Bot Job

Computer class scenario using the "Bot Job" application

Age group: primary school, grades 1-3

Duration of classes: 45 minutes

Achievements in line with the core curriculum for primary school, grades 1-3:

  • IT education: the student solves tasks, puzzles, and riddles leading to the discovery of algorithms; programs visually: simple situations or stories according to their own ideas and ideas developed together with other students, single commands, and their sequences controlling an object on the computer screen or another digital device; uses a computer or another digital device and external devices when performing a task; associates the operation of a computer or another digital device with the effects of working with software; cooperates with students, exchanges ideas and experiences with them, using technology.

General objectives:

  • developing analytical skills,
  • shaping spatial orientation,
  • stimulating planning and forecasting skills,
  • developing understanding of code structure and syntax.

Operational objectives, the student:

  • knows what directional arrows mean,
  • plans their actions, checks their effect,
  • creates code using graphic symbols,
  • knows what repetitions mean,
  • understands the meaning of fields with a function.

Course of classes

  1. Invite students to play "Classroom Robots". Pair up students, where one child will be the programmer, the other the robot. The students' task will be to program the movements of their partner to reach a specified goal e.g. window, bench, blackboard etc. When the goal is reached, the students switch roles. Discuss with the students in which role they felt better.

  2. Launch the "Programming Bot" application on the selected device.

  3. Explain to the students that Dot Bot must reach the plug to recharge its batteries. Also tell them that Dot Bot has several tasks to perform along the way - it must collect screws left on the board, light bulbs, start friendly robots, draw energy from batteries.

  4. Ask students which fields Dot Bot should pass through, where it should start in order to complete the route in the shortest possible time. The students' task will be to create a code for Dot Bot using arrows and symbols that trigger individual events:

  5. You can divide students into several groups (depending on the size of the class). Divide Dot Bot's path into stages, let a different group be responsible for writing the code for each of them. Incorrect lines of code can be deleted using the cross in the lower right corner of the block.