Challenge learners to move around something in order to reach the red card, which will require using the purple and blue cards.

Provide learners with a ruler, or something else with a straight edge. This may help them to 'aim' Marty at the red card.

Teacher Guide

Presentation for What is the Order

I can move a robot using different colors

This lesson is an introduction to Marty the Robot and using Marty's color cards to get them moving.

For this entire lesson, Marty should be on the ground, not on a table. In preparation, all Marty could be turned on and in 'unplugged' mode before the lesson starts. 

; alternatively, Marty could be turned on during the 'Warm up' part of the lesson as it is shown in the presentation.

Read to learners the learning objectives and success criteria from slides 2 and 3 of the presentation.

Warm up with a game of musical statues or musical bumps - learners dance when the music is playing and freeze or sit down when the music stops. There is a link to music on slide 4 of the presentation; there are automatic stops in the music track.

Slide 5 will introduce Marty, with details about the device and how to switch them on.

Show the presentation (slides 6) to display each of the 5 color cards. Once you have Marty in unplugged mode (

), either show Marty reacting to the cards on the presentation, from slides 7 to 11, or place Marty on each of the colors in whichever order you want. If you want to show Marty in real life responding to the cards, you do not need to show slides 7 to 11.

Alternatively, you could show each of the colors to the learners in your class and ask them about what they think this card might get Marty to do; we recommend starting with green and red for the traffic lights, to give learners a clue that these colors correspond to directions.

To get learners to better appreciate how Marty moves with the color cards, ask learners to pretend that they are a Marty: show a color card and have volunteers, or the whole class take 3 or 4 steps in that direction.

The practice for this lesson centers on using the correct color card at the correct time: 

In what direction do you need Marty to travel?

In what order do you need Marty to make the movements?

Depending on the ability of your learners, it may be best to focus only on the green forward and red stop cards. For this, you need a start and stop location and a bit of time to have learners practicing 'lining up' Marty so they will travel in the correct direction. Slide 12 from the presentation shows two mistakes were made when instructing Marty to move from a start position to an end. Have learners try and identify what the person did wrong. If you need to show it, slide 13 has a correct demonstration of using the color cards.

While learners are waiting for a turn of using Marty, ask them to have a person in their group pretend to be Marty. 

The group needs to decide on a starting and a stopping spot and place something red at the stopping spot.  

The group members need to make sure that Marty is pointing in the right direction. 

One person in the group will need to put some green under Marty's foot to instruct them to go.

Marty will need to focus on walking in a straight line. If they reach the red, they could do a small dance.

Repeat with other group members pretending to be Marty while waiting a turn of the real Marty.

If there are learners who feel confident or adventurous, challenge them to use other colors to walk around something and reach the red stopping spot.

As each group of learners manage to reach the goal, celebrate with them. "You just created a program to tell Marty to do something. You are at the very start of a journey to create instructions for computers and robots!!"

Remind learners of the amazing work that they accomplished, "You were able to instruct a robot to move from a starting point to a finishing point! That is just amazing! I wonder what else we will get up to with Marty?"

Remind learners of the goals for the lesson, "Move a robot with color cards," and, "Get a robot to walk forward and stop."

Ask learners if they think they did well with the lesson using a familiar formative assessment strategy: thumbs up for good, thumbs to the side for OK, thumbs down for not so good; a green, yellow or red card, indicating their thoughts; a one to one chat about the learning; whole class feedback using a PMI (plus, minus, interesting) approach; or some other strategy with which the learners are familiar.

Log off devices and clear everything away.

Use color cards to instruct Marty where to go and what to do

TEKS - Elementary Technology Applications: Kindergarten to Grade 2

Georgia Standards of Excellence - Computer Science:

Curriculum for Excellence - Technologies: Craft, Design, Engineering and Graphics

Georgia Standards of Excellence - English Language Arts: Writing

TEKS - Middle School Technology Applications: Grade 6 to Grade 8

Australian Curriculum - Mathematics: Number and Algebra - Number and place value

Curriculum for Excellence - Technologies: Computing Science

National Curriculum - Computing, Design and Technology: Design and Technology

Common Core - English Language Arts: Writing

Australian Curriculum - Mathematics: Measurement and Geometry – Geometric reasoning

Georgia Standards of Excellence - Mathematics:

Curriculum for Excellence - Health and Wellbeing: Relationships

Curriculum for Excellence - Technologies: Technological Developments in Society and Business

Next Generation Science Standards - Earth and Space Sciences:

National Curriculum - Science KS2: Physics – Light

National Curriculum - Mathematics KS2: Geometry – position and direction

Common Core - English Language Arts: Speaking & Listening

Georgia Standards of Excellence - Science:

