinosaur Train activity! Identifying, creating, and completing patterns help students learn important problem solving and mathematical reasoning skills. Being able to recognize patterns is one of the foundations for algebra.

Extensions

• Hello Ruby curriculum activities
• CS connection- CODE City coding tiles correlate with any block-based visual coding program
• Origami Connection- connect math skills like geometry, spatial visualization, and patterns to help create a fun work of art.

Special thanks to Remake Learning CSforPgh Learning Lab for their support of this exhibit. A special shout out and thank you to Tyler Jodon, Craig Lutiz, the Beaver Falls high school art students for their work on this exhibit.