!1

!1

codeSpark Teacher’s Guide 

Dear Intrepid Teacher, 

Thank you for your interest in teaching computer science to your kids! Knowledge of 

computer science and “algorithmic thinking” is increasingly necessary for success in 

our digital world. This skill is becoming a critical component of 21st century literacy. 

codeSpark created The Foos as an introduction to the “ABCs of Computer Science.” 

While it’s important to prepare kids for the modern workplace, computer science is 

about much more than getting a job in high tech. Research shows that computer 

science helps students improve in core areas like math, logic, and even reading 

comprehension. Often people think of programming or coding as computer science 

but that is just one element. At its core, computer science is the study of how to use 

logical thinking to identify, simplify and solve complex problems, not 0’s and 1’s. 

Studies from MIT and Tufts University show that students as young as five can learn 

complex computer science concepts, especially when artificial barriers like 

programming syntax are out of the way. 

codeSpark has created a unique and powerful approach to teaching computer 

science built on cutting edge research and hundreds of hours of prototype testing. 

codeSpark’s learning games are designed with no words so even pre-readers and ELL 

students can play and learn from our powerful curriculum. 

By playing our games, your students will improve their critical thinking skills, and 

improve in other disciplines, all while having a lot of fun! 

-- The codeSpark Team 

Have questions or feedback? Email us at info@codespark.org 

Get our app here – http://thefoos.com 

!2

Table of Contents 

Computer Science for K - 5 

4 

11 

23 

36 

40 

51 

63 

73 

80 

87 

91 

98 

144 

145 

146 

147 

Overview 

Lesson 1: Sequencing 

Lesson 2: Flexible Sequences 

Lesson 3: Commands & Parameters 

Lesson 4: Events 

Lesson 5: Loops 

Lesson 6: Efficiency 

Lesson 7: Endless Loops 

Lesson 8: Conditionals Statements I 

Lesson 9: Conditionals Statements II 

Lesson 10: Debugging 

Worksheets 

Glossary 

Rubric 

References 

Acknowledgements 

!3

OVERVIEW 


Teacher Overview: 

Our ten lesson plans provide a fun, flexible and engaging introduction to foundational 

computer science concepts. They target students in K – 3rd grade, but we’ve 

successfully tested with students as old as 8th grade. 

These lesson plans are meant to be highly adaptable. We often suggest variations 

within the plans themselves. You will be the best judge of what your students need to 

spend more time on and what they seem to enjoy the most. 

In addition, most lessons include both an activity with our game, The Foos, and an 

“unplugged” activity that does not require a computer or other connected device. 

Materials: 

Our game, “The Foos" – Code for an Hour. Download it at thefoos.com 

Available for FREE on iPad, iPhone, Android Devices and web (e.g. major 

browsers Chrome, Safari, IE, etc.) 

Props as needed: see each lesson for specifics 

No experience is necessary, but we recommend you review the lessons and play a 

few levels of the game prior to teaching it for the first time. 

Note: This curriculum gives you approximately 10 hours of 

lessons. If you sign up for our “Foosletter” at thefoos.com, we 

will notify you when we expand the curriculum and release new 

versions of the game. 

!4

OVERVIEW 


What Is Computer Science? 

Computer Science, or “CS” boils down to solving problems with very specific sets of 

instructions because computers only do exactly what they are told to do. We think of 

computers as smart but in reality we need to tell them what to do! They can’t 

anticipate what we want from them; only computer scientists can come up with 

precise instructions computers need in order to act. Learning to think like a computer 

scientist or programmer helps children break down problems, think in logical 

sequences, and use precise language to give instructions. 

How To Think Like A Computer Scientist: 

• computers do only what they are told 

• everyday processes like getting ready for school or making toast can be thought 

of as a set of instructions (ex. Get bread, put in toaster, toast… etc) 

• computer science often begins with a problem to solve 

• computer scientists have to be very creative in order to: solve problems, 

entertain, help with everyday tasks, etc 

• computer scientists mostly work in teams, not alone. Teams are generally better 

at finding creative solutions to problems than individuals 

• “Test and learn” strategies for problem solving are generally the best. Making 

mistakes is always part of the journey to the right answer 

• computer scientists have to be able to recognize patterns through the noise, a 

concept known as “abstraction.” 

The first lesson focuses on identifying common objects that only work when given 

the proper instructions. Then we will put this idea to work by programming the Police 

Foo – the first character players meet in our game. 

!5

OVERVIEW 


Who Are The Foos? 

The Foos are lovable and cute characters recently discovered by scientists. They are 

very small and live deep inside every computer, including smartphones, tablets and 

the computers in your class! 

Each Foo can walk, jump, throw, eat and navigate their world, called “Fooville.” Some 

Foos have special abilities that make them unique, for example: 

• Police Foo - can chase and capture the Glitch 

• Chef Foo - can make many kinds of food 

• Ninja Foo - can shrink or grow bigger 

• Astronaut Foo - can travel in four different directions 

• Construction Foo - can make crates and also blow them up 

But, just like computers, the Foos only do what they are told. Students must learn to 

give them specific commands, or program the Foos, in a specific order. 

Look out! The blue character with the white horns is the Glitch. He 

is a force of chaos in Fooville. Sometimes he makes a mess, 

sometimes he throws things around and sometimes he appears 

unexpectedly. 

!6

OVERVIEW 


How Do The Foos Help Me Teach Computer Science? 

Each Foo is like an animated little computer. Students program them to solve 

problems, gain new abilities and explore Fooville. As the student progresses through 

the game, the programs required get more complex. Programming helps solve all 

kinds of problems in the lives of the Foos, just how the skills learned from 

programming can help solve problems in real life! 

“The Foos" combines both structured and open-ended experiences to scaffold 

learning. In addition to our structured levels that teach students how to play “The 

Foos,” we have several “Toy Box” areas where students can let their imaginations run 

free by programing various Foos to interact with each other. As students unlock more 

Foos and abilities in the structured levels, their options for play in the Toy Box areas 

expand too. 

Most importantly, Foos are really, really fun to play with! This means students get 

deeply engaged with sophisticated concepts and look forward to learning more and 

testing their knowledge of the game and of programming. Computer Science quickly 

becomes a favorite subject! 

What Are Some Common Misconceptions About 

Computer Science? 

• Computers are smart! - Computers are actually dumb and require specific 

instructions to work. They just work very quickly. 

• Computer Science is only programming - CS is actually multidisciplinary that 

teaches math, problem solving, and logic. 

• Computer Science is just for boys - Ada Lovelace is considered to be the first 

computer programmer. The first all electronic computer was programmed by 6 

women. 

!7

OVERVIEW 


Is The Foos Aligned With Common Core Standards? 

Yes! The Foos Curriculum is aligned with the Common Core Standards for 

Mathematical Practice, which are listed below. Completing all 10 lessons fulfills all the 

standards. 

Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice 

Mathematical Practice 

CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP1 

Make sense of problems and persevere in 

solving them 


Reason abstractly and quantitatively 


Construct viable arguments and critique the 

reasoning of others 


Model with mathematics 


Use appropriate tools strategically 


Attend to precision 


Look for and make use of structure 


Look for and express regularity in repeated 

reasoning 

Lesson 

• Lesson 1: Sequencing 

• Lesson 4: Events 

• Lesson 10: Debugging 

• Lesson 8: Conditional Statements I 

• Lesson 9: Conditional Statements II 


• Lesson 5: Loops 

• Lesson 7: Endless Loops 

• Lesson 6: Efficiency 






• Lesson 3: Commands and Parameters 




• Lesson 2: Flexible Sequences 






!8

OVERVIEW 


Tips and Tricks 

Here’s the Main Selection screen, click on the puzzle levels. 

To unlock all the Levels in that chapter: 

If you want kids to skip ahead, simply click and hold the last level in that chapter 

(circled). 

!9

OVERVIEW 


Reset your progress: 

To reset your progress go to the profile screen (in the Main Selection) you can make a 

new profile. If you already have three profiles you can delete one. 

Make New Profile 

Delete 

!10

Lesson 1 

Sequencing 

The Foos Chapter 1 

Time: 

45-60 Min 

Materials: 

Tablets or Computers with The Foos 

A pencil for each student 

Story Sequence 1 & 2 handouts 

Learning Goals: 

Understand that computers are powerful, but need help to work. 

- They only do what they are told, in the specific order instructions are received. 

- Figuring out what instructions to give computers can be tricky. 

Accustom students to using “test and learn” strategies for problem solving. 

- “Making mistakes is always part of the journey to the right answer.” 

Vocabulary: 

Programming: Creating a sequence of instructions, or an algorithm, that makes a 

computer do something 

Algorithm: Instructions to solve a problem or complete a task 

Sequence: The step-by-step order in which instructions should occur 

!11

Lesson 1 

Sequencing 


Introduction: 

Begin with a group discussion of the computers that are around us. Some look like 

laptops, others might be cell phones, projectors, or thermostats. 

Discuss some “instructions” we give to these computers and what they do. For 

example, we can tell calculators to add or our cellphones to make phone calls. 

Introduction (cont.): 

In computer science, we use the word algorithm to describe the instructions we give 

computers to solve problems. The specific order of those instructions is called a 

sequence. 

Ask students to think about the algorithm to get ready for school in the morning. 

“What if you put your coat on before your clothes? Your shirt and pants would be on 

top of your coat, which is just silly!“. When we write algorithms, the order of 

instructions is really important. 

Introduce the “Test and Learn” strategy to solving problems, which students can use 

as they play “The Foos.” 

!12

Lesson 1 

Sequencing 


Step 1 : Understand 

the problem 

If not, what did you 

learn from testing 

your plan? 

What is the goal of the 

puzzle? 

Step 4: Learn 

Did you solve the 

problem? 

Test and Learn 

Step 2: Make a plan 

What do you want The 

Foo to do? 

Step 3: Test the plan 

What happened when you 

tested your algorithm? 

Write an algorithm 

you think would fix 

the problem 

!13

Lesson 1 

Sequencing 


Game Activities: 

Let students explore and play the first eight (8) levels (Police Foo). 

If students have difficulty with the game, reinforce the “Test and Learn” strategy for 

problem solving. 

Unplugged Activity: 

1. Put students into pairs. 

2. Hand out a pencil and Story Sequence 1 handout to each pair. 

3. Have each pair work together to identify which picture comes first, second, 

third, etc. in the story and have them put a number next to each picture to 

identify the order of events. 

4. For an extra challenge, have students try Story Sequence 2. 

ProTip: Encourage students to use the Test and Learn Strategy (pg. 11) throughout 

the codeSpark curriculum. This will help develop their problem solving skills and 

persistence. You can also try out the strategy in other classroom activities as well! 

 

Next page is an answer guide for Story Sequences 1 & 2. Debrief Discussion: 

!14

Lesson 1 

Sequencing 


Answer sheet! Activities in back of the book! 

Story Sequence 1 

How to Solve: 

The Glitch mixed up all these stories! 

The Foos need your help to put the 

pictures back in the correct order so the 

stories make sense. 

2 

1 

Number the boxes in the 

correct order. 

Activities Next Page >> 

!15

Lesson 1 

Sequencing 


Answer Key 

1 

2 3 

1 


correct order 

2 

2 

1 

3 

!16

Lesson 1 

Sequencing 


Answer Key 

3 

Number the boxes in the correct order 

2 

4 

1 3 

4 

1 2 

4 

3 

!17

Lesson 1 

Sequencing 




How to Solve: 


Help the Foos put these stories in the right order. 

But be careful ! Some of the pictures don't belong. 

Number the boxes 

in the correct order. 

2 

1 

Write an X in the 

box if it doesn’t 

belong. 

x 


!18

Lesson 1 

Sequencing 


Answer Key 

1 

Number the boxes in the correct order and write an X in the box 

if it doesn’t belong. 

3 

2 

4 

X 

1 

!19

Lesson 1 

Sequencing 


Answer Key 

2 



3 

2 

1 

X 

5 

4 

!20

Lesson 1 

Sequencing 


Answer Key 

3 Number the boxes in the correct order and write an X in the box 


1 

X 

3 4 

2 

5 

!21

Lesson 1 

Sequencing 


Debrief Discussion: 

• What was the most challenging part of the Story Sequence activities? 

• Brainstorm other everyday algorithms (e.g., getting ready for bed, the class’ daily 

schedule). 

• If time allows, try writing them out on the board to see if the order makes sense. 

!22

Lesson 2 

Flexible Sequences 

The Foos Chapter 1 & 2 

Time: 

45-60 Min 

Materials: 

Tablets or computers with The Foos 

Pencils and paper 

Flexible Sequence 1 & 2 


Understand that actions must happen in a specific order to complete a task. 

Learn that some sequences are more flexible than others. 

- For example, making a peanut butter sandwich requires you start and end with 

a piece of bread but it doesn’t really matter if you put peanut butter or jelly on 

first 

Vocabulary: 

Sequence: The step-by-step order in which instructions should occur. 

Introduction: 

Discuss how some sequences are more flexible than others. 

Ask students if they can think of any flexible sequences in their morning routine. 

(Perhaps they brush their teeth then eat breakfast or brush their teeth after eating 

breakfast). 

!23

Lesson 2 



More examples: (order they would start to clean their room, order to put on their 

clothes, order they hug their stuffed animals) 

Introduction (cont): 

Some sequences are completely flexible while others require certain beginning and 

end points (such as getting up and going to school, this sequence will always begin 

with waking up and it will always end with arriving at school). Reinforce that some 

sequences are only semi-flexible. 


Replay levels 5-8 to reinforce programming and sequencing logic. 

Play Chapter 2: Builder Foo levels 9-12. 

Ask students if they think the Foos contain flexible sequences? It does! 

Encourage students to try different sequences to retry or get 3 stars in their already 

finished levels. 

!24

Lesson 2 




1. Divide students into pairs. 

2. Hand out a pencil and Flexible Sandwich Sequence handout to each pair. 

3. Have pairs solve the sandwich sequences as they did in Lesson 1, but reiterate 

that with these, there is not necessarily a “correct” order. 

4. Have pairs share their solutions with another pair to see how their sequences 

differ. 

