Coding Around Town-Hour of Code Robotics lesson for lower grades
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Looking for a Robotics activity that your K-2 students will love? Coding around Town is a fun game perfect for incorporating a programable robot and developing computational skills. Do you want to see your students get excited about robotics?
I was trying to devise a way to create a maze for my touch coding Vex123 but did not want the same maze over and over or constantly creating a new one.
I created this activity so there is a different path each time. This lesson was written to use Vex 123 but can also be used with the Code and Go Mouse or other touch-programmable robots.
What is Vex 123
Vex 123 is a programable robot with three progression levels: touch code, coder and code cards, and Vexcode drag and drop blocks. I use this robot in my STEM class. I like It is rechargeable and has a level of coding progression.
What is Code & Go Robot Mouse
Code & Go Robot Mouse is a touch programmable robot in the shape of a mouse made by Learning Resources. I have not used this product; the box recommends ages four and up and requires 3 AAA batteries. You can read Scarlet’s review from the Family Focus Blog here.
How to use Coding around town
My ultimate objective with this lesson is for my first graders to understand a program is a set of codes that carry out a desired operation, and the code is each command given. ( I understand it is more complicated than that, but for first grade, I want them to grasp there is a difference.)
After printing, laminating, and cutting out the town and scenario cards, I create my town on the VEX 123 field. I put four fields together to make one long town with three columns of locations.
Before this, the students were introduced to VEX 123. I taped a square under the tables. They explore the robot by programming him to travel the perimeter of the square.
Before I let my first graders do this independently, they bring their Program Recording Sheet and gather around the board and me to complete it as a whole class.
- We pick one of the houses to be VEX’s home and place him on top of the card.
- I let a student draw a scenario card and read it to the class.
- We determine Vex’s destination and start writing our program.
- Each row is a different code. We circle the first direction and write the number of times it should move.
- Once we think we have it figured out, they read me the program. I program the robot and press go.
- We fix any bugs (mistakes) and draw a new card, and program from the location we are at.
Tips and Variations
- Laminate the Program Recording sheets with 5mm and reuse them with wet-erase markers.
- Use the Community Grid sheet for independent practice.
