Stacks - Pancake Pandemonium!

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To quote the great Shel Silverstein from his poem, Pancakes? -

Who wants a pancake, Sweet and piping hot?
Good little Grace looks up and says,
"I'll take the one on top."
Who else wants a pancake,
Fresh off the griddle?
Terrible Teresa smiles and says,
"I'll take the one in the middle."

In this fun (and delicious!) activity we learn how stacks operate, and how to shuffle pancakes around, taking only from the top - just like good little Grace.

Matrices - Part 2: Secret Codes

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In this activity we continue our exploration into Matrices - this time using the coordinates of positions on the matrix to decode and encode secret messages.

Matrices - Part 1

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A matrix is a set of data (information) that is laid out on a grid of rows and columns. In computer science, matrices are an important way of representing data so that it can be easily accessed and computed. You may have seen a version of matrices in games like tic-tac-toe, chess, or checkers. And many people, like doctors, video game designers, economists, computer scientists, and engineers, use matrices to organize, sort, and compute data.

With these activities we will learn the basics about matrices, and then take it into action with a fun and interactive 2-player game - using our knowledge of matrices to locate buried treasure!

Sequences

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Every day you do certain actions that need to be completed in a certain order. For example, think about the process of brushing your teeth. What do you do first? And what do you do next? It wouldn’t make sense for you to put the toothpaste on your toothbrush after you brush your teeth, would it? It is necessary to carry out certain steps in a specific order, otherwise it just doesn’t make sense, and your teeth do not get cleaned. Brushing your teeth is an example of a sequence. A sequence is an action that is made up of smaller steps that are completed in a specific order.

For this activity, we are going to plan a party! We could all use a bit of fun, and this is a great way for young ones to get involved with some planning and celebration. We will explore how we can create a plan by mapping out a sequence of events. And creating the sequence for our party is just one small part; the fun part is enjoying the party!

Fibonacci

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This week we take a look at a very specific and special pattern known as the Fibonacci Sequence. This pattern is quite exciting because we see it all around us in nature. It can be found in such examples as the number of spirals in pine cones, sunflowers, broccoli, pineapples, and even relationships within the human body. For these activities, we explore this number sequence through counting words in poetry, and using straight lines to create a Fibonacci spiral.

Symmetry

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Symmetry is a beautiful part of our world, in nature and in art as well as mathematics and design. Symmetry is a property of shapes or objects that are the same when reflected (mirrored) along a center line, called an axis. The axis is like an imaginary line down the middle of a shape, and if you were to fold the shape along this line, the halves would be the same. In fact, and object can have more than one axis of symmetry. There are several different kinds of symmetry; in this activity we are going to learn about a specific kind of symmetry called bilateral symmetry. Bilateral symmetry is when an object can be divided into two equal halves that mirror each other.

Waves

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There are many different kinds of waves, from ocean waves to jump ropes to the microwave in your kitchen. Even light and sound are waves – they are everywhere around you! 

Waves are an important idea in physics, and there are complicated mathematical equations for describing them. But they are also very easy to see and experience. This week we will explore sound waves, by making our own instruments. We will learn about wavelength, frequency, and amplitude and we will hear the way they change the sound of a string. 

Randomness

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While we know that patterns are incredibly useful and important, randomness is also quite useful. We use randomization when we need to create a system with no predictable pattern, so that the outcome can closely reflect chance. But how can we design a process that is random? In creating a process, we are essentially creating steps that can be repeated and followed. While randomness may seem simple enough, it is actually a challenging problem to solve!

For this activity, we will try to design randomness, and then create instances of randomness by flipping a coin. It may be surprising to learn that creating something that is random is actually not as easy as it appears!

Tessellation

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Some patterns, like bathroom tiles or wallpaper or honey combs, can repeat forever in every direction. These are made up of special shapes whose edges fit together perfectly. In mathematics, we call these patterns “tessellations.” Once you learn what a tessellation is, you will start to see them everywhere, from nature, to art, to functional machines. This week, we will learn more about the beauty and geometry of tessellation, and we will even make our own!

Dance Patterns

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Learning to recognize patterns allows us to better understand processes and how to make abstractions in order to solve problems. We can look for patterns to understand how things are similar, and how they are different. So for this week's activity, we are going to get moving! Dancing is a great way to learn patterns - we will design new dance moves by creating sequences of steps that get repeated, and use our pattern recognition skills to figure out what comes next. 

Boolean Cards

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If you have checked out the Boolean Operators Activity, you may already be familiar with Booleans. Boolean expressions have two possible answers, TRUE or FALSE. We use Boolean operators such as AND, OR, and NOT to create these expressions. Our Boolean Cards will allow us to sort through playing cards, determining which cards match the expressions on our Boolean Cards in order to make the match TRUE. And get ready for a quick and fun card game that will test your reflexes and your understanding of Booleans!

