Shape Calculator

(for Upper Primary)

 Engage
• Use the board and or paper to ask learners to
draw a range of shapes, such as triangles,
squares, circle, rectangle, hexagon, octagon etc
in groups. For each, draw learners into
conversation discussing the structure of the
shape and how they knew they drew it correctly.
• Learner’s Activity: Draw a triangle, square,
circle, rectangle and hexagon
 Using Instructions To Draw Shapes
Activity 1

Ask learners to follow the instructions below to draw a shape

1. Draw a vertical line

2. Draw a horizontal line across it
3. Draw a diagonal line from the top of the vertical
to the tip of the horizontal line
4. Repeat instruction 3 for all remaining corners
5. Draw a wavy line from the bottom tip
 Likely shape from Activity 1
1. Draw a vertical line
2. Draw a horizontal line
across it
3. Draw a diagonal line from
the top of the vertical to the
tip of the horizontal line
4. Repeat instruction 3 for all
remaining corners
5. Draw a wavy line from the
bottom tip

Before revealing the answer ask learners to either hold up their drawing or to call out their
guesses. Try to take their responses.
Then reveal the answer – how many guessed it correctly?
 Ask learners the questions below
• Why didn’t you guess the answer?
• Why was everybody’s response different?

The instructions could have been better if:

> they were clearer
> more precise

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• Computers can also help you draw
shapes if you gave them instructions
clearly
• Computers work by following lists of
instructions, and they do exactly
what the instructions say—even if
they don’t make sense!

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 More Activities on Instructions to
Shapes and vice-versa
a. Read out instructions to help learners
inorder for them to draw an image and
vice-versa
They are to follow your instructions exactly;

Do not reveal the image or the shape until the instructions have finished. Use this
pattern to go through the image, each time revealing the image only when the
instructions have all been called out. At the end of each image, ask learners to ‘hold
up’ their drawing for everyone to see. Each time have a quick discussion on the
variation in what pupils produce.

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 Activity 2
Ask learners to list out the instructions needed to
draw a rectangle (make them brainstorm in groups)

(ask them to read out their instructions. As long as their idea makes sense
you can approve. The idea is for them think critically by being precise)
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 Activity 3

How easy was it for them to write out the instruction to draw a circle?

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 Activity 3
Ask learners to list out instruction to draw a triangle

How easy was it for them to write out the instruction to draw a circle?

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We need to be more
precise for the computer to
draw our shapes correctly
 The Computer’s Turn!

• We’re going to develop a program that will

be able to make your drawing for you

• Find and open Scratch

• Are you familiar with the software?
• Can you tell me how to use it?

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Refresh the memory of learners
about the scratch interface

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 The screen where you can
see what happens when The SCRIPT BANK is where
you play your game is called the types of instructions
the STAGE. are stored.

The SPRITES are where you The SCRIPT BLOCKS are SCRIPTS AREA is where you
store and select the STAGE where the instructions of put your instructions.
and COSTUMES. what your SPRITES can do!
Guess which Library I am in

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 Add the Pen Tool
One of the most exciting additions in
Scratch 3 is its new extension platform.
Among them, the pen tool is quite unique.
As the name suggests, an extension is a
plug-in that extends the functionality of
Scratch that allows you to do exciting
things than normal Scratch cant do.

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With the Pen extension, coding to draw a shape is deceptively simple with some
basic knowledge of geometry. Furthermore, amazingly complex patterns can be
constructed with just a few colorful blocks of computer code. (Those who hate Math,
Do not panic yet!, this is pretty simple and straightforward). With the pen tool, the
possibilities are immense and incredibly exciting. With your imagination coupled
with your creativity, the patterns you can come up with is simply enormous.

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 Launch the Pen Tool

1.Launch Scratch Application

2.Remove the “cat” sprite
3.Click ‘Add Extension’
4.Click on PEN
5.Add a sprite (any of the sprite below)

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 ACTIVITY 1: Draw a Straight Line
To initiate the program, click on the Events from the block
palette and drag and drop the following code block to the
script area.

Note that there are other blocks you can use to initiate
the program such as:
Add the following code blocks (The
purpose of each is labeled)
 Now, you need to add one more block as part of the initialization. That’s the following
code block to ensure every time when you start drawing, the sprite is turned towards
the right in 90 degrees.
Now, your code blocks should look like the below:
Now, add the block to move the pen for
150 steps.
 (Home Work)
• Write out an instruction each that
will help someone in drawing a;
1. Square
2. Rectangle

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VISIT 2
 Short Activity
Ask learners to briefly write the
instructions needed that will help
someone else draw the shapes in
the following slides
Some learners may
automatically see the
repetitive nature of this image
and build that into their
instructions naturally. If they
don’t then it is worth raising
this in your discussions with
them when the results are
displayed. For example, asking
them how the image could
have been drawn with less
instructions.
The images after this all have a
repetitive nature to them, try
to guide the learners into
identifying this. You will be
able to draw on this later.