5. For an extra challenge, have pairs try the Flexible Story Sequence Handout. 

ProTip: Paired Programming - If some of your students finish early, have them help 

other students who are still working. You can also pair up students at the beginning, 

where one person “drives” by controlling the mouse, keyboard, or touchscreen and the 

other person “navigates” by answering the driver’s questions and pointing out 

potential problems or mistakes. 

Next page is an answer guide for Flexible Sequences handouts 1 & 2. 

!25

Lesson 2 




Flexible Sequence 1 

How to Solve: 

Help Chef Foo make sandwiches 

for his friends 

Number the boxes in the order Chef should combine these 

ingredients. There are mutiple correct answers! 

1 4 3 

2 

Bread Bread Ham 

Mayo 

Remember that bread is always the 

first and last part of any sandwhich 


!26

Lesson 2 



Answer Key 

1 

Number the boxes in the order Chef should combine these ingredients. 

1 3 

2 


2 


There are many correct answers! 

1 4 

Bread 

Bread 

Flexible 

Flexible 

Peanut Butter 

Jelly 

!27

Lesson 2 



Answer Key 

3 Number the boxes in the order Chef should combine these ingredients. 


1 

Flexible 

Bread 

Mayo 

5 

Flexible 

Ham 

Bread 

Flexible 

Cheese 

!28

Lesson 2 



Answer Key 



1 

Flexible 

Bread 

Mayo 

6 

Flexible 

Ham 

Bread 

Flexible 

Flexible 

Cheese 

Turkey 

!29

Lesson 2 





The Glitch has struck again and mixed up these sequences! 

Help the Foos get them back into the right order. 

How to Solve: 

Number the boxes in the correct order. 

(there are mutiple correct answers) 

1 4 

Friend Comes to Play 

Watch TV 

Play Catch 

Friend Goes Home 

Some Events must come first 

Some Events must come last 


!30

Lesson 2 



Answer Key 

1 

Put the pictures in the correct order. 


1 4 


Flexible 


Flexible 

Watch TV 

Play Catch 

!31

Lesson 2 



Answer Key 

2 



1 

Flexible 

Wake Up 

Flexible 

Put on Shoes 

Flexible 

Put on Clothes 

Put on Jacket 

6 

Flexible 

STOP 

Get on the Bus 

Eat Breakfast 

!32

Lesson 2 



Answer Key 

3 



Flexible 

6 

Play Video Games 


1 

Flexible 


Flexible 

Eat Lunch 

Flexible 

Watch TV 

Play Catch 

!33

Lesson 2 



Answer Key 

4 



1 

Flexible 

Wake Up 

Flexible 

Put on Shoes 

Flexible 


Flexible 

Put on Jacket 

Flexible 

Brush Teeth 

Flexible 

Eat Breakfast 

8 

STOP 

Wash Hands 


!34

Lesson 2 



Debrief Discussion 

• Did any pairs have different story sequences? Were both sequences correct? Why 

or why not? 

• If you were building a sandwich robot, what part of sandwich building would be 

easiest to automate? What would be hardest? Why? 

!35

Lesson 3 

Commands & Parameters 


Time: 

45-60 min 

Materials: 

Tablets or computers with “The Foos" 

1 set of the Commands & Parameters cards for each student 

Pencils and paper 


Learn what commands are and how they can be modified with parameters. 

Learn that commands are the primary instruction while parameters are the details – 

For example “walk” is a command and “left” is a parameter. 

Vocabulary: 

Command: primary instructions that tells the computer what action to perform (e.g., 

run, jump, walk) 

Parameter: details of instructions that adds more specific information about the 

command (e.g., direction, color, object to perform an action on) 

Introduction: 

Introduce the concepts of commands and parameters by asking the class to tell you 

the directions to get from your classroom to the library. Tell students to be specific 

and make sure to include things like the direction (left, right, up, down). 

!36

Lesson 3 



Write out the directions on the board and reinforce that the directions are a type of 

algorithm telling you how to get from the classroom to the library . Circle any 

commands they give you and underline any parameters. Are there similarities with 

words that are circled and words that are underlined? 


Explain that sequences must include commands that tell you what action to do and 

parameters that add more specific information about how the action should be done. 


Complete all levels in Chapter 2: Builder Foo 

Go onto Chapter 3: Ninja Levels (reinforcement levels) 

After the game ask students to name some of the commands in the Foos. Then have 

them try to name some of the parameters (reinforce the differences between the 

two). 

!37

Lesson 3 





2. Pass out 1 set of Commands & Parameters cards to each student. 

3. Pass out a pencil and a piece of paper to each group of students. 

4. Using these cards, each group tries to create as many programming instructions 

as possible in 5-10 minutes. 

- Remind students that a programming instruction must include a command and 

a parameter. 

- Combine a command card and a parameter card to create a single instruction. 

- Record each unique instruction that students create on the paper. 

5. After 5-10 minutes, count how many unique instructions each group created. 

ProTip: Debriefing - Gathering the class as a whole group to debrief the lesson helps 

students to reflect on their learning. Debrief Discussions are also intended as a time 

to relate the lesson content to the real-world and make computer science relevant to 

students’ everyday lives. 

Next page has Command and Parameter Cards. 

!38

Lesson 3 



Commands & Parameters Cards 

Grey cards are Commands while white cards are Parameters 

WALK JUMP RIGHT LEFT 

CHASE TRHOW UP APPLE 

PICK UP BUILD BALL GLITCH 

BLOW UP 

CHANGE 

COLOR 

RED 

BLUE 


CHASE 

THROW 

STRAIGHT 

UP 

APPLE 


BLOW UP 

CHANGE 

COLOR 

RED 

BLUE 

Cards also available in the back of the book. 

!39

Lesson 4 

Events 


Time: 

45-60 min 

Materials: 


Crayons 

Remote map handout for students 

Master copy with directions for remote control map activity 


Understand that events allow us to have options in algorithms. They are not predetermined 

but cause things to happen only when the event occurs. 

Vocabulary: 

Event: an action or cue that signals a new line of code to run. 

For example: 

- When a student raises their hand (the event), you call on them (resulting action of 

the event). 

- When the alarm clock goes off (the event), you wake up (resulting action of the 

event). 

Introduction: 

Introduce the concept of events by telling students you are going to ask them a 

question and you want them to raise their hand if they want you to call on them for 

the answer. 

!40

Lesson 4 

Events 


Then ask a simple question that most students will be able to answer: 

What is the color of my hair? 

What is the weather today? 

What day of the week is it? 

Introduction(cont.): 

Call on a student who has a hand raised and let him/her answer the question. Then 

ask the class how you knew the student wanted you to call on him/her. 

The class should mention that the student raised his/her hand. 

 

Explain that when the student raised his/her hand, it is an event because it was an 

action that prompted something else to happen--you calling on the student. 

Ask the class if they can think of any other types of everyday events. You might need 

to clarify that you are not talking about events in the conventional sense, like a 

birthday party or a sports game. In computer science, events are actions that cause 

something else to happen. 

Here are some examples: 

- If you have a call and response to get the student’s attention, your “call” is the 

event and their response is the resulting action (e.g., you clap three times and the 

class claps once to let you know they are paying attention; you turn the lights off 

and the class becomes quiet). 

- When the alarm clock goes off (the event), you wake up (resulting action of the 

event). 

