LESSON THREE

Lesson Plan
By Bethany, Chelsea, Joe and Alice

LESSON OVERVIEW

The children will be using all of the skills they have been developing over the last two
sessions to take their chickbot on a Mars exploration, visiting the various martians to
gather facts and clues about their next stop.

NATIONAL CURRICULUM

design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including
controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them
into smaller parts
use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and
various forms of input and output
use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect
and correct errors in algorithms and programs

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. To develop logical reasoning by writing, debugging and predicting the outcome of

simple algorithms to control the ChickBot
2. To use key concepts such as selection, sequencing and repetition to write simple
algorithms to control the ChickBot
3. To use key processes and concepts such as decomposition, debugging and
sequencing to control the movement of a chickbot around a given route.

OUTCOMES

Programs to control the movement of their ChickBot

Photographs and video footage of their programming in action

1
 A fact bank about space
KWL grid - final

RESOURCES NEEDED
Computers USB connectors for micro:bit (x8)
Micro:bits (x8) Fact & clue cards (set for each
Chickbots (x4) group)
Martians & satellite images (set Post it notes
for each group) KWL grid
Name badges

ASSESSMENT

1. Discussion at the beginning of the session - can the children tell us how they
carried out activities last week?
2. Discussion throughout - noted on sheet, evidence of logical reasoning, thinking
algorithmically, decomposition, debugging, sequencing, selection, repetition
3. KWL grid at the end of the session

2
ACTIVITIES
Activity Break down Assessment Opportunities

Revisit the context & give them their mission

objective: a fact finding mission from the
martians on Mars.

Split the group into exploration teams Assessment: Note the top tips as
learning evidence from groups - keep
Discuss the programming of the micro:bits in visible for session
groups
KQ: How did you know how to do X?
KQ: How did you know how to do X? Did you
Did you run into any problems, how
run into any problems, how did you solve it?
did you solve it?
What made the task easier for you? Was
What made the task easier for you?
there anything that made it more
Was there anything that made it more
challenging?
challenging?

Feedback any top tips to the rest of the class

Children choose their first martian or Assessment: Discussion for examples of

destination to visit, work as a group to decide decomposition, debugging, sequencing,
the algorithm they will need (unplugged) selection, repetition

Group program this onto one of the
micro:bits to test their script
KQ: What do you think your first step
might be?
What made you decide to?
Is there another way you could
program the micro:bit to do that?

Upon reaching the martian, collect fact and
clue card, children then decide which of the
two destinations they should aim for first
and decide which pair will take each
destination
In pairs program their route to their
destinations
Assessment: Discussion for examples of
decomposition, debugging, sequencing,
selection, repetition
Assessment: Photo and film evidence of
programming in action
KQ: Why did you decide to take that
route?

3
 Is there another way of programming
Support: Use postit notes to decompose the
this? Is there any way to make it more
problem and use as a visual reminder of the
efficient?
steps of the process

Assessment: Note ideas for evidence of

Mini Plenary: Is there a more efficient way of key processes and concepts
programming this?
Do we need to reprogram the micro:bit every
time?
Can we use the input buttons to help us
simplify the process?

Assessment: Are children able to

Mini Plenary: Debugging: what problems articulate the problem and solution -
have you found? evidence of process and concept
Can you explain how you solved that understanding
problem to the rest of the groups?

At the end of the activity, children will Assessment: Photo and film evidence of
program a route that allows them to feed programming in action
facts back to the satellite and get back to base

Assessment: Discussion - evidence of

Extensions: Can you program your ChickBot logical reasoning etc
to travel to all of the martians and back to
base?
What is the shortest route you can take?
Can you program your microbit to do part of
the journey in reverse?
Can you program your microbit to flash a
warning sign when it is reversing?

ACTIVITY 2 - Whole Group

KWL - What have we learnt? What would you like to learn more about in future?
Space Exploration Team Certificates - Successfully completed their programming
mission using the BBC micro:bit