Common Core - English Language Arts: Language

Curriculum for Excellence - Science: Planet Earth 

CSTA Education Standards

National Curriculum - Mathematics KS2: Number - fractions

TEKS - Elementary Technology Applications: Grade 3 to Grade 5

National Curriculum - Mathematics KS2: Geometry – properties of shapes

Curriculum for Excellence - Technologies: Digital Literacy

Curriculum for Excellence - Science: Materials

Common Core - Mathematics:

Curriculum for Excellence - Numeracy: Information Handling

National Curriculum - Mathematics KS1: Number - addition and subtraction

Australian Curriculum - Mathematics: Measurement and Geometry – Location and transformation

National Curriculum - Science KS4: Chemistry – Earth and atmospheric science

Australian Curriculum – Digital Technologies, Design & technologies: Design & Technologies

Curriculum for Excellence - Literacy & English: Listening and Talking

Curriculum for Excellence - Science: Forces, electricity and waves

Australian Curriculum - Science: Science as a Human Endeavour

Georgia Standards of Excellence - English Language Arts: Speaking and Listening

Curriculum for Excellence - Health and Wellbeing: Physical Activity and Sport

Curriculum for Excellence - Health and Wellbeing: Mental, Emotional, Social and Physical Wellbeing

Curriculum for Excellence - Numeracy: Number, Money and Measure

Curriculum for Excellence - Health and Wellbeing: Planning for Choices and Changes

TEKS - Elementary Science: Knowledge and Skills

Curriculum for Excellence - Numeracy: Shape, Position and Movement

Australian Curriculum - Mathematics: Number and Algebra - Fractions and decimals

National Curriculum - Science KS3: Physics – Motion and Forces

Australian Curriculum – Digital Technologies, Design & technologies: Digital Technologies

National Curriculum - Computing, Design and Technology: Computing

Curriculum for Excellence - Literacy & English: Reading

Next Generation Science Standards - Science and Engineering Practices:

Australian Curriculum - Science: Science Understanding - Physical Sciences

Next Generation Science Standards - Physical Sciences:

Curriculum for Excellence - Literacy & English: Writing

TEKS - Elementary Math: Knowledge and Skills

Georgia Standards of Excellence - English Language Arts: Reading

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

Georgia Standards of Excellence - English Language Arts: Knowledge of Language

National Curriculum - Mathematics KS1: Number - number and place value

Trial Lesson Lower Elementary 30 minutes - What is the order

Have learners think about how they might have two Martys use different repeat blocks to create a routine together: as one takes 3 steps forward, the other takes three steps back; as one takes three steps to the right, one takes three steps to the left, etc.

The discussion should be timed properly: starting at the same time and keeping the movements synchronized. 

Take time to repeat the steps that make up an action. Display some ideas to groups, depending on the ideas that learners suggest. Ask for whole-class support in breaking down the steps and either illustrate them or use text to describe them for groups to consult.

Presentation for Let's Repeat

Story text

Story / lesson text

The repeat block (loop) allows for the repetition of one or more actions. This eliminates the need for instructions that seem to go on forever because of some parts that repeat. Learners will think of a movement that Marty can perform, practice that movement in their groups and then organise the code that Marty needs, using the repeat block.

For this entire lesson, Marty should be on the ground, not on a table. 

Share with learners the learning objectives and success criteria for the lesson, from the presentation file (slides 2 and 3). 

Read the text from the resources section or in the presentation 

. Notes have been added to support the flow.

The presentation, on slide 12, shows a growing block of code that begins to repeat, take some time to talk about what movements they see and what parts of the code seem to repeat. Quiz learners about what they think the next step in the code will be, as it goes off the edge of the slide.

While learners are in groups, working on movements they know that repeat, walk around the room listening to their ideas. Ask regular questions to help them determine which movements repeat, from their actions.

Encourage learners to write down their ideas for the repeating actions in their workbooks. This could be completed with one workbook per group, individually or the document displayed on the board with whole-class input.

Take time to explore the look of the repeat block. It is both red, which suggests stop, or don't go past, and has the curving arrows for repeat or refresh.

Now that learners have seen an example of code that repeats, for Marty, and how Marty looks with that code, they need to plan a repeating movement or action that Marty can perform; they can plan this with words or with pictures; using icons from MartyBlocks Jr might be a good idea.

Once learners have a routine, have them think about a name for what Marty could be doing. The code from the lesson could be a dance step, it could be an exercise routine that has Marty stretch their eyebrows and body every three steps, or it could be Marty is walking in the rain and the rain trickles down their back and Marty shakes to get the water off to move faster.

Bring learners back together to discuss how they met the challenge as a group. Have groups model their creations; hopefully, learners will be able to either connect to Marty with their device, if they have access, or can show you their plan and you can quickly create it to show the class. 

Which interesting combinations did you create? What movement is Marty performing?

Were there any problems you discovered with the repeat block you used? 