- When the street light turns green (the event), cars start driving (resulting action of 

the event) 

- When you click the power button on a computer (the event), the computer turns on 

(resulting action of the event). 

!41

Lesson 4 

Events 


ProTip: Clarifying Events - If students are confused about events, ask them to 

think about their favorite game and the ways in which they let the character 

know what to do. You can also bring up “The Foos" to show them a specific 

example. Point out that if there were no events in the entire game, it would be 

really boring to play. 


Astronaut level 25-29 

Ask: Which parts of the code were events? How do you know? 

!42

Lesson 4 

Events 


There are 4 types of events in the Foos: 

1. Touch event: When you click on, or touch, the Foo (the event), the code runs 

(resulting action of the event). 

2. Play event: When you click the play button (the event), the code runs (resulting 

action of the event). 

!43

Lesson 4 

Events 


3. Bump event: When the Foo bumps into something, like the towers in Chapter 4 

(the event), the code runs (resulting action of the event). 

4. Shout/Hear event: When the Foo hears something, like an order for pasta in 

Chapter 5 (the event), the code runs (resulting action of the event). 

!44

Lesson 4 

Events 



1. Hand out a colored crayon and a Map handout to each student. Make sure 

you have the master copy of the handout with the directions. 

2. Tell the class that you aren’t allowed to “say” the location of the treasure 

but you can tell them through Events. 

3. On the board, write out the following directions 

• When I clap my hands, move one block Right. 

• When I snap my fingers, move one block Left. 

• When I stomp my feet, move one block Up. 

• When I turn the lights on and off, move one block Down. 

4. Start the activity by telling students to put their crayon on the center of 

their maps. Then follow the directions provided in the master copy of the 

map handout. Make sure to pause in between each line of directions so 

students have time to move crayons and so they understand when two 

lines of consecutive directions have the same action (e.g., when you want 

students to move left two squares, you stomp your feet and then stomp 

your feet again). 

5. When you finish going through each activity, all students should end at the 

same point on the map. Answer sheet and the shape the students draw 

should match. 

6. Play again with Map 2 and 3. 

7. Feel free to add in your own directions to make the game more 

challenging. 

Next page is an answer guide for Events handout. 

!45

Lesson 4 

Events 


The secret map 


Your teacher is sending you location of a teasure on this map. 

The location is secret so they can’t tell you except through events! 

How to decode: 

Hand Clap Event… 

Snap Fingers Event… 

Stomp Feet Event… 

Turn Light On And Off… 

Go Right one space on the chart. 

Go Left one space on the chart. 

Go Up one space on the chart. 

Go Down one space on the chart. 

!46

Lesson 4 

Events 


Answer Key 

1 

Directions: 

Turn lights on and off, Snap, Stomp, Snap, 

Turn lights on and off 

!47

Lesson 4 

Events 


Answer Key 

2 

Directions: 

Turn lights on and off, Clap, Clap, Stomp, Stomp, Stomp, 

Snap 

!48

Lesson 4 

Events 


Answer Key 

3 

Directions: 

Stomp, Snap, Stomp, Snap, Turn lights on and off, Snap, 

Turn lights on and off, Clap, Turn lights on and off, Clap, 

Turn lights on and off, Clap, Stomp 

!49

Lesson 4 

Events 



• What were the events in the map activity? What were the resulting actions? 

• What were the events in the Foos? 

• Why do you think events are important for computer programs (hint: provide 

options for users so not everything is completely predetermined)? 

• What are some other everyday events? 

!50

Lesson 5 

Loops 


Time: 

45-60 min 

Materials 


Pencils 

Loops 1 & 2 Handouts 

Learning Objectives: 

Understand why a loop is powerful 

Understand that some sequences are more efficient, and thus more desirable, than 

others. 

Efficiency is important because computers don't have unlimited processing power. 

Recognize everyday routines that might benefit from a loop command. 

Recognize the use of loops in favorite video games. 

Vocabulary: 

Loop: A set of instructions that is repeated over and over again. 

Introduction: 

Introduce the concept of loops by brainstorming examples of everyday activities that 

include repeated actions, or loops. 

Explain that loops help make code more efficient since computers only have so much 

power. Write the name of an activity and the steps or loops to complete it. 

!51

Lesson 5 

Loops 



Examples: 

- Washing Hands: Wet hands — Soap hands — LOOP: (Rub hands, 3 times) – Rinse 

hands 

- Brushing teeth: Squeeze paste — wet brush — LOOP: (brush teeth, 10 times) — 

spit — Rinse — brush 

- Spreading butter: get butter -- LOOP: (spread, 3 times) 


Have the students play Chapter 2 episode 10 when the loops gets introduced. 

Loop 

Have students replay the rest of the Chapter 2 levels. Can they use a loop on every 

level? 

Does this generally make their programs smaller (e.g. do they use fewer total 

commands to solve the puzzle)? 

!52

Lesson 5 

Loops 


Have students explore Chapter 3, Levels 17-20 again if time allows. 

Can they use multiple loops within a level? 

Does understanding loops make challenges easier? 


1. Divide students up into pairs. 

2. Hand out a pencil and Loops Handout 1 to each pair. 

3. Have students work together to complete the handout. 

4. For an extra challenge, have students try Loops Handout 2! 

Next page is an answer guide for Loop handouts 1 & 2. 

!53

Lesson 5 

Loops 


Looping Activity 1 


It’s almost Snack Time and Police Foo is hungry. 

Help her navigate to her snack. 

How to Solve: 

Give Police Foo the right loop command to reach the 

Donut square. 

3 

Fill in the blank to solve 


!54

Lesson 5 

Loops 


Answer Key 

1 

Help Police Foo reach the Donut Square! 

4 

2 


4 

!55

Lesson 5 

Loops 


Answer Key 

3 


5 

4 


Oh no! The arrow is missing ! 

write the correct arrow in the blank 

4 

!56

Lesson 5 

Loops 




Astronaut Foo has lost her puppy in space. 

Help her navigate to her puppy. 

How to Solve: 

Give Astronaut Foo the right loop commands to reach the puppy square. 

Remember the second loop will only run after the first loop has finished. 

3 2 



!57

Lesson 5 

Loops 


Answer Key 

1 

Help Astronaut Foo reach the Puppy Square! 

Fill in the blank 

2 

2 


2 

2 

!58

Lesson 5 

Loops 


Answer Key 

3 


4 

3 

!59

Lesson 5 

Loops 


Answer Key 

4 


4 3 



!60

Lesson 5 

Loops 


Answer Key 

5 


3 2 

Oh no, the arrow is gone. 

Fill in this blank too ! 


!61

Lesson 5 

Loops 


Debrief Discusion: 

• What are the benefits of using loops? 

• What are some classroom activities that we could write as an action sequence with 

loops? (If time allows, write the sequences on the board). 

• Can there be more than one loop within a sequence? 

• What are some favorite games that seem to have loops? 

- Examples: Temple Run, Subway Surfer, or Minion Rush are all “Endless Runner” 

games where the player controlled character is always moving forward. This is a 

classic example of using a loop for efficiency. The player only has to think about 

up/down and right/left. Forward is taken care of by the loop. 

