Programming primer

<font 16px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit> Play </font>

<font 14px/lucida grande;;inherit;;inherit>Topic:</font> <font inherit/lucida grande;;inherit;;inherit>How a computer works?</font>

<font 10pt/lucida grande;;inherit;;inherit>11 and 12 period</font>

Comment for the teacher:
- In this moment a lot of programming concepts has been all ready introduced. For better understanding how a computer works a play on stage could be helpful.
  The children play different roles of computer components, and one child plays the user.
- The goal of this play is a better adoption of all acquired knowledge, and this play could be executed on a school performance for other students and parents.
- This performance can be combined together with an exposition of drawings from the first two periods.

<font 16px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit>My computer</font>

<font 16px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit>(Play in one act)</font>

<font 16px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit>In this play are used 4 stage props:</font>

• <font 16px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit>MEMA (picture 1.): This is a chest of drawers made of 9 shoe boxes. The drawers can be opened and closed, and ball like tennis balls can be stored in them. Every drawer is colored with a different color, and it is necessary that three drawers are colored in blue, red and green (other can be of any other color),</font>
• <font 16px/times new roman,times,serif;;black;;inherit> ​ Four posters with programs for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. (Picture 2),</font>
• <font 16px/times new roman,times,serif;;black;;inherit>About 10 balls - size as tennis balls,</font>
• <font 16px/times new roman,times,serif;;black;;inherit>A sheet of paper and a thick felt pen (for writing result).</font>

<font 16px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit>Picture 1. Mema made of shoe boxes</font>

<font 16px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit> Programs (Picture 2.) </font>

<font 14px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit>Picture 2. Programs for four arithmetic operation</font>

<font 14px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit>The roles may play boys or girls. There are four roles: User, INPUT, OUTPUT and PROCESSING.</font>

<font 14px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit>INPUT, OUTPUT and PROCESSING have on their breasts large labels with their roles.</font>

<font 14px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit>With this equipment the play may start:</font>

<font 16px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>Ros:</font>

1. <font 16px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>User</font>
2. <font 16px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>Processing</font>
3. <font 16px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>Input</font>
4. <font 16px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>Output</font>

<font 14px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>On the stage are Mema, a basket with balls and posters. Input, Output and Processing slumber.</font>

<font 14px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit>On the stage enter User.</font>

USER:

My computer, as you'll see
is obedient to me.
I tell it what I want,
that is my input
The program crunches data
and gives me the output.

​​​INPUT, OUTPUT, and PROCESSING:

We will be patient
Your wish is our command
Just let us know
what do you demand.

OUTPUT:

So, what do you want?

USER:

What can you do?

OUTPUT:

Here's a list of programs that are for you ready.
Some are bought, some are leased
and one was written by your daddy.
And there is also a tiny one
but looks like it is all well done.

USER (to audience):

I am proud to say
I wrote it yesterday!

INPUT, OUTPUT, and PROCESSING:

We will be patient
Your wish is our command
Just let us know
what do you demand.

USER:

I want my program.

INPUT:

I do not know
What he (she) wants!

PROCESSING:

And for me this is mission impossible!

OUTPUT:

Request denied.
Please give a clearer request.

INPUT, OUTPUT, and PROCESSING:

We are a machine,
we are not that smart,
you need to tell us clearly
back from the start.
We will be patient
Your wish is our command
Just let us know
what do you demand.

USER:

My computer, I'm afraid.
is not as smart as mom or dad,
I made the program it's plain to see,
but it can't even recognize me!

Oh well... Start the program „Addition“!

​

INPUT:

He (she) wants „Addition“!

INPUT, OUTPUT, and PROCESSING:

(Look among the programs and choose Addition. They hang the program on the wall.)

We will be patient
Your wish is our command
Just tell us two numbers,
for the sum that you demand.

USER:

Two and three.

INPUT (While talking puts the balls in the drawers of Mema):

Two in the blue,
Three in the red,
The program tells me so,
and there they go.

PROCESSING:

I am the brain of this machine,
and now it is my turn.
I spin the wheels behind the scene
results are what I churn.
Here we need to add the balls
From boxes red and blue
The sum goes in the green box.
(Fills in the green drawer.)

I'm done, over to you (points at output).

OUTPUT:

You would not know the sum
If it was not for me,
The sum is locked in the machine
You need me to set it free.

<font 14px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit>(Looks in the green drawer, writes a big number 5 on a piece of paper, shows it to the audience, and say out loud:) Five!</font>

INPUT, OUTPUT, and PROCESSING:

This is done.
Now once again
We will be patient
Your wish is our command
Just let us know
what do you demand.

<font 14px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit>(A voice behind the stage calls the user by name.)</font>

USER:

Timmy is calling me
He wants me to play
I will write the next program
on another day.

(Shuts down the computer.)

You are kind and you don't mind.

<font 14px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit>(Runs away.)</font>

<font 14px/times new roman,times,serif;;inherit;;inherit> The END </font>

<font 14px/inherit;;inherit;;inherit> Comment: </font>

Rehearsing of the play is very useful. There is a possibility to include children, who have perhaps problem with mathematics, but like to act, or those who like to do something manually, to include them in preparing of requisites (Mema and posters).

• Possibilities are boundless, and they all encourage teem work and creativity of children.

Clicking the link MORE ADVANCED USE OF MEMA you can go to the next lesson.