Year 1: Introduce Programming (Teacher notes)
Pupil Activity Code: PRW4 – What is it?
Progression of skills in this pack
1. Place instructions into the correct order (sequence) to make something work. (Activity 1)
2. Use direction arrows to move an on-screen object (character/sprite) to achieve an objective. (Activity 2)
3. Predict a route and sequence direction commands (algorithm) to achieve an objective. Correct the errors if necessary (debug). (Activity 3)
4. Predict a route and sequence distance commands to program an on-screen object to achieve an objective. (Activity 3 challenge)
5. Predict and sequence movement and pen commands to program the drawing of different 2D shapes. (Activity 4)
6. Sequence code blocks, including movements and execute (start program) blocks to write a program to achieve an objective. (Activity 5)
National Curriculum Content
Understand what algorithms are; how they are implemented as programs on digital devices; and that programs execute by following precise and unambiguous instructions.
Create and debug simple programs.
Use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs.
Time
5-7 Hours
What will teachers/pupils need?
Pupils will need access to each of the websites in the pupil activities below plus the print out of the unplugged assessment tasks.
Teacher Input
You may wish to show the video tutorials below to the pupils before they try each activity. As an option, pupils can also type the pupil activity code above to open the pupil activity pack, which has the activities from below with the same video tutorials. This allows pupils to work at their own pace if required and also helps share the different websites.
Particular watch the video introduction in activity 1 and discuss the important vocabulary (you may wish to pause the video after each important word to discuss with your class:
Sequencing: Discuss examples, such as numbers/alphabet/instructions for making something, such as cake etc.
Algorithm: Putting a sequence of instructions in the correct order to make something work such a the traffic light.
Predict: Work out what will happen to before we try it. (particularly for activity 3 onward below)
Execute: Run the program to see if it works.
Debug: If the program does not work, can we find the error and correct it. This could be modelled, for example in activity 3, you could program the wolf to not reach the house and ask the pupils where the error is.
Differentiation
The pupil activities below include additional challenges for the more able. Less able pupils may need help with the reading on the cake baking website in activity 1 or click the I to bring up tips. The activities get progressively more challenging so pupils can me moved on at their own pace and ability. Activity 3 includes 4 activities to cover one objective, which get more challenging each time, then a challenge activity.
Assessment
The websites used below in the activities do not include assessment opportunities (saving etc). Therefore, we have created a video tutorial that demonstrates how teachers can use the free code.org website to assess the skills we teach in our activities below.
The Code.org website allows teachers to add their pupils in and then allocate activities. You could assign Course A (2019): Lesson 4 Sequencing with Scrat and hide the other activities (the video tutorial shows how to do this). This is also the final activity in the pupil activities below.
The unplugged activities within some of the activities below also work well as evidence of understanding.
Pupil Activity Pack (Teacher view)
Activity 1. Let’s start programming!
Skill: Place instructions into the correct order (sequence) to make something work.
Watch the video to learn about programming and important words such as sequence and algorithm. Then try the two unplugged activities below.
Fun Fact
The first computer “bug” was identified in 1945 as a moth in the system.
Skill: Use direction arrows to move an on-screen object (character/sprite) to achieve an objective.
Watch the video to learn how to move the wolf around the different houses using the arrows.
Once you have completed the big bad wolf, click the green Astrix and then ok. Could you try the space (visit the planets) and the desert (get the camel to the water)?
Activity 3. Predicting, sequencing, executing and debugging
Skill: Predict a route and sequence direction commands (algorithm) to achieve an objective. Correct the errors if necessary (debug).
Watch the video to learn how to sequence arrow commands to write a program by predicting what needs to happen. If you make a mistake, try the level again, this is called debugging.
(Teacher input: From this point onwards, pupils will need to sequence commands and predict where their character needs to go to complete a task. If pupils make mistakes, then this is fine and by changing their program, this is called debugging).
This time can you program the wolf to visit the houses all in one go without stopping by predicting what will happen? Watch the video to help you.
(Teacher input:This video also mentions how to remove commands, which pupils can do if they make a mistake (debugging). This could be modelled, for example, you could program the wolf to not reach the house and ask the pupils where the error is. Pupils who demonstrate correcting an error in their programs independently in this activity and also the activities below will have debugged their programs)
Could you also try the space template (visiting all the planets in one go) and the desert adventure (program the camel to the water)?
Watch the video to learn how to program a robot to get to different objects then try yourself.
Watch the video to learn how to program the Beebot to go to different letters in your name. You can also try the unplugged activity.
If you are on iPad you could try the Beebot app.
Skill: Predict a route and sequence distance commands to program an on-screen object to achieve an objective.
Watch the video and then try to use the directions and distances to move the robot to the coin in the green square.
Skill: Predict and sequence movement and pen commands to program the drawing of different 2D shapes.
Can you use your skills to draw a square by writing a program using the blank template? Once you have drawn a square, could you try a rectangle? Watch the video to help you.
Activity 5. Code Blocks!
Skill: Sequence code blocks, including movements and execute (start program) blocks to write a program to achieve an objective.
These activities use Scratch-style code blocks, which go down the screen. Watch the video to learn about them and then click play to try programming a beaver to fix the dam.
Watch the video and then try to get Scrat to the acorn using arrow code blocks.