Do you think it is a good idea to use this block to improve your code or would you prefer not to use it? Why? 

Workbook for Let's Repeat

Learn how loops work and program Marty to repeat moves again and again and again...

Trial Lesson Middle Elementary 30 minutes - Let's Repeat

Challenge learners to have Marty react differently if they detect two obstacles in a short period of time. The first video of Marty moving, from the presentation, illustrates the different responses he might have. Learners may choose a different sound or raising arms in exasperation. The goal is a different response.

Provide supportive questions around how we have actions repeat, 

, how we have Marty do one action depending on what happens first 

While learners are planning, emphasize that they need to think about what happens as the code executes:

Marty continues to walk forward until the sensor alerts Marty (

how do we tell Marty what to do if something is detected?

how do I code the different actions that could occur?

Presentation for Obstacles

Presentation for the Obstacles

Have Marty react if there is something in the way

In this lesson learners will have Marty react to an obstacle.

How do we detect objects that are in our way? How is it different for a robot? The answer is sensors.

Have the presentation open before the lesson starts. Ask learners if they know what parkour is and what people need to do to perform parkour. Have learners list their ideas in the workbook; this could be done individually, as part of a group, or as a whole class. Encourage learners to describe how to perform any of the moves that they know.

Encourage learners to show mini models of the moves in parkour, perhaps using their fingers as legs and jumping off surfaces like books on their desk or other small obstacles they could use. There is a video on slide 2 of the presentation that is a fun display of some finger parkour. This can be deleted if you do not need it. 

After a chance to describe moves, show the clip from slide 3 in the presentation - Atlas performing parkour. Have learners think about what a robot would need to be able to do what a person can do.

Following a discussion around the videos, share the objectives and success criteria on slides 4 and 5.

Robots need sensors to respond to their environment and they need instructions for what to do after they sense different objects. Marty has an obstacle sensor that comes attached to their foot and the color sensor also detects obstacles. What do we need to think about, for Marty, in order to respond to an obstacle? 

Show a response from Marty upon approaching an obstacle. There is a video on slide 6 of the presentation that shows Marty's reactions to an obstacle.

Question ideas are in the presentation notes on slide 6.

Share with learners an image of the IR sensor and a slide of how it works (slides 7 and 8 in the presentation). Explain that the IR sensor gets feedback from light that reflects off the wall and that is how Marty 'knows' something is in the way. 

Below are images of Marty's sensor and a diagram of how the sensor works

The responses from the sensor are described on slide 8.

Learners may have already learned about something called BOOLEANs, these are pieces of code that take only two values; for Marty, they are true or false. When you go to the sensing tab on MartyBlocks and press the 'Foot obstacle sensed' block, if there is nothing directly in front of the foot with the sensor, this will return false. If there is something there, it will return true. It would help to show this on a device screen to the class, so that they can appreciate how close Marty needs to be to react by moving Marty close to an object and pressing the foot sensing block on the device and then repeating this when moving Marty farther away. Alternatively, tapping the box beside the block will keep the feedback from the distance sensor on the workspace.

Click here for more information on the obstacle sensor

Slide 9, from the presentation, shows the most basic code to have Marty respond to an obstacle. Slide 10 shows the code in action. 

There are ideas for discussion, on slide 9, for the code as well as locations for each of the blocks.

There are questions on slide 11 to promote learners to think about how they could improve on Marty's code. They may have noticed that the Marty from the second video was only two steps from the wall, so taking two steps would result in the sensor returning true. Try running code on the class Marty from a greater distance. What can we do to ensure Marty reaches and detects an obstacle so that they can react to it? 

Learners may suggest using a repeat block, but you could also say that they should keep their ideas within their group to encourage a greater diversity of responses. 

Have a whole-class planning session with ideas for how you can improve on the basic code, which will enable Marty to respond to objects that are initially farther away. You will need to decide if you are entering the code into the app for Marty to perform, if there is a learner in your class who will have this responsibility or if you want groups to enter the code on their iPads and then connect to Marty when they are ready.

Take time to discuss the learning that occurred. 

What was interesting or challenging about using the obstacle sensor?

What modifications would you suggest for someone designing a new obstacle sensor?

Where are some other areas of our lives where an obstacle sensor is a helpful tool?

Look at some of the lessons that use loops and conditional statements:

the information for the IR (obstacle) sensor

Workbook for Obstacles

Give Marty a reaction when something is in the way

Trial Lesson Upper Elementary 30 minutes - Obstacles

The lessons in this pack are intended for schools who are trialing Marty: you have one robot for a class of learners.

There is one lesson each for lower, middle, and upper elementary grades.

The main concepts covered are sequencing instructions, introducing repeat blocks and working with an obstacle sensor.

Learning Portal

Learner Resources —

Trial Pack - 30 Minute Lessons

Lesson Pack Overview