NationalCurriculumProgramsofStudyPupilsshouldbetaughtto:

- understandwhatalgorithmsare;howtheyareimplementedasprogramsondigitaldevices;andthatprogramsexecutebyfollowingpreciseandunambiguousinstructions

- createanddebugsimpleprograms- uselogicalreasoningtopredictthebehaviourofsimpleprograms

ComputationalThinkingAlgorithmisaprecisesetofinstructionsorrulestoachieveanoutcomeorsolveaproblem.PreviouslearningsuggestedforReception:http://code-it.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/guidedplayreception.pdf

Year1:AlgorithmsthroughBee-Bots

ProgramAim:ChildrenlearnhowtoconstructalgorithmsthroughprogrammingBee-Botswithinstructionstomeetaspecificgoal.

Session2:Bee-Botcommands

Session3:Algorithmtocode

Session4:Symbolalgorithm

Session1:TheHook

Learningpath:

Decideonacontextwhichlinkstoaprojectyouaredoing.Geographyorlocalhistoryarepopularbutitcouldbeanything.Ifpupilshavenothaddirectedplayopportunitiesinreception,spendtwolessonsrotatingaroundtheseactivities.Pupilswhohaven’thadopen-endedplayactivitiesareatadisadvantagewhenitcomestologicalreasoningwiththeBee-bot.

DrawingBee-BotWorld:Drawagridof15cm2squaresacrossalargesheetofsugarpaperbeforethelesson.UsetheBee-BotWorldslidestohelppupilsdesignandcreatetheirownworld.Useyourownthemelocations,nottheonesoftheslides.PupilsworkinpairstodesignBee-botworld.

Session1:TheHook

Input Stepstosuccess CorrectionsneededCanthechildrentellyouwhateachofthesebuttonsdoes?Cantheydescribethesetoapartner?ChildrenworkinpairstocreateashortvideotoexplainwhateachbuttondoesontheBee-bot.Youcouldgivethemthecontextofaninstructionalvideoforreceptionchildren.Demonstratewhatmakesagoodvideo.

• Recordingoodlight.Avoidwindowsasbackgroundsasthesedarkenthevideoforeground.

•Recordwiththecamerapersonfacingtowardsawallsonoonepassesbehindtheirvideo.•Keeptherecordingdevice(iPad)still.Tripodsareavailable.•FramethefaceandBee-botinthepicture.•KeeptheiPadclosetothepersonspeakingsothesoundisclearlypickedup.

•DemonstratingtheBee-botmovesasthisisaboutexplanationnotdemonstration.•Recordingwhereitistoonoisy.

Session2:Bee-Botcommands

FromAtoBlesson1 FromAtoBcreatingsymbolalgorithmfirstlesson2&3CanstudentsprogramtheBee-bottomovefromAtoBontheirmaps?Pupilsarecreatinganalgorithmintheirheadsbeforeprogrammingthedigitaldevice.Onepupildecidesonthestartandfinishpointoftheroute.TheotherprogramsthisintotheBee-Bot.OncethegreenGObuttonispressednooneisallowedtotouchtheBee-botuntilitstops.Thisencouragespupilstobemorecarefulintheirprogramming.

BeforethelessonmakesureyouhavesetsofBee-botalgorithmcardsprintedandcutupandthatyouhaveyourBee-botworldscreated.Pupilsworkinpairs.OnepupilcreatesanalgorithmtogofromAtoBbyorderingthecardssequentially.TheotherpupilconvertsthisalgorithmintocodebypunchingtheinstructionsintotheBee-bot

InstructpupilstoONLYpressbuttonsifthereisanalgorithmcard.OftenpupilswillpressGOorclearwhenthereisnoGOorclearcardinthealgorithm.

Success?TeacherobservationCantheymoveontoextendingtheiralgorithm?AtoBtoCormovingfromAtoCavoidingB?

Session4:Symbolalgorithm

Session3:Algorithmtocode

DebuggingAreallygoodstrategyformakingthelinkbetweenalgorithmandprogrammingandtoaiddebuggingistoencouragepupilstoreadouttheircardsastheturtleperformsitsinstructions.Thismakesitmucheasierforpupilstospoterrorscalledbugsinprogramming.Thisissimilartoprogrammerstracingtheirmorecomplexcodetoworkoutwhatitdoesbeforetestingitonadigitaldevice.

Somepupilsfinditveryhelpfultoplacethecardsontheroutetheturtlewilltakeinsteadofalongsidethemat.

Session4:Symbolalgorithm

Wherenext?

Exploreotherprogrammingplanningatcode-it.co.uk/csplanningDesignyourownprogrammingplanningusingcomputationalthinking&problemsolvingskills.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 444 Castro Street, Suite 900, Mountain View, California, 94041, USA

Author:PhilipBaggeFindmoreresourcesatcode-it.co.uk

Followmeontwitter@baggieprDesigner:AmandadeFraineadefraine@hotmail.com

FollowmeonLinkedIn