Kidbots in action

Starting out with Kidbots

How much time to allow

30 minutes for each task

15 minutes for each time you repeat the task

What you need

A grid for students to walk on or a grid they can move a character on.

A set of job badges per group

A toy or object to be the BOT (the role of the BOT is to carry the toy based on the instructions)

A whiteboard, whiteboard pen and eraser (you can also use paper and pen/pencil/crayon)

Task 1: What will our programming language be?

We need to agree on the symbols and what movement they represent.

Write down 4 different ways that we could instruct our Bot to move:

Forward - step into the square in front of you.

Right - 90 degrees or a quarter turn on the spot.

Left - 90 degrees or a quarter turn on the sport.

Which programming language did you choose?

Why did you choose it?

Was it because it took less time to write?

Did you use symbols?

Which ones?

Task 2: The roles of kidbots

Each role has a job description:

Programmer

Uses the programming language you have agreed to and writes it on a piece of paper, on a whiteboard or on the ground using chalk. Their job is to write the program and debug it when it doesn't go to plan (which is normally all the time!). When they have finished writing the program, they give it to the Tester.

Tester

The programmer gives the tester the finished program. The Tester's job is to read each step out to the Bot and to put a mark when something doesn't go to plan so the programmer knows where to start debugging. Testers do not do the debugging! They hand the board back to the programmer and say politely "There's a bug for you to fix.". This is repeated until the Bot gets to their destination.

Bot

The Bot has the hardest job! They have to follow the instructions of the Tester, without doing what they think is the right thing to do! They also have to remember where they started from, so they can reset when a bug is found and wait patiently for the Programmer to debug the program and for the Tester to give the instructions.

Let's put it into action

Once you are in your roles, try it out with a small grid, where the Bot needs to get to one object.

When you have done that successful, change roles, move the object the Bot needs to get to and the Bot's starting point.

Repeat this until everyone has had a turn at each role.

Now you are ready to make up your own kidbots and Beebot challenges

Starting challenges

Can you put out 4 different numbers and program the Bot to make a certain number? For example if there was a 2, 4, 6 and 1 in different squares on the grid. Could the Bot make the number 8 by picking up the 6 and then picking up the 2?

Can you put different words on the grid and program the Bot to go to a particular word?

Can you put out different shapes and program the Bot to go to a particular shape?

Is it possible to program a story? How would you go about doing that?

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