Learners will write instructions for a new Marty dance move that learners will have to follow. To trigger the steps, Marty will need if statements and color cards.
Each dance move should have five steps, to correspond to the five color cards that are included with Marty the Robot.
If then statements, Color sensing blocks
ELA, Writing, Music
Prepare some space for learners to practice dance moves for their Martys. They will need to think about how Marty can move and what steps they need to write for a person to copy Marty’s moves.
| Timing | Activity | Possible adaptations |
|---|---|---|
| — | Warm-upShare with learners the learning objectives and success criteria for the lesson (slide two from the presentation). On slide three of the presentation is a short video describing and showing steps for a dance. Have all learners up to take part with the warm-up. Once the dance has been completed, have learners record a rough idea of the steps they heard and saw, from the video to use as an example of how dance instructions can look. | — |
| Timing | Activity | Possible adaptations |
|---|---|---|
| — | Get learningHave learners watch slides four – six, displaying the key points for instructions and some of Marty’s code that would create movements like the Cupid Shuffle; it is not perfectly timed to the music, but the movements are comparable. This is to give learners an idea of how Marty’s movements can be like a person’s ones. Give learners time to work in their groups to think about their own moves for a dance that Marty would be able to complete. Learners should record this in their workbook, with emphasis on the words they should use in the instructions: the key order words and connective words that make a step more complex. | — |
| — | Time for PracticeSlide seven takes this further by allowing learners to record the instructions so Marty can play them back as often as they want. Slide eight shows learners how they can add the sound block with slide nine showing Marty and a recorded voice before the movements occur. Allow time for learners to piece together their instructions and record their voices to add to the overall program. Some quiet will need to be encouraged for the recordings as device microphone sensitivity can be quite high. | SupportEncourage the use of drawings to complement the instruction text – stick figures are enough to get the job done. Additionally, encourage regular physical movement prior to recording the instructions so learners can get a good feel for what they are creating. |
For those looking to take their work further, show slide eleven, to remind learners of the ability for Marty to trigger a move when they sense something. In this case, we highlight the color sensor to trigger a move if Marty sees purple. This will allow Marty to display a certain move over and over so that the learners can repeatedly practice it. The video shows Marty only doing one action, when they start on purple, what additional code do they need to have Marty continually react to new colors? The repeat forever block.
| Timing | Activity | Possible adaptations |
|---|---|---|
| — | CooldownDisplay the dances, allowing different groups to present Marty instructing others. Time permitting, encourage learners to try and learn from Marty’s moves. Bring learners back together to discuss the learning. Ask them if they faced any challenges creating a dance that Marty could perform. Suggested questions you might ask:
Carry out any end of lesson routines. | — |
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|---|---|
| Digital Technologies, Design & technologies: Digital Technologies | |
| English: Language - Text structure and organisation | |
| English: Literature - Creating Literature |
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| English Language Arts: Writing |
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| General standards |
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| Literacy & English: Writing | |
| Technologies: Computing Science |
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| Computing, Design and Technology: Computing | |
| English: Writing - Composition |
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| Elementary Grade 4: English Language Arts and Reading | |
| Middle School Technology Applications: Grade 6 to Grade 8 |
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