ProTip: Real Life Loops - To help students better understand loops, have them play 

these games and see if they can identify where the loops are: “Temple Run,” “Subway 

Surfer,” and “Minion Rush.” 

!62

Lesson 6 

Efficiency 


Time: 

45-60 min 

Materials: 


4 different colored crayons 

Foos Patch Quilt Handout 


Practice making programs more efficient. 

Understand the concept of efficiency and that the best programs are the most 

efficient 

Efficient programs use the fewest commands 

Vocabulary: 

Efficient programs: Programs that respond more quickly and take less memory and 

power 

Introduction: 

On the board, draw an A on one side and a B on the other. Then draw a straight line 

from point A to point B and in a different color, draw a curved line with ups and downs 

but still goes from point A to point B. 

Tell students that your car is running out of gas and you need get from Point A to the 

gas station before you run out. Which line should you take (answer: straight line)? 

Ask students why taking the straight line would be better. 

!63

Lesson 6 

Efficiency 


Point out that the straight line is the shorter route and would take up less gas so you 

would be less likely to run out of gas before you got to the gas station. 

Introduce the concept of efficiency and note that in the driving example, straight line 

was more efficient because it got you from point A to point B the quickest. 

Explain how in computer science, we also want to be efficient when we write code. 

The most efficient code is always desirable because computers don't have unlimited 

processing power just like we don’t have unlimited amounts of gas to drive from point 

A to B. 

The “best solution” generally involves the fewest commands, but sometimes it’s quite 

challenging to write a short program and creativity is required to solve the problem. 


Have students replay The Foos Chapter 3 & 4. 

Are there multiple ways to get through the levels? 

Which are some of the most efficient? 

!64

Lesson 6 

Efficiency 


What commands made your students’ more efficient? 

 

Does the number of stars you receive mean your code was more efficient? 


Pass out crayons and the Foo Patch Quilt handout. Students should have access to a 

variety of crayon colors. 

There are two rules for coloring the blanket: 

• Each color will cost the Foos more money because they’ll need to buy more fabric, 

so using more colors would not be efficient. Students need to use the fewest colors 

they can to finish the quilt. 

• The Foos don’t want any patches that touch to be the same color. 

ProTip: The Four Color Theorem - Did you know that you only need four different 

colors to color a map with no adjacent regions having the same color? This is called 

the Four Color Theorem and is the basis behind the Foos Patch Quilt activity. Have 

your students test out the theorem with larger maps. 

Next page is an answer guide for Foo Quilt Making. 

!65

Lesson 6 

Efficiency 


Foo Quilt making 


Help the Foos make a Quilt! 

Color in the patches with the color that the fabric should be. 

But watch out! Fabric can be expensive. 

Rule 1 - 

Rule 2 - 

Use the fewest color crayons possible. 

One patch can not be the same color as one next to it. 

Color in the patches. 

Try to use the least 

amout of crayons. 

One patch can not be 

the same color as the 

square next to it. 


!66

Lesson 6 

Efficiency 


Answer Key 

1 

Color in the Quilt 



Color 1 Color 2 

Color 1 


Color 2 


Color 1 

!67

Lesson 6 

Efficiency 


Answer Key 

2 




Color 1 

Color 1 


Color 1 

Color 2 

Color 2 


Color 1 

Color 2 

Color 2 

Color 2 

Color 2 


Color 1 

!68

Lesson 6 

Efficiency 


Answer Key 

3 




(This is just one of many possible solutions) 

Color 1 

Color 3 

Color 2 

Color 3 

Color 2 

Color 1 

Color 1 

Color 1 

Color 2 

Color 3 

Color 2 

Color 3 

Color 1 

!69

Lesson 6 

Efficiency 


Answer Key 

4 





Color 2 


Color 1 

Color 1 

Color 2 

Color 1 

Color 2 

Color 1 

Color 2 

Color 2 

Color 1 

Color 2 

Color 1 

Color 2 

Color 1 

Color 1 

Color 2 



!70

Lesson 6 

Efficiency 


Answer Key 

5 




Color 2 

Color 3 

Color 1 

Color 2 

Color 

1 

Color 3 

Color 2 

Color 1 

!71

Lesson 6 

Efficiency 



• When playing “The Foos”, what sequences were most efficient? Why? What 

commands helped make the sequences efficient (e.g., loops)? 

• How many colors did you use to color the quilt? Did anyone use fewer colors? 

• Can you think of other everyday activities where we want to be efficient? 

- Turning off the water when brushing teeth is efficient because it helps save 

water. 

- Taking the shortest route to school is efficient because you get to school faster 

and save time and gas! 

!72

Lesson 7 

Endless Loops 


Time: 

45-60min 

Materials: 

Tablets or computers with “The Foos” 

Command and Parameter Dance Cards 

Rules for Whoosh ball 


Understand the difference between a loop and an endless or infinite loop 

Understand how an event can interrupt an endless loop, but once this event is over, 

the loop continues 

Vocabulary: 

Endless loop: A set of instructions that is repeated over and over again without end. 

Event: an action or cue that signals a new line of code to run. 

Introduction: 

Review the topic of basic loops and why loops are beneficial (hint: they make code 

more efficient). 

Introduce the concept of endless loops and provide some examples: the earth 

rotating around the sun, time, electricity. 

!73

Lesson 7 

Endless Loops 


When writing code we can include events that interrupt an endless loop and cause 

something else to happen. But once the event is over, the endless loop continues. 


Example: 

- Electricity is an endless loop, but when you flip the light switch, it temporarily shuts 

off until the light switch is turned on again. 

- Teach students “This is the song that never ends” as an example of an endless 

loop. 


“This is the song that never ends. 

It goes on and on my friends. 

Someone started singing it not knowing what it was, 

and they'll continue singing it forever just because.” 

(Repeat over and over) 

Have students play “The Foos," Chapter 4, Level 27 with the Astronaut Foo. 

!74

Lesson 7 

Endless Loops 


What are the benefits of the endless loop in this level? 

Set to infinite 

The infinity sign at the bottom of the command has the Astronaut moving endlessly 

to the right. 

 

Ask students to come up with a solution for the level that does not require an infinite 

loop. 

 

After they’ve completed the level ask them if they think using the infinite loop was 

better? 

Now students are ready to play levels 28 through 34. 

!75

Lesson 7 

Endless Loops 


Unplugged Activity 1: 

1. Divide students into pairs and provide each pair with Command and Parameters 

Dance Cards (see examples on the next page). 

2. In pairs, have students use the cards to create their own dances. There are two 

rules for dance: 

- The dance must be contained within a endless loop. 

- It must include at least one command and one parameter. 

3. Have pairs write down the sequence of actions and the parameters that make up 

their dance. 

4. Have each pair present their dance to the whole class (act it out!) and ask the 

other students to identify what were the commands and parameters of the dance 

loop. 

ProTip: Debugging - Often in computer science, we encounter mistakes that make 

our programs do things incorrectly. When creating their dance, students might have 

made mistakes in their code. Remind students that making mistakes is part of the 

process, and we can learn from every mistake. 

