ICT in the Early Years: Community of Practice
Case Study 6: Creating a Game board for the Bee-Bots
Context
Y2
D&T
Objectives

Learning
Outcomes


To create a game board for a Bee-Bot
Can read simple written instructions, NLS Y2 T1 T13
Can follow instructions/ sequential steps set out in a list, NLS T1
T14
 Can write simple instructions for playing a game, NLS Y2 T1 T15
 Can develop and record sequences of instructions to control the
floor turtle, and predict and test results, QCA ICT 2D Routes:
controlling a floor turtle
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/it/itx2d/?view=get
Commentary
In the lesson prior to this all the children were given the opportunity to play with the BeeBot and practise programming it. The activity was assessed and the children were put into
mixed ability pairs for the game board activity. Each pair had to decide on a theme for
their game board; this would influence the route they would plan for the Bee-Bot and the
decoration of their game board. With the theme agreed, the pair started to plan a route for
the Bee-Bot, using the skills they had acquired in the previous lesson.
Once the route had been created, the children wrote down the instructions that would
enable the Bee-Bot to complete the route. Some pairs divided the jobs: one person
programmed the Bee-Bot step by step while the partner wrote down the instructions.
Other children took it in turns to programme the Bee-Bot and write down the instructions.
All the pairings remembered from the previous lesson that it is easier to create the
instructions one stage at a time.
With the instructions completed, the children attempted to input all the instructions to see
if they had programmed the Bee-Bot to follow the correct route. If mistakes were made,
the children tried to determine where the fault was and corrected it.
Next the children decorated their game boards, following their agreed theme; for example
a race track included details such as a chequered flag, cars and audience. The children
were reminded to mark the start and finish clearly so that others using the game board
knew where to place the Bee-Bot. Finally, the children swapped boards and instructions
with another pair and tried to follow the new set of instructions they had been given.
Each pair evaluated their own game board and the game board of the pair they swapped
with. The whole class enjoyed working on this project; it helped develop programming and
directional skills and pupil collaboration.
Sheffield Hallam University, Manchester Met. University, Trinity and All Saints College Leeds, University of Huddersfield
Funded by BECTA / TDA 2006