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 Refining our Instruction
Computers work by following lists of instructions,
and they do exactly what the instructions say—
even if they don’t make sense!

For computers to draw the shape of our choice,

our instruction must make more sense. We need
to determine two things;
1. the number of sides in the shape and the length
of each side
2. the angles required
 ACTIVITY

Determine the following for the

particular shapes – rectangle, triangle,
square and circle;
1. Number of sides
2. Length of sides
3. Required angles
Answers for question 1and 2 are
always easy to know. For instance a
square has 4 sides, the length can
remain 90cm.
How do you know the required
angle?
 How to know the internal angle in
any shape
As a rule: the total angle in any shape is 360
degrees.
To know the required angle in creating a square;
Total angle in a shape = 360
Number of sides = 4
Required angle = 360/4 = 90 degrees
 Answers
Rectangle Square
Number of sides 4 Number of sides 4
Length of sides A 90 Length of sides 90
Length of sides B 40 Required angles 90
Required angles 90 degrees
degrees

Triangle Circle
Number of sides 3 Number of sides 360
Length of sides 90 Length of sides 1
Required angles 120 Required angles 1
degrees degrees
Ask learners to open scratch and find each one as it comes
up. Who can find it first? Who can find it first and accurately
guess what the instruction does?
Ask which two libraries were not used?
Activity 1: Create a Square

1. Ask learners to interpret the

program line by line
2. Ask them to deduce from the
program the following;
Number of sides
Length of sides
Required angles
 Write the Program

Let the pupils present their

programs in groups by leading
you line by line of their code and
help them spot the likely error
Activity: Create a Triangle
 Home Work

How would you draw a circle?

rectangle? Triangle?
VISIT 3
 Create
Create the following;
1. Triangle
2. Rectangle
3. Circle

Review the home work done by learners

1. What information do you need to create the 3 shapes?
2. Write the program

Let learners walk you through their programs. Do this for

each group and ask them to make corrections.
Ask learners to draw the shapes
below
Try this out
VISIT 4
Write the way a coder or
programmer would
THE CONCEPT OF LOOP

REPEAT () block is a Control block.

Blocks held inside this block will
loop a given amount of times,
before allowing the script to
continue. It helps to shorten our
codes when we have a repetitive
step
 COMPARE: Creating a Square

Ask learners to spot the changes. Ask them to describe it one member in each group
 Activity: Modify the program

Ask learners to modify the triangle, square and rectangle

programs indicating loops
Creating Simple Shapes using
REPEAT
Ask the learners how Creating a Circle
they were able to
write the program
that draws a circle
from the home work
given them the
previous class. Were
they able to draw it?
Why?
Ask learners to write a program for
the shapes below using loops
 Home work
1. Write a program to draw;
a. square without using loops
b. square using loop

2. What is the difference between the REPEAT

and FOREVER loops?
3. Create the following shape:
Pentagon
Hexagon
Heptagon
Octagon
Answer
For practice
For practice
For practice
Heptagon
Hexagon
Pentagon
 VISIT 5
(using functions)
Investigate what’s wrong with this?
This didn’t work either…
Explain how the functions/procedures
work & how to create them.
Allow students to create their own version
of the answer
For example, how can they create a smaller
version of the circle, or a larger square?
 One Possible Answer

Can you work out

what’s happening
here?
 VISIT 6
(make a shape calculator)
Let’s make this more interactive
• We are going to make a program that meets the
following requirements:

1. You enter the number of sides in the shape and

the length of each side
2. The computer calculates the angles required
and draws the shape
 Writing the algorithm
In groups, using what you have
learnt so far, try to work out how
your program might run
1. What instructions would you
need?
2. What order would they go in?
3. Would you need any new
instructions that you haven’t
tried yet?
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Creating a Shape Calculator

How does a simple calculator work?

2 + 3 = 5
value a + value b = value c
Creating a calculator

How does a simple calculator work?

value a + value b = value c
Creating a calculator

2 3
5
Creating a calculator

Variable in
Scratch
What is a Variable?
Creating a calculator

Creating the simple calculator using

three variables.
Questions
What instruction block is used to start?
Where is the block to ask a question?
Where is the block to set the variable?
The Variables needed

1. Angle
2. Number of sides
3. Length of side
Try out your solution