!76

Lesson 7 

Endless Loops 


Endless Loop Dance Activity 

Commands & Parameters Cards 

Grey cards are Commands while white cards are Parameters 

CLAP 

TURN 

AROUND 

ONCE 

TWICE 

SNAP 

FINGERS 

WAVE HAND THREE TIMES RIGHT 

JUMP SHAKE HIPS LEFT UP 

HOP WIGGLE DOWN FAST 

WADDLE TAP FOOT SLOW FOUR TIMES 

Cards available in the back of the book with other activities. 

!77

Lesson 7 

Endless Loops 


Debrief: 

• How could you tell the dance was looping? Which commands stood out most? 

• What are some real-life situations where endless loops would be more beneficial 

than regular loops? What are situations where regular loops might be better? 

- Examples: treadmills, escalators, turn signals, water cycle 


1. Have students stand in a circle and tell them you have a ball of energy (it’s 

imaginary), and the only way to move the ball around the circle is with the sound 

“whoosh”. 

2. To start the game, send the whoosh ball to the student on your right, exemplifying 

how students should say “whoosh” as they send the whoosh ball around. Have 

students continue sending the whoosh ball around the circle until it comes back to 

you. 

3. Introduce two new events. One is “Boink,” which reverses the direction of the ball, 

and the other is “Zap,” which sends the ball across the circle. For Boink, tell 

students to put their hands up in the “stop” position and say “Boink” to reverse the 

direction of the whoosh ball. For Zap, tell students to make eye contact with 

someone across the circle and point to that person while saying “Zap” to send the 

whoosh ball across the circle. Then play with all three commands. 

4. After playing for several minutes, have the whole group discuss and draw out the 

code for Whoosh Ball. 

!78

Lesson 7 

Endless Loops 


Debrief: 

• Have students talk about the code for Whoosh ball. Do they think that loops can be 

interrupted by events sometimes? 

• Which event interrupts the endless loop in the Astronaut Levels? (hint: Bump 

event) 

 

!79

Lesson 8 

conditional Statements I 


Time: 

45-60 min 

Materials: 


Dice 

Dice Game Instructions 

Bingo Cards 

Pencils 


Understand that a programmer can cause actions to only occur under certain 

conditions. 

• “IF” blocks describe actions that occur only IF a certain condition is met. For 

example, IF it is raining, you use an umbrella. 

Demonstrate how IF statements are used in everyday life. 

Demonstrate how IF statements can be used to make programs more dynamic and 

efficient. 

Understand a specific instance of the IF condition is broadcasting messages with 

selective responses. 

- For example: IF I call your name, you line up at the door. Here, the message is 

calling the student’s name and the selective response is the one student who is 

named lines up at the door. 

!80

Lesson 8 



Vocabulary: 

Conditional statements/actions: statements/actions that only occur under certain 

conditions. 

“IF” block: statements/actions that occur only IF the specified condition is met. 

Broadcast messaging and selective response: A special case where an IF statement 

is broadcast but only those things meeting the condition respond. 

Introduction: 

Introduce the concept of conditional statements and the IF block by letting the class 

know that if they are completely quiet for 10 seconds, you will do something like: 

- Put on music and have a dance break 

- Play a fun game 

- Do 10 jumping jacks 

Start counting right away. If the students succeed, give them the reward. Otherwise, let 

them know why they did not get the reward. 

Then ask the class, “What was the condition of the reward?” 

- The condition was if they were quiet for 10 seconds. 

- If they were, the condition would be true and they get the reward. 

- If they were not, the condition would be false so they do not get the reward. 

Ask the students if they can think of other conditional statements from their everyday 

life. 


- If it is cold, you wear a coat. 

- If you are tired, you go to sleep. 

Introduce the special IF condition of broadcast messaging and selective response. 

Let the students know they will have to listen carefully to your instructions in order to 

!81

Lesson 8 



go back to their desks/tables to start playing “The Foos.” Then use broadcasting 

messaging IF statements to call students back to their tables. Keep broadcasting IF 

statements until all students have been selected to return to their desks to start the 

game activities. 


- IF you are wearing red, you can return to your desk. 

- IF you have a brother, you can return to your desk. 

- IF your birthday is in October, you can return to your desk. 


Have students play Chapter 5, Levels 35-44, with the Chef Foo. 

“IF” block 

Can they identify the IF blocks? 

In the previous chapter, the Astronaut had the bump event. In this chapter the chef 

has a new event (broadcast message). When does it run code (selective response)? 

Were the IF conditions necessary? 

!82

Lesson 8 




1. Have students team up in groups of (3-4) and pass out dice and Dice Game 

instructions to each group (or write out instructions on a white board/ 

blackboard). 

2. Have students play the game several times, or as time allows. 

Dice Game on next page. 

!83

Lesson 8 



Iffy Dice Game 

You will be competing for Dice Victory! 

The Rules: 

Make a Group. 

The oldest player must keep score on a blank piece of paper. 

The youngest player rolls first. 

The player to the right of youngest rolls next. 

Continue taking turns rolling and passing the dice to the right. 

IF you roll… 






you add 1 point to your score. 

you steal a point from your neighbor to the right. 

you subtract 1 point from your score. 

you have to do 10 jumping jacks. 

give a point to your neighbor on the left. 

you lose a turn. 

IF you… have 5 points you’re the winner! 

!84

Lesson 8 




Could you write the code for the Dice Game? 

Make a list of every day “IF” conditions that you use in the classroom. 

- “If” you do your homework, you get a star 

- “If” it is Monday, we go to gym class 

- “If” it is raining, we have indoor recess. 

ProTip: More Dice Games - If students really enjoy the Iffy Dice Game, have them 

create their own set of IF statement rules and play the game again. You can also play 

this game with a deck of cards by assigning IF statement rules to each color, suit, 

and/or number value. 

Unplugged Activity 2 - Bingo: 

1. Pass out Bingo cards to each student. 

2. Explain the Rules: 

- Pick your favorite numbers between 1-100 and fill the empty boxes on the 

Bingo board. 

- IF one of your numbers is the same as a number called an X over its box. 

- IF you have a complete row, raise your hand and say Bingo! 

3. Play several rounds of Bingo as time allows (tip: write called numbers on the 

board). 

!85

Lesson 8 



Blank Bingo boards available in the back of the book. 

Debrief: 

What were the IF conditions in Bingo? 

Can you think of other games or activities that have IF conditions? 

!86

Lesson 9 

conditional Statements II 


Time: 

45-60 min 

Materials: 


Dice 


Understand that the IF statement can be extended to explain what should happen if 

the condition is not met using the IF/ELSE command. 

ELSE statements describe what action occurs when the IF statement is false. For 

example, IF I call your name, you line up at the door. Or ELSE, you sit on the carpet. 

Understand that IF statements can be extended to have multiple IF conditions using 

the ELSE/IF command. 

Practice how IF, IF/ELSE, and ELSE/IF statements can be used to make programs 

more dynamic and efficient. 

Practice using IF, IF/ELSE, and ELSE/IF statements embedded in loops to make 

programs more dynamic and efficient. 

Vocabulary: 

IF block- statements/actions that occur only IF the specified condition is met. 

Else statement - When an IF action isn't met the ELSE action will execute. 

!87

Lesson 9 



Introduction: 

Review the concept of IF conditional statements from the previous lesson by 

providing a couple of examples: 

- If it is sunny, you wear sunglasses. 

- If it is Monday, you go to art class. 

