Overview:

National curriculum link:

Use sequence, selection and repetition in programs, work with variables and
various forms of input and output.
Learning objective:
We are learning to build a Lego WeDo product using the tilt or motion sensor.
We are learning to write an instruction booklet for our Lego WeDo products.
Success criteria:
All: I am able to build a Lego WeDo product and write instructions for this with adult
support.
Most: I am able to build a Lego WeDo product and write instructions for this.
Some: I am confidently able to build a Lego WeDo product using various
components and algorithms and write instructions for this.
Key words: Input, output, Lego WeDo, algorithm, motion, control, sound, tilt,
sensor, motor
Key questions:
What does a motion and tilt sensor do?
What is an algorithm?
What do we need to remember for writing instructions?
Resources
Netbooks
LegoWeDo
LegoWeDo software
Paper
Pencils
Colouring pencils
Starter
We will start by recapping components such as input, output, and Lego WeDo feature,
and how Lego WeDo sensors move.
We will then recap the childrens plans, asking them to talk about what they plan to
make. We will ask two or three of the children to present this work to the group, asking
their peers for 2 stars and a wish.
New learning
We will introduce the Lego WeDo software to the children, giving a tutorial of how to
use this to make their products move. We will then ask the children to guide us
through using it, ensuring that all of the children understand how to use the software to
make both a motion and a tilt sensor product work.
Main
We will ask the children to either work alone or in pairs through building their Lego
WeDo products, helping each other with any problems which might arise. They will
be able to get adult support throughout, however will be encouraged to work alone
or with their peers.
After the break, we will be continuing to build the childrens products. The children
will then be able to begin to start making them work using the Lego WeDo

software.
Once all of the products have been mostly finished, we will bring the children back
to the carpet to recap the different areas of learning which we have covered.
We will recap algorithms, giving a reminder of jam sandwich/guide a teacher/friend
in order for the children to be able to contextualise their learning before using this
knowledge to create their own instructions booklet.
The children will then write instructions for their Lego WeDo products and what
thought went into making them, highlighting which inputs and outputs they used,
and how they used these in order to create their product. We will also ask the
children to make clear in their instructions who their target audience is for their
product.
Plenary
We will ask the children to present their products and go through their instructions,
telling the other children how they made it and who their product is aimed at.
We will then give out certificates to all of the children for individual efforts such as
most enthusiastic, most improved, and most thoughtful design.
Evaluation
All of the children were fully engaged with making their own Lego WeDo products,
and they used the software successfully to make these work. The software was
found difficult to use at first, however through perseverance and trial and error, some
children were able to make this work. The children were then able to help each other
in order to guarantee that everyones models were able to work.
The instruction booklets were a very successful way in order to consolidate the
childrens learning, ensuring that they understood what our key ideas meant, such as
algorithms and inputs and outputs. The children engaged greatly with this and were
able to write confidently about what they had learnt.
Some of the children were unable to make their Lego WeDo products work with the
software as we ran out of time. Considering this, in later practice I would ensure that
sufficient time was planned for children to build their products and then explore the
Lego WeDo software.