Programming people
About this lesson
Play a variation of the game ‘Simon Says’ to develop understanding of sequencing and instructions in programming.
Year band: 1-2
Curriculum Links AssessmentCurriculum Links
Links with Digital Technologies Curriculum Area
| Strand | Content Description |
|---|---|
| Processes and Production Skills |
Follow and describe algorithms involving a sequence of steps, branching (decisions) and iteration (repetition) (AC9TDI2P02) |
Links with English Curriculum Area
| Strand | Content Description |
|---|---|
| Interacting with others |
Listen to and respond orally to texts and to the communication of others in informal and structured classroom situations (ACELY1646) Listen for specific purposes and information, including instructions, and extend students’ own and others' ideas in discussions (ACELY1666) Use interaction skills including listening while others speak, using appropriate voice levels, articulation and body language, gestures and eye contact (ACELY1784) Use interaction skills including turn-taking, recognising the contributions of others, speaking clearly and using appropriate volume and pace (ACELY1788) |
Assessment
Observe students as they provide verbal instructions to their peers. Success criteria could include the following observations.
- There was effective and appropriate use of directional language (Excellent, satisfactory, unsatisfactory).
- Instructions were clear and specific.
- Instructions were in the correct sequence.
- Instructions led to a successful outcome.
- The student completed set tasks with confidence.
- The student interacted positively with peers.
Suggested steps
- As a whole class, students work collaboratively to direct a classmate to a specific location in the classroom, eg teacher’s desk, bookshelf, reading corner.
- Teacher records the instructions, eg 'Move forward 6 steps'.
- Teacher assists students to measure the time taken to reach the destination.
- Working in groups of three, students continue the activity, taking turns giving and following instructions and measuring the time taken to arrive at specific destinations.
- Provide students with more challenging tasks where pairs of students work together to give and follow instructions, eg blindfolded students are directed to move to a set location within a time limit; students program a robotic toy to arrive at a location within a set time limit.
- Provide students with printed programming cards with forward/backward arrows and turning left/right arrows.
Discussion
- Discuss why it is necessary to be specific when giving instructions, and explain the importance of order in programming.
- Invite students to suggest why some sets of instructions were more useful than others, leading to a successful outcome, eg instead of saying ‘Move forward’, a more specific instruction would be to say, ‘Move forward five steps’. Instead of saying ‘Turn’, a more specific instruction might be ‘Turn to the left’.
Why is this relevant?
At the Early Years stage, students develop the skills of computational thinking and algorithm development when they become increasingly familiar with the language and concepts associated with giving and receiving instructions.
This activity promotes these skills, as students familiarise themselves with concepts such as sequence and order. When exploring instructions, students should be given opportunities to engage in fun and relevant activities where they learn the importance of providing specific and precise instructions. This will lead them to understand the importance of specific and precise instructions to the programming of computers and robots.