What happens if the “If” condition is false? If it is NOT Monday, then what? 

Explain that sometimes we want an extra condition in case the “IF” statement is not 

true. We use the “ELSE” statement instead. 

Using a die, show an example of an IF/ELSE statement by telling the class, “IF I roll a 

three, then everybody claps. Or else, everybody snaps their fingers.” Roll the dice and 

show it to the class to see if they react properly. 

What was the IF condition? 

What was the ELSE condition? 

Which condition was met? 

Explain to the class that there could also be more than one condition. 

For example, “What if I wanted you to clap IF I roll a 3, or ELSE IF I roll something less 

than a 3, everyone says “Yay!” or ELSE you snap your fingers. So now we have the 

commands IF, ELSE IF, and ELSE.” 

Clarify the IF, ELSE IF, ELSE statements: 

-IF is the first condition (roll a 3) 

-ELSE IF gets looked at only if the IF condition is not true 

(roll something less than 3) 

-ELSE gets looked at only if nothing before it is true 

(roll something not 3 or less than 3) 

!88

Lesson 9 



Flow Chart of an IF/ELSE Statement: 

IF I roll a 3, clap. ELSE IF I roll less than 3, say “Yay!” ELSE snap fingers. 

IF (roll 3) 

yes 

no 

clap 

ELSE IF 

(roll

Lesson 9 



Debrief Discussion (Red Light/Green Light): 

Choose one of the IF/ELSE statements from the game and as a class, write out the 

code for it. For example: 

- IF you have a sister, take one step backward. ELSE take one step forward. 

Can you think of other games that have IF and IF/ELSE conditions? 

Pro Tip: Lining up with IF Statements - The next time your class is lining up to leave 

the room, use conditional IF statements to call students to line up. Keep using IF 

statements until all students are lined up. 

!90

Lesson 10 

Debugging 

Foo Studio 

Materials: 

Tablets or computers with “The Foos” 

Pencils 

Debugging A and B Handouts 


Practice creative problem solving skills, including novel ways to solve a problem and 

fix algorithms that may be unclear or missing steps. 

Recognize that mistakes happen all the time in coding and practice trial and error as 

a technique to find solutions. 

Vocabulary: 

Bugs: Mistakes or problems in algorithms that cause the computer program to do 

something we don’t want it to do. 

Debugging: Finding and fixing problems in algorithms or computer programs. 

Persistence: Continuing to try to do something even when it’s hard. 

Introduction: 

Introduce the concept of debugging and how sometimes things go wrong with 

computers and we need to fix them by adjusting the instructions we give them. 

Introduce the concept of persistence. Discuss how many times we initially make 

some mistakes when trying something new but mistakes offer opportunities to learn. 

Examples include: learning to walk, ride a bike, read, and tie shoes. 

!91

Lesson 10 

Debugging 

Foo Studio 

The same applies for computer science. Coding can be really challenging and even 

some of the best coders make mistakes, but they persist until they find the best 

solution. 


Foo Studio is a new addition to The Foos where players can build their own video 

game levels, share those levels with friends and play levels their peers make. Players 

can apply the coding principles they learned in the puzzle levels to reprogram any 

object in Foo Studio. 

Players earn coins in the puzzle levels that can be used to purchase Foo Store items. 

All purchased items can be used in Foo Studio levels. 

This is the tutorial page: 

Main Screen 

Tutorial levels 

Foo Store 

Student section 

Published levels 

(all users) 

Coins 

!92

Lesson 10 

Debugging 

Foo Studio 

This is the player page: 

Create a new level 

Unpublished 

levels 

Player’s published 

levels (visible to all) 

This is the “create your own level” section: 

change level name 

play level 

“Draw” (opens item inventory) 

“Erase” (erases placed items) 

!93

Lesson 10 

Debugging 

Foo Studio 

Delete 

Copy 

Resize 

Rotate 

Programming block section 

This is the Published Levels section. All levels the players publish can be seen by 

everyone, and players can play levels published by other players: 

New Levels 

Featured Levels 

Highest 

Rated Levels 

!94

Lesson 10 

Debugging 

Foo Studio 

Did students make any mistakes in their code that they had to revise? 

How did they figure out what was wrong and how to fix it? 



2. Give each pair the name of a simple object. Tell pairs not to share their object 

with other pairs. 

3. Examples of objects: dog, person, tree, flower, cupcake, apple, etc. 

4. Have each pair write the algorithm to draw their object, but have students include 

3 “bugs,” or mistakes in their algorithms. 

5. Once all pairs have finished their algorithms, have them switch with another pair 

and try to draw the object according to the algorithm. Remind students that they 

will need to find the bugs and fix the code to draw the object correctly. 

Debrief Discussion (Draw and Debug): 

Did the drawings come out as expected? If not, what strategies did they use to find 

and fix the bugs? 

What did they have to add or take out to make the algorithms clearer? 

Were there any unintentional bugs that needed to be fixed to make the algorithm 

result in the correct drawing? If time allows, have pairs revise and retest their new 

algorithms. 

ProTip: Persistence - Developing persistence in problem solving is an important 21st 

Century Skill for all students to learn. You can encourage persistence by: 

!95

Lesson 10 

Debugging 

- Asking students thoughtful questions that help them problem solve on their own. 

- Pointing out actions that helped students accomplish their goals so they 

recognize how persistence is connected with their goals. 

- Modeling persistence in your teaching. 



2. Give each pair a “How to” activity for which they will have to write the algorithm. 

Tell students not to share their activities with other pairs. Here are some 

examples: 

- How to bake a cake 

- How to build a paper airplane 

- How to get to the playground 

- How to write their name 

- How to make a sandwich 

- How to tie your shoes 

3. Have each pair write out the list of steps, or algorithm, to complete their “How to” 

activity. 

4. Once all pairs are finished, gather the class back together and have each pair share 

the steps of their “How to” activity WITHOUT letting the rest of the class know what 

the activity is they are trying to teach. 

5. Have the rest of the class try to guess what the activity is. If the class has trouble, 

ask the pair what they might need to do to revise, or debug, their algorithm to make 

the activity clearer. 

!96

Lesson 10 

Debugging 

Debrief Discussion (Design and Debug): 

Could the class figure out the activity? Did they need clarification or modifications to 

the steps provided? 

Are there different ways you could write out the steps to the same activity? Does the 

order matter or could things be switched around (e.g., if the activity was baking a cake, 

does it matter if you put the eggs in first or the butter?) 

!97

WorkSheets by Section 

!98

Sequencing 

!99


How to Solve: 


The Foos need your help to put the 

pictures back in the correct order so the 

stories make sense. 

2 

1 




!100

1 



2 

!101

3 


4 

!102


How to Solve: 


Help the Foos put these stories in the right order. 

But be careful ! Some of the pictures don't belong. 

Number the boxes 

in the order that the 

story goes. 

2 

1 

Write an X in the 

box if it doesn’t 

belong. 

x 


!103

1 



!104

2 



!105

3 



!106


!107


How to Solve: 

Help Chef Foo make sandwiches 

for his friends 

Number the boxes in the order Chef should combine these 

ingredients. There are mutiple correct answers! 

