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Algorithm Tangram

This document provides instructions for a lesson that teaches students about algorithms using tangram puzzles. Students will work in groups to describe tangram arrangements to each other without looking at the image, in order to recreate the same arrangement based on the spoken instructions. By making the algorithms more or less detailed, students can explore how the level of detail affects the success of reproducing the same image. The lesson aims to help students learn how to convey instructions precisely enough for others to follow and analyze whether outcomes match expectations.

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Mandeep Thakur
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
159 views

Algorithm Tangram

This document provides instructions for a lesson that teaches students about algorithms using tangram puzzles. Students will work in groups to describe tangram arrangements to each other without looking at the image, in order to recreate the same arrangement based on the spoken instructions. By making the algorithms more or less detailed, students can explore how the level of detail affects the success of reproducing the same image. The lesson aims to help students learn how to convey instructions precisely enough for others to follow and analyze whether outcomes match expectations.

Uploaded by

Mandeep Thakur
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Algorithms: Tangrams
Lesson time: 20 Minutes Basic lesson time includes activity only. Introductory and Wrap-Up suggestions can be used
to delve deeper when time allows.

LESSON OVERVIEW
This lesson shows us something important about algorithms. If you keep an algorithm simple there are lots of
ways to use it. If you want to make sure everyone ends up with the same thing, then your algorithm needs more
detail.

This activity will show both options.

TEACHING SUMMARY

Getting Started - 10 minutes


1) Review
2) Vocabulary
3) Intro to Tangrams

Activity: Algorithms with Tangrams - 20 minutes


4) Algorithms

Wrap-up - 10 minutes
5) Flash Chat: What did we learn?
6) Vocab-Shmocab

Assessment - 10 minutes
7) Algorithm Assessment

LESSON OBJECTIVES
Students will:

Tackle the challenge of translating an image into actionable instructions


Convey instructions to teammates in order to reproduce an image
Analyze the work of teammates to determine whether an outcome was successful

TEACHING GUIDE
MATERIALS, RESOURCES AND PREP
For the Student
Tangram Set & Algorithm Card Images Pack
Scratch paper for writing algorithms or building images
Tangram Assessment Worksheet
Pens/Pencils
Scissors

For the Teacher


Print one Algorithm Card Images Pack per group
Print one Tangram Set per student
Print one Tangram Assessment Worksheet per student
Provide student with scissors, paper, pens & pencils

GETTING STARTED (10 MIN)


1) Review
This is a great time to review computer science experiences from the past. Where did everyone leave off?

Here are some questions that you can ask in review:

Do you remember what an algorithm is?


What does an algorithm have to do with sequence?

Finishing the review by asking about the students' favorite things helps to leave a positive impression
LESSON TIP
of the previous exercise, increasing excitement for the activity that you are about to introduce.

2) Vocabulary
This lesson has one important word to review:

Algorithm - Say it with me: Al-go-ri-thm


A list of steps that you can follow to finish a task

3) Intro to Tangrams
Your students may or may not have played with tangrams before. If they have, you can skip this portion, and move
right to explaining the Algorithms activity.

Usually, Tangrams are used to solve puzzles. You receive a set of seven Tans and must use them all (without
overlapping any) to recreate an image that has been given to you. Often, this is done as an individual activity, and
the player is allowed to see the image that they are trying to recreate. Many times, you can lay your pieces right on
top of the image silhouette to be sure that the solution is just right.

If your class has never used Tangram pieces, you can choose to do an example for them or even
LESSON TIP
have an entire Tangram lesson. There are several good ones on the Internet. Here is a lesson that
you can do in the classroom and here is a game that you can play online.

ACTIVITY: ALGORITHMS (20 MIN)


4) Algorithms
We are going to use our tangrams in a slightly different way than most. Instead of looking at our puzzles and trying
to guess which shape goes where, we are going to get puzzles that already tell you where each shape goes.

You might think that this will make it easier, but it won't, because students will also not get to actually look at the
image that we are trying to recreate! Instead, a teammate will be describing the image to us.

To keep it from getting too difficult, we will not use puzzles that require all seven pieces.

Directions:

1. Divide into groups of 3-5.


2. Each player should cut out their own set of tangrams.
3. Have one member of each group select an Algorithm Card without showing it to anyone else.
4. The person with the Algorithm Card will try to explain the image to everyone else without letting them
actually see it.
5. The other players will build their pictures off of the description given by the Card Holder.
6. When the Card Holder is done, everyone will show their pictures and see if they all ended up with the same
image.
7. If everyone ends up with the same drawing, the Card Holder can show the card and see if everyone
matched the card.
8. If any of the pictures in the group are different from each other, have the Card Holder try describing the
image again, using more detail.
9. Choose a new Card Holder and a new Algorithm Card and repeat until everyone has had a chance to
describe an image.

Play through this several times, with images of increasing difficulty.


WRAP-UP (10 MIN)
5) Flash Chat: What did we learn?
What did we learn today?
Was it easier or harder than you thought it would be to describe an image to one another?
Did any group end up having arrangements that all matched?
Can you share some tricks that you came up with that helped your group match the Image Card exactly?

6) Vocab Shmocab
You can choose to do these as a class, or have the students discuss with an elbow partner and share.

Do you remember the definition of the word "algorithm"?

"A list of steps that you can follow to finish a task"


"An algorithm that has been coded into something that can be run by a machine"
"Finding and fixing problems in your algorithm or program"

ASSESSMENT (10 MIN)


7) Algorithm Assessment

EXTENDED LEARNING
Use these activities to enhance student learning. They can be used as outside of class activities or other
enrichment.

At Your Word
Make up simple Tangram Algorithms for your class, and have them figure out how many different images they
can create that follow that algorithm to the letter.
Choose a couple of drawings to analyze against the algorithm.
Move toward more specific algorithms that leave little room for variation.

Shapely Debugging
Create an algorithm for an image, and provide the class with a Tangram Arrangement that doesn't quite match.
Ask the class if the image matches the algorithm.
Can they figure out where it went wrong?
Do you need to throw the whole arrangement out and start over or can you just start from where the
algorithm went wrong?

Try to focus on misplacements that allow the class to back up only a few steps to fix the algorithm. We
LESSON TIP
want to get it in the students' heads that they don't have to delete entire programs if something doesn't
work, they just need to find the error and fix that bit (and any bit that was relying on that instruction).

This curriculum is available under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
If you are interested in licensing Code.org materials for commercial purposes, contact us: https://code.org/contact

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