REPORT FOR PART 3: CLASSROOM INVESTIGATION

Subject : Bahasa Melayu (Kata Adjektif Arah)

Lesson : Kawanku Robot

Year : 2

Algorithms | Debugging | Unplugged

Overview

Using a special set of offline commands, students will design algorithms to instruct a "robot"
to find the treasure in 3 different points by following different patterns. Students will take
turns participating as the robot, responding only to the algorithm defined by their peers. This
segment teaches students the connection between symbols and actions, the difference
between an algorithm and a program, and the valuable skill of debugging.

Purpose

This unplugged lesson brings the class together as a team with a simple task to complete:
get a "robot" to find treasure when specific directions given. Students will work to recognize
real world actions as potential instructions in code. The art of following precise instructions
will also be practiced, as students work to translate algorithms into code, using the symbols
provided. If problems arise in the code, students should work together to recognize bugs and
build solutions. This activity lays the groundwork for the programming that students will do
throughout the course as they learn the importance of defining a clearly communicated
algorithm.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

 Reframe a sequence of steps as an encoded program

Agenda

1. Warm Up (5 min)
 Talking to Robots
2. Activity (45 min)
3. Introduction and Modelling
4. Differentiation Options:
5. Programming Your Robots
6. Wrap Up (10 min)
 Journaling
Preparation

 Refresh student’s mind to remember back the basic directions learned in previous
lesson.
 (Optional) Print out one Kawanku Robot - Symbol Key per group or 4 students.
Alternatively, find a place to display this information where students can refer
throughout the lesson.
 Prepare a design of the maze in actual size. I’m using a small cone to make an
actual design on the floor.
 (Optional) print and cut out Maze Template - Manipulatives for each group if your
class is not going to use actual size maze.
 Make sure each student has a Think Spot Journal - Reflection Journal.

Teaching Guide

1. Warm Up (5 min)

Discuss: Start by asking the class if anyone has heard of robotics. Has anyone seen a robot
or touched one? Does a robot really “hear” you speak? Does it really “understand” what you
say?

Say: Robots can only do what they've been instructed or programmed to do. In order to
accomplish a task, a robot needs to have a list of instructions (sometimes called an
algorithm) that it can read. Today, students are going to learn what it takes to make that
happen.

Discussion Goal

The goal of this quick discussion is to call out that while robots may seem to behave like
people, they're actually responding only to their programming. Students will likely refer to
robots from movies and TV that behave more like humans. Push them to consider robots
that they've seen or heard of in real life, like Transformers, or even digital assistants like
Apple’s Siri.

2. Activity (45 min)

Go Up Go Down Go Left Go Right

3. Introduction

Display: Teacher will display the My Robotic Friends - Symbol Key or write the allowed
actions on the board - make sure these are in a place where they can be seen for the whole
activity. Explain to the class that only four actions they will be using for this exercise. For this
task, they will instruct their “robot” friend to find the treasure using only the commands listed
on the key.
Modelling: In order to explain how the instructions are intended to work, model or
demonstrate for the class how to create and follow an algorithm for replicating a simple
pattern. Show the model that teacher draw and tell them how the algorithm works.

Display again: Hold up the pattern we plan to model. A simple three directions is a great
place to start.

4. Differentiation Options:

Simplify: Does this all feel a little complicated for the classroom? Here are a couple of tips
to simplify the process:

 Use 2 or 3 steps only into the ups and downs

o Up means that the robot automatically goes up one step.

Intensify: Are your students more advanced? Do you want this lesson to relate more closely
to the online puzzles? Here are some modifications that teacher can make:

 One arrow corresponds to one movement. Consists of left and right movement too
and the steps increased more.

Prompt: Teacher ask the class what the first instruction should be, using only the four
instructions allowed. The first move should be to "move up 1 steps." If students suggest
something else from the list, perform that action and allow them to see their error. If they
suggest something not from the list, make a clear malfunction reaction and let them know
that the command is not understood.

With the robot is on starting point, ask the class to continue giving teacher instructions until
the robot first instruction is made. This is a great place to clarify that a "step forward" and
"step backward" each imply moving the robot.

Continue asking for instructions from the classroom until you have completed the entire
movement and land on what ending point was planned at the early of the task.

Once your movement complete, point out that they just gave you a list of instructions for
completing a task. That's an algorithm. Algorithms are great for sharing ideas, but spelling
them out word by word can take a long time. That's what the symbols are for! When you
encode an algorithm into symbols that a robot (or computer) understands, that's called
programming.

Ask the class to help you write the "program" for that first move, and then the rest of the
moves necessary to complete the pattern. Depending on the confidence of your students,
you might switch back and forth frequently between acting as the "robot" and writing down
the code, or you might push them to write the whole program before you will implement it.
One possible solution looks like this:

Volunteer: Once the class has completed the model program, ask one of the students to
come up and act as the "robot" to ensure that the program really works. Encourage them to
say the instructions out loud as they "run" the code.
 5. Programming Your Robots

Group: Place students into groups of 4. Each group should then further break down into two
pairs - each pair will develop their own program to be "run" by the other pair.

Distribute: Give each group the erasable programming board at the start of the program.

Display: Show Movements Ideas - Manipulatives to the class or hand out individual copies
for groups to use. Have each pair (not group) choose which idea they would like their robots
to do. Try to push for an easier idea for the first time, then have them choose a more
complex design later on. Encourage pairs to keep their choice secret from the other half of
their group.

Discuss: Give each pair time to discuss how the robot should move, using only the provided
symbols. Make sure each group writes down the "program" on the erasable board for the
"robot" to read later.

Do: Once both of the group's pairs have decided on their algorithms, they can take turns
being "robots" for each other by following the instructions each pair wrote. Encourage
students to watch their "robot" closely to ensure that they are following instructions. If a
student sees a bug and raises their hand, have the robot finish the instructions to the best of
their ability. Afterward, have the students discuss the potential bug and come up with a
solution. Continue repeating until the movement is complete properly.

Enforcing the rules: While the robot is moving on the actual design make sure that the
class knows:

 Programmers are not allowed to talk when the robot is working. This includes blurting
out answers or pointing out when the robot has done something wrong.

 Programmers should raise their hand if they see a bug.

Circulate: Look for groups who are trying to take shortcuts by adding things (like numbers)
to their code. Praise them for their ingenuity, but remind them that for this exercise, the
robots do not understand anything but the provided symbols. If you like, you can hint that
they should save their brilliant solution for the next time they play this game, since they might
get the chance to use it soon!

Iterate: Depending on your time available, mix up the pairs and give them a chance to do a
different pattern. Each time groups repeat the process, encourage them to choose a more
challenging pattern.

Discuss: After everyone has had a chance to be the robot, bring the class back together to
discuss their experience. In particular, discuss as a class:

 What was the most difficult part of coming up with the instructions?
 Did anyone find a bug in your instructions once your robot was following them?
o What was the bug?
o Why do you think you didn't notice it when writing the program?
 When you were the robot, what was the hardest part of following the instructions you
were given?
Sense making: The goal of this discussion is to give students space to make sense of their
experience both as robot and programmer. The questions are intentionally broad, but
designed to get students thinking about the challenges of writing a clear program and the
constraints of a robot or computer in interpreting your instructions.

6. Wrap Up (10 min)

Journaling

Having students write about what they learned, why it’s useful, and how they feel about it
can help solidify any knowledge they obtained today and build a review sheet for them to
look to in the future.

Journal Prompts:

 What was today’s lesson about?

Erasable Pattern Example