Mobiles

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In this learning at home exercise, we will explore introductory ideas in physics and engineering. We will look at differences in weight and distance, and how those affect balance. But this won’t be a diagram or equation—we will explore balance as a way to create beautiful hanging sculptures.

Tangram Cookies

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Have you ever made a puzzle? If you have, you know that there are small pieces, and when you put them together the right way, you can see a whole picture. Breaking a shape into smaller pieces is an important part of a certain kind of math called geometry. People began exploring these ideas over 1000 years ago in China. They invented tangram, which is a particular set of pieces that you can use to make hundreds of different whole shapes. People have puzzled over these pieces and designed their own puzzles for centuries!

Tangrams are an amazing way of exploring how whole shapes break apart into pieces, a process we call decomposition. Tangrams can also be a fun game! In these activities, we will make our own tangrams and use them for a number of puzzles. In fact, some of our tangram puzzles will be made of sugar cookies! So there’s a sweet treat at the end of the lesson (a more crumbly kind of decomposition : )

Maps: Polar Coordinates

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This is the third in a series on mapping, and we will be working with an entirely different kind of map that uses a different kind of information system. Polar coordinates are a way of saying where an object is in relationship to a specific point, using direction and distance.

Loops

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Every day, you likely do certain tasks over and over. You tie your shoe, and then you tie your other shoe; you do this same action 2 times. You button up your coat - one button at a time you use your fingers to push the button through the loop. And if your coat has 5 buttons, you do this same action 5 times. 

When we do the same action over and over like this, it is called a loop. Loops are a series of actions that are repeated until we designate them to stop. Using simple codes to create cool necklaces, these fun activities allow children to use their hands and develop fine motor skills, while learning about a foundational idea in programming: loops. 

Encryption

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Encryption is the process of transforming a message so that its intended message is not understood by unintended recipients. In order to share information across the internet, we use very complicated instructions that allow the computer to scramble information and then put it back together.

These activities focus on very simple and straight-forward methods of encrypting information, so that all of the little spies and detectives at home can get started with their own secret codes by simply understanding the basic ideas behind how encryption works.

Making Maps - 2

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Here is the second in a series of map making - using grid coordinates to locate positions and make maps to scale. We will be further exploring representation and abstraction; while understanding how scale works. This activity is fun and has great potential for the imagination! Build worlds to be mapped, and encourage little ones to imagine their stories. 

Binary Trees

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Binary trees are composed of nodes and branches. The nodes contain the information or values, and the branches connect them. With the binary tree, each node will have (at most) two branches. As we draw and make binary trees, we will notice that they grow very quickly. Even though we may start with one initial node (the root) and branch, it multiplies exponentially, and we can see just how many branches we have when branches double only a few times. These activities are a simple introduction to binary trees by way of drawing and collaging, and flipping coins.

Making Maps - 1

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This is the first in a series of learning activities about maps. With Making Maps, we will explore several ideas of computational thinking, like programming, encoding information, and abstraction, all by making and using maps. This week, our exercises introduce basic ideas, as parents and children collaborate to make maps use them for exploring. 

Boolean Operators

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In the Boolean Operators Instructions PDF, you will find instructions for the Boolean Operators Activities. The templates are found in the Boolean Operators Template PDF (a separate file).

These activities are intended for children ages 3 - 9 years old…(and adults enjoy them too!)

Boolean logic is based on statements that are either TRUE or FALSE. Boolean logic uses operators such as AND, OR, NOT to process information as TRUE or FALSE. For this activity, we will create statements using Boolean Operators in order to differentiate items based on shape and color. You can also have fun gathering items from around your home, or out on a nature walk, to use with this activity.

Weaving Codes

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In the Weaving Codes Instructions PDF, you will find instructions for the Weaving Codes Activity. The templates and program cards are found in the Weaving Codes Templates PDF (a separate file).

These activities are intended for children ages 3 - 9 years old…(and adults enjoy them too!)

What do weaving and computation have in common? You might be surprised to learn that looms inspired the first computer! More than 200 years ago, inventors created the ‘Jacquard loom.’ This was a new device that could weave complicated fabric patterns based on a set of instructions. The instructions were coded as punch cards and fed into the machine. The Jacquard loom, and its punch cards, inspired early pioneers of computer science, like Ada Lovelace (one of our heroes here at Learning Beautiful).

In this activity, we will explore how something as simple as punches in the card can store information about a complex process. You will create beautiful paper weavings by following simple codes–like programs with paper.