1 4 3 

2 


Mayo 

Remember that bread is always the 

first and last part of any sandwhich 


!108

1 


1 3 


2 



Bread 

Bread 

Peanut Butter 

Jelly 

!109



Bread 

Mayo 

Ham 

Bread 

Cheese 

!110



Bread 

Mayo 

Ham 

Bread 

Cheese 

Turkey 

!111


The Glitch has struck again and mixed up these sequences! 

Help the Foos get them back into the right order. 

How to Solve: 



1 4 


Watch TV 

Play Catch 


Some Events must come first 

Some Events must come last 


!112

1 





Watch TV 

Play Catch 

!113

2 



Wake Up 

Put on Shoes 


Put on Jacket 

STOP 


Eat Breakfast 

!114

3 



Play Video Games 



Eat Lunch 

Watch TV 

Play Catch 

!115

4 



Wake Up 

Put on Shoes 


Put on Jacket 

Brush Teeth 

Eat Breakfast 

STOP 

Wash Hands 


!116


!117


CHASE TRHOW UP APPLE 


BLOW UP 

CHANGE 

COLOR 

RED 

BLUE 


CHASE 

THROW 

STRAIGHT 

UP 

APPLE 


BLOW UP 

CHANGE 

COLOR 

RED 

BLUE 

!118

Events 

!119

The secret map 

Your teacher is sending you location of a teasure on this map. 

The location is secret so they can’t tell you except through events! 

How to decode: 

Hand Clap Event… 

Snap Fingers Event… 

Stomp Feet Event… 

Turn Lights On And Off Event… 

Go Right one space on the chart. 

Go Left one space on the chart. 

Go Up one space on the chart. 

Go Down one space on the chart. 

!120

1 

!121

2 

!122

3 

!123

Loops 

!124


It’s almost Snack Time and Police Foo is hungry. 

Help her navigate to her snack. 

How to Solve: 

Give Police Foo the right loop command to reach the 

Donut square. 

3 



!125

1 


2 


!126

3 


4 


Oh no! The arrow is missing ! 

write the correct arrow in the blank 

!127


Astronaut Foo has lost her puppy in space. 

Help her navigate to her puppy. 

How to Solve: 

Give Astronaut Foo the right loop commands to reach the puppy square. 

Remember the second loop will only run after the first loop has finished. 

3 2 



!128

1 



2 


2 

!129

3 


4 

!130

4 




!131

5 


3 2 

Oh no, the arrow is gone. 

Fill in this blank too ! 


!132

Efficiency 

!133

Foo Quilt making 

Help the Foos make a Quilt! 

Color in the patches with the color that the fabric should be. 

But watch out! Fabric can be expensive. 

Rule 1 - 

Rule 2 - 



How to Solve: 

Color in the patches. 

Try to use the least 

amout of crayons. 

One patch can not be 

the same color as the 

square next to it. 


!134

1 




!135


2 Use the fewest color crayons possible. 


!136




!137




!138




!139

Endless Loops 

!140

CLAP 

TURN 

AROUND 

ONCE 

TWICE 

SNAP 

FINGERS 

WAVE HAND THREE TIMES RIGHT 

JUMP SHAKE HIPS LEFT UP 

HOP WIGGLE DOWN FAST 

WADDLE TAP FOOT SLOW FOUR TIMES 

!141

Conditional Statements I 

!142

!143

GLOSSARY 

Algorithm: Instructions to solve a problem or complete a task. (p. 11) 

Broadcast messaging and selective response: A special case where an IF statement is 

broadcast but only those things meeting the condition respond. (p. 81) 

Bugs: Mistakes or problems in algorithms that cause the computer program to do 

something we don’t want it to do. (p. 91) 

Command: Primary instructions that tells the computer what action to perform (e.g., run, 

jump, walk). (p. 36) 

Computer Science: Solving problems with very specific sets of instructions because 

computers only do exactly what they are told to do. (p. 5) 

Conditional statements/actions: statements/actions that only occur under certain 

conditions. (p. 81) 

Debugging: Finding and fixing problems in algorithms or computer programs. (p. 91) 

Efficient programs: Programs that respond more quickly and take less memory and power. 

(p. 63) 

ELSE statement: When an IF statement isn't met the ELSE actions will execute. (p. 87) 

 

Endless Loop: A set of instructions that is repeated over and over again without end. (p. 73) 

Event: An action or cue that signals a new line of code to run. (p. 40, 73) 

IF block: Statements/actions that occur only IF the specified condition is met. (p. 81, 87) 

Loop: A set of instructions that is repeated over and over again. (p. 51) 

Parameter: Details of instructions that adds more specific information about the command 

(e.g., direction, color, object to perform an action on). (p. 36) 

Persistence: Continuing to try to do something even when it’s hard. (p. 91) 

Programming: Creating a sequence of instructions, or an algorithm, that makes a computer 

do something. (p. 11) 

Sequence: The step-by-step order in which instructions should occur. (p. 11, 23) 

!144

Rubric for Student Evaluation 

Unsatisfactory Competent Proficient Excellent 

Concepts 

Puzzle levels are not 

completed. 

Puzzle levels are 

completed with 1 

star. 

Puzzle levels 


stars. 

Puzzle levels 


stars. 

Execution 

Code does not work 

or has major flaws 

preventing it from 

working correctly. 

Code mostly works, 

or has minor flaws. 

Code works in the 

way the student 

intended but is not 

the most efficient. 

Program is 

functional, refined, 

and is executed in 

the most efficient 

way possible. 

Grasp of 

Materials 

Student cannot 

describe how their 

code should work 

and are unaware of 

their process. 

Student can mostly 



and some 

understanding of 

content. 

Student can 



and troubleshoot 

problems preventing 

their desired results. 

Student can 


code works, how 

they wrote it, and 

help others 

troubleshoot their 

code. 

Effort 

Student shows 

minimal effort, does 

not use class time 

effectively, and work 

is incomplete. 

Student refuses to 

explore more than 

one idea. 

Student does 

enough to meet 

minimum 

requirements. 

Student has more 

than one idea but 

does not pursue. 

Completed work in 

an above average 

manner, although 

more could have 

been done. Student 

explores multiple 

solutions. 

Completed work and 

exceeded teacher 

expectations. 

Student displays 

willingness to 

explore multiple 

ideas and solutions 

and asks questions. 

Rubric inspired from: http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/blogs/edutopia-yokana-maker-rubric.pdf 

!145

REFERENCES 

Common Core Standards: http://www.corestandards.org/Math/Practice/ 

Student Rubric: http://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/blogs/edutopia-yokana-makerrubric.pdf 

Tufts & MIT University Studies: http://ase.tufts.edu/DevTech/publications/ 

!146

Acknowledgments 

We would like to thank our advisors Dan Leyzberg (Professor of Computer Science, 

Princeton University), Colleen Davis (Professor of Computer Science, Harvey Mudd 

University), and Kent Steen (Teacher and Curriculum Specialist for Computer 

Science). 

We would also like to thank Courtney Blackwell, Bethany Martin, Evan Rushton, and 

all the educators who reviewed and gave feedback on the curriculum. Special thanks 

to Michael Harvey’s 3rd grade class, who found great alternative solutions for our quilt 

making exercise! 

Lastly, we would like to thank everyone who has supported and played The Foos! 

!147

!1

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?