Binary Code Keychains
Unplugged Activity - Binary Code Keychains
How I Use This in the Classroom
As a STREAM teacher at a small school, I teach science enrichment for students in grades PreK3 through 4th grade. While most of the lessons correlate with the science, some of my lessons circle around technology.
One of my favorites to do with my third grade class is make binary code keychains. We talk about how just like we have to follow directions in the classroom, so do computers and other devices we use everyday. We discuss what directions computers have to follow in order for them to work how we want. Then we start to talk about the activity.
How to Use This Activity
After we have this discussion, I pass out the worksheets and we read the paragraph at the top together. Then the students write their initial of their first name and last name. Also, I usually have the students circle their initials also with the black and white boxes to make the next step easier.
Next, I have my students go to the second page and hand out the crayons that match their beads first. I have students decide between the two colors, which will be for the black squares and the other for white. They write it down above in the key. I then model how to do one letter so they can see and then I help while the class colors in their boxes.
I then help them bead the keychain. I usually tape the string loop down to the table because I generally do not use a keychain ring. I use this tutorial a lot to help because the pictures are great: https://www.thriftyfun.com/How-to-Make-an-Easy-Beaded-Key-Ring.html (from the Thrifty Fun blog). The extra bead is to separate the two letters. Last, I help them knot it and then they can bring it home.
How to Prep This Activity
I do a lot of prep before this activity in order to help it run smoothly. I precut and loop knot all of the string and I even precut the tape. I make a bowl for each student with two crayons that are different colors and 33 beads (16 of one color, 16 of the other, and an extra for the space.) **Make sure your crayon colors are close to the bead colors. Also I make sure all of the packets are made. I hand out one thing in a time; first the worksheets/ pencils, then the crayons, then the string/ tape, then the beads. It allows for the students to focus on one material at a time and avoid students trying to rush and have beads all over the floor.
For clean-up, I have the students bring me back the bowls with extra beads and they throw out the tape.
Comments
Post a Comment