Welcome to Function Farm! Today, we’re going to learn about something really cool in coding called functions. Functions are like special tools that let you name a set of instructions, so you can use them whenever you need. It’s like having a magic spell that you can cast over and over again! But remember, you have to create your function before you can use it.
Let’s start with an example. Imagine you have a function called spin. This function has a special part called a parameter, which is like a blank space you can fill in with different numbers. When you use the function, you can tell it how many times to spin by giving it a number. For instance, if you say spin(4), the function will spin four times. If you say spin(5), it will spin five times. Cool, right?
Now, let’s look at another example. Suppose we have a function called go_to with a parameter a. This function helps us move to different places. If you call go_to(bridge), the function will know to go to the bridge. If you call go_to(match), it will go to the match. It’s like giving directions to a robot!
In our example, a mouse will go to the bridge, then to the match, grab it, and finally go to a pile to drop it. This is how functions help us make our code neat and easy to understand.
You’ve probably used functions without even knowing it! Commands like turn_to, step, and distance_to are functions that are already built into the coding world. Functions like grab and drop are also functions, but they don’t need any extra information, so they have empty parentheses.
Let’s explore another example. We have two functions: go_to and collect. The mouse wants to pick up matches and bring them to a pile. In the main code, we use something called a for loop to go through each match one by one. For each match, we use the collect function, which also uses the go_to function inside it.
As the loop runs, the mouse goes to each match, picks it up, and brings it back to the pile. You can see how the parameters change each time, depending on which match the mouse is collecting.
Now it’s your turn to try using functions. Remember, functions make your code easier to read and use. Have fun experimenting with them, and good luck!
spin function, could be helpful? How would you describe it?go_to function. How does this example help you understand the concept of parameters in functions?go_to within collect, demonstrate the power of functions in coding?Imagine you’re a wizard creating a magic spell! Design a simple function that performs a task, like drawing a shape or making a character move. Write down the steps your function will take and give it a name. Share your function with a classmate and see if they can use it in their own project!
Work in teams to create a relay race using functions. Each team member writes a function that performs a specific action, like jumping or spinning. Combine your functions to create a sequence of actions. Race against other teams to see whose sequence completes the task fastest!
Write a short story where characters use functions to solve problems. For example, a character might use a function to bake a cake or build a bridge. Illustrate your story with drawings or animations, and present it to the class. Highlight how functions make tasks easier and more efficient!
Go on a scavenger hunt around the classroom or school to find examples of functions in everyday life. Look for tasks that can be broken down into steps, like making a sandwich or tying a shoe. Share your findings with the class and discuss how these tasks are similar to coding functions.
Create a puzzle where each piece represents a step in a function. Mix up the pieces and challenge a classmate to put them in the correct order to complete the function. Swap puzzles with other classmates and see who can solve them the fastest!
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
—
[Music] Welcome to Function Farm! Let’s learn about functions. Functions allow you to name a set of commands, so you can package them up and call them later. Just make sure to define your function before you use it.
Here’s an example: I have a function that I’m defining called `spin`. I have an equal sign, and in parentheses is the parameter of my function (more on that later). Then, within the function, you can use that parameter. Your function becomes programmable; you can pass different values into this parameter, and your function can do slightly different things each time.
So, this is the function, and later in the code, I’m calling the function `spin` and passing it the value `4`. This argument `4` gets passed into the parameter `n`, so `n` becomes `4`, and then I’m spinning four times. If I had called `spin` with `5`, then I would have spun five times.
Let’s look at another example. Here’s a challenge that uses a function. We’re defining a function called `go_to` with the parameter `a`. We will use that parameter within the function, so we say “turn to `a`” and “step distance to `a`.” When you call the `go_to` function, you’re defining what `a` will be. For example, `go_to bridge` means `a` becomes `bridge`, so we’re turning to the bridge and stepping the distance to the bridge.
Then the next line says `go_to match`, so `match` becomes `a`. Now we are saying to turn to `match` and step the distance to `match`. You can see here that the mouse will go to the bridge, then go to the match, grab it, and then we want to turn around and go to the pile to drop it.
You’ve been using functions all along! Commands like `turn_to`, `step`, and `distance_to` are built-in functions. `grab` and `drop` are also functions, but they have empty parentheses because nothing is being passed in. If you don’t have an argument following your function, you need to use the empty parentheses.
Now, let’s go ahead and run this. Look right here next to the function as we run it. It’s telling you what `a` is at each step.
[Music]
Let’s look at another example. Here’s a challenge where we have two functions: the `go_to` function and the `collect` function. I wanted to show you this one because within the `collect` function, we’re calling the `go_to` function.
In this challenge, the mouse wants to pick up all of these matches and bring them to the pile. If we look at the main code, we’re cycling through all of the matches using a for loop. For each match `m` in `matches`, we are collecting `m`. Each time through this loop, `m` is a different match. The first match will be `matches` with index `0`, so when we say `collect m`, we’re passing `matches` with index `0` to the parameter `e`.
We will go to `matches` with index `0`, which gets passed to the parameter `p` because we’re calling the `go_to` function. We will turn to `matches` with index `0` and step the distance to it, then grab it and step back to drop it.
Now, when we run this, look next to each of the functions, and you’ll see what `p` and `e` are each time, changing depending on what we’re passing in as `m`.
[Music]
Very good! Now it’s your turn to use functions. Good luck!
[Music]
—
This version removes any informal language and maintains a professional tone while preserving the educational content.
Functions – A set of instructions in a program that performs a specific task and can be reused. – Example sentence: In our coding class, we learned how to create functions to make our programs more efficient.
Coding – The process of writing instructions for a computer to follow. – Example sentence: Coding can be fun because you get to create games and solve problems.
Parameter – A special kind of variable used in a function to refer to one of the pieces of data provided as input. – Example sentence: When we wrote the function to calculate the area of a rectangle, we used length and width as parameters.
Instructions – Commands given to a computer to perform specific tasks. – Example sentence: The robot followed the instructions perfectly and moved forward ten steps.
Mouse – A device used to interact with a computer by pointing, clicking, and dragging. – Example sentence: I used the mouse to drag the icon across the screen and open the program.
Bridge – A connection that allows data to be transferred between different parts of a computer network. – Example sentence: The bridge helped connect our classroom computers to the internet.
Match – To find items that are the same or similar in a set of data. – Example sentence: The program was designed to match the user’s input with the correct answer in the database.
Loop – A sequence of instructions that repeats until a certain condition is met. – Example sentence: We used a loop in our code to make the character jump five times.
Collect – To gather data or information for use in a program. – Example sentence: The app was designed to collect data about how many steps you take each day.
Code – A set of instructions written in a programming language that a computer can understand. – Example sentence: I wrote a code to make the computer display a welcome message when it starts.
