Simple Program Creation

Lesson Overview

Subject

Technology

Duration

45 minutes

Year Group

Year 2

Curriculum Area

This lesson focuses on Computing, specifically aligned with the UK National Curriculum for Key Stage 1. It addresses the area of "programming" where students are introduced to creating simple programs.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the basic concept of programming as giving instructions to a computer.
• Create a simple program using basic commands.
• Collaborate with classmates to solve problems.

Materials Needed

• Interactive whiteboard or projector
• Tablets or computers (1 per pair of students)
• A simple programming app suitable for Year 2 students (e.g., ScratchJr or a similar block-based coding platform)
• Pre-prepared cards with simple programming commands (e.g., move forward, turn left, turn right)
• Coloured sticky notes
• A small toy robot or a character, if available, for a practical demonstration (e.g., a Bee-Bot)

Lesson Structure

Introduction (10 minutes)

1. Hook: Begin with a question: "Have you ever wished you could tell a robot what to do?" Use the toy robot to demonstrate how it performs simple commands.

2. Discussion: Explain that today we're going to learn how to give instructions to a computer, just like giving instructions to the toy robot. This is called "programming".

3. Objective Sharing: State the learning objectives clearly. Ensure students understand that by the end of this lesson, they will have created a simple program using the computers.

Main Activity (25 minutes)

1. Hands-On Demonstration (5 minutes):

   • Use the interactive whiteboard to demonstrate how to use the simple programming app.
   • Show students how to drag and drop blocks to create a sequence of instructions. Keep the example simple: move forward, turn left, move forward again.

2. Paired Programming (15 minutes):

   • Pair students and provide them with tablets or computers.
   • Instruct them to create a simple program where a character moves around a screen in a square path.
   • Circulate throughout the room to offer assistance and encouragement. Use this time to ask guiding questions like "What will happen if we add this block?" or "What do you think should come next in the sequence?"

3. Debugging Session (5 minutes):

   • Ask students to exchange their tablets with another pair.
   • Encourage them to "debug" or find anything that doesn't work quite as expected in another group's program and work together to fix it.

Conclusion (10 minutes)

1. Share and Reflect:

   • Invite pairs to share their programs with the class using the interactive whiteboard.
   • Discuss what went well and what challenges they encountered. Use this time to highlight problem-solving skills and the importance of collaboration.

2. Review Learning Objectives:

   • Recap the objectives and celebrate the students' accomplishments in creating their first program.

3. Closing Question:

   • Pose the question, "What do you think programming can help us with in the future?"

Assessment

• Observe students' engagement and ability to follow instructions during the main activity.
• Use questioning to assess understanding.
• Evaluate each pair's ability to debug and improve upon their peers' programs.

Extension (For Early Finishers)

• Encourage students to add a 'loop' to make their character repeat the square path twice.
• Offer a mini-challenge to create a different shape, like a triangle, using their coding skills.

This lesson plan is designed to not only introduce the basics of programming to Year 2 students but also to foster creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills in a fun and engaging way.