Understanding Javascript from the Studs

One more "human computer" exercise today to show the students how to program in javascript. I picked this activity up at last summer's ISTE conference. I think it is such a useful way to demonstrate that a computer does only what a person tells it to do.

Each student got a piece of graph paper with a program written on it.

rect(150,150,200,200);
rect(200,250,50,100);
triangle(150,150,250,50,350,150);

At first these numbers seem complicated, but after reviewing a few graphing basics with the girls and explaining the parameters, they understood the simplicity and were able to turn those numbers into a basic house.

It can take a bit of time to wrap your head around the way the numbers work. For example, the students wanted to plot a point for each of the four corners of the rectangle, but you really only get three, but since it is a rectangle, you know there will be straight lines to the fourth. They got it though, and they all left class able to write the command for an additional feature, in this case a window.

Of course, they immediately wanted to add details (just as I'd hoped). Our next step will be to use Kahn Academy's platform to draw these houses and then to elaborate on them. They'll learn other shapes, how to color, etc.

I'd like to see the digital version of this