directed drawing Archives

How to Draw Desert Animals Direct Drawing Activity

June 10, 2020 By Deirdre

This is the fourth set of How to Draw Animals with algorithms. Previously sets have featured forest animals and insects. This set explores how to draw desert animals. Those animals are the coyote, armadillo, and a scorpion. There are two versions of each animal’s drawing page. One page uses only pictures to walk step by step through drawing the animal. The second page displays pictures and words on the Blockly block algorithms.

Why Are Blockly Blocks Used to Display the Steps

There are a number of online coding programs that use Blockly Blocks to introduce children to coding. The blocks are used to build an algorithm or series of steps needed to complete a task. Learning how to build the steps offline gives children the opportunity to see how they work. It also helps them build an understanding of what different types of Blockly Blocks mean. You will find that this set features only standard function blocks. (I do have directed drawing pages that feature loop blocks.)

Building Background Through Reading

Reading children’s books is a great way to help children build background knowledge on a subject. The books below will help them learn more about the desert and the animals that live there.
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Getting the How to Draw Desert Animals Set

You can download the How to Draw Desert Animals with Directed Drawings and open it with Acrobat Reader. The set is a PDF and requires a program like Acrobat Reader to open it up. There are two versions of each set. You can decide which set is best for your children.

Ways to Explore This Set

There are several ways you can have your children work on a drawing page.

First, they can work on the drawing pages on their own.
Second, you can walk them through a few steps on the Blockly blocks. After doing a couple of the steps with them, they may be ready to do it on their own.
Third, you can work through the whole set of directions with them. You can draw each of the steps on a large whiteboard. It will make it easier for them to see what each step looks like.
Fourth, you can have them work in pairs. Each child can take turns drawing a section of the animal.

Here are some more coding activities you may want to try:

Offline Printable Coding Games

How to Make Liquid Starch Slime Algorithm

Drawing a Cat with a Looping Algorithm

How to Draw Polar Animals Direct Drawing Activity

June 7, 2020 By Deirdre

This is the third set in the how to draw a variety of animals with an algorithm series. Previously sets have featured forest animals and insects. This set explores how to draw polar animals. Those animals are the walrus, the polar bear, and the penguin. There are two versions of each animal’s drawing page. One page uses only pictures to walk step by step through drawing the animal. The second page displays pictures and words on the Blockly block algorithm.

Why Are Blockly Blocks Used to Display the Steps

Reading Before Drawing

There are a number of children’s books that explore coding. Below you will find some of my favorite. You may want to read of them to your children before you have them work on a drawing page.

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Getting the How to Draw Polar Animal Set

You can download your free set of How to Draw Polar Animals Directed Drawing Set. The set is PDF and you will need to have something like Acrobat Reader to open the file.

Exploring the How to Draw Polar Animals Set

There are several ways you can have your children work on a drawing page.

First, they can work on the drawing pages on their own.

Second, you can walk them through a few steps on the Blockly blocks. After doing a couple of the steps with them, they may be ready to do it on their own.

Third, you can work through the whole set of directions with them. You can draw each of the steps on a large whiteboard. It will make it easier for them to see what each step looks like.

If you like this coding activity, here are some more you can explore:

Magical Creature STEM Algorithm Drawing Activity

How to Make Liquid Starch Slime Algorithm

Drawing a Cat with a Looping Algorithm

Directed Drawings – Drawing Insects with Algorithms

April 10, 2020 By Deirdre

Directed drawings invite children to work through a set of pictures or written directions to create a picture. Coding algorithms do the same thing. They use a series of steps to complete a task. This fun set coding worksheets feature Blockly blocks. When the Blockly block algorithm or series of steps is followed, an insect is drawn.

You will find two versions of each of the directed drawings worksheets. If your children are readers, then you will want them to do the algorithm with words and pictures sheet. If your children are not readers or would find the word distracting, then you can have them do the sheet without words.

Getting Ready

You May Want to Read a Book

Before you start this activity, you may want to read a book about insects. Below are some of my favorite insect books. When you read a book before starting an activity, you help your children do several things. You activate or engage the information your children already have about insects. You also help your children build background knowledge of insects. Finally, you give them the opportunity to listen or read a good book.

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Downloading the Directed Drawings Set

The directed drawing set is a PDF. You will need to have a PDF reader like Acrobat Reader on your computer to open it up. Each of the insects was created as a separate document. You can download all of the insect pages or just one of them.

Directed Drawing -How to Draw a Ladybug with an Algorithm
I know some of you call ladybugs by another name. If you called them ladybirds, this is an opportunity for your children to learn a different name for them.
Directed Drawing – How to Draw a Butterfly with an Algorithm
Directed Drawing – How to Draw a Bee with an Algorithm

Getting Started

There are several ways to work through the sheets. You can work step by step with your child. If you choose to do that you may want to draw an insect of your own on your own sheet. Children can also work through these on their own.
I think it is a good idea to talk through the steps before starting each of the directed drawings. When they finish their drawings, it is a good idea to doublecheck and make sure they have completed each step.