Coding Foundations

Overview

In this sixth session of “Mastery & Expression,” students use age-appropriate coding tools to make cause-and-effect programs. The Year 1 child will follow simple step-by-step commands; the Year 5 child will plan and debug a short algorithm to meet a goal in a shared science theme: how humans give instructions to control actions.

Learning intentions

• Students will recognize that coding is a set of instructions that cause specific outcomes.
• Students will create a short sequence (algorithm) to move an object or produce an on-screen action.
• Students will test, notice what changed, and revise instructions to improve the result.
• Students will use everyday science language (cause, effect, input, output) to explain what their code does.

Success criteria

• I can describe what my code tells the computer/robot to do.
• I can write or assemble a sequence of commands that makes the object behave as intended.
• I can identify an error and try a new command sequence.
• I can explain the cause-and-effect relationship between my commands and the result.

Curriculum links

• Students apply scientific ideas of cause and effect to explain how actions lead to outcomes.
• Students use computational thinking by defining a problem, creating a sequence of steps, and checking results.
• Students communicate reasoning using evidence from what they observed during testing.
• Students gather data from trials (what happened) to improve a model/process.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–5 min: Warm-up “Cause–Effect Commands” Teacher holds up picture/flash cards showing “If you do X, then Y happens.” Students act it out with simple body motions. Each child states the cause and effect in their own words.

2. 5–10 min: Mini demo—What is coding? Teacher shows a single movement example on the chosen platform. As the object moves, students predict what the next command will do, then observe the real outcome.

3. 10–20 min: Year 1 tool time (Bee-Bots or similar) Year 1 assembles a simple program using only a few blocks/commands (for example, forward, turn left/right). Goal: reach a marked “finish” spot on the floor mat. Student is prompted to count steps and name each command in order.

4. 20–35 min: Year 5 tool time (Scratch or similar) Year 5 plans an algorithm for a short challenge (for example, move to a target, collect an item, or draw a simple shape). Student builds the program using blocks, then tests and records what happened in one sentence before changing anything.

5. 35–45 min: Debug and revise with prompts Teacher uses a “Try, Notice, Fix” routine.

• If it didn’t work: students check the first command, then the order, then the turning/magnitude.
• They adjust one part at a time and retest.

6. 45–55 min: Share-out science explanation (paired talk) Each student explains their cause-and-effect chain: what instructions they used, what outcome they got, and what they changed after testing. Teacher helps Year 1 with sentence frames; helps Year 5 add detail about the algorithm.

7. 55–60 min: Quick check & clean-up Students complete a rapid “exit check” verbally: one command they used, one outcome, and one improvement. Teacher verifies both children have a working solution (or a clear next fix).

Resources

• Bee-Bot (or similar) with charger and instruction cards for Year 1
• Floor grid mat or taped coordinate-style path with a clear start/finish
• Simple obstacle/target markers (paper icons or small cards)
• Laptops/tablets with Scratch (or similar block-based coding tool) for Year 5
• “Cause–Effect” sentence frames (teacher-made)
• Recording sheet (one page split: “What I tried / What happened / What I changed”)
• Timer for test/retest cycles
• Optional: projector/monitor to demonstrate one example clearly

Assessment

• Formative observation during building and testing: Can the student connect commands to outcomes?
• Student explanation quality: Does the child use cause-and-effect language accurately?
• Debugging evidence: Does the student revise based on what they observed, not just random changes?

Differentiation

• Support for Year 1:
• Limit commands to 3–5 choices and provide a “command bank” with icons.
• Use step counters and highlight the sequence order (1st, 2nd, 3rd).
• Provide a call-and-response script: “I think ___ will happen because ___.”
• Support for both students:
• Use the “Try, Notice, Fix” routine every time to reduce frustration.
• Offer a visual checklist: “Order right? Turn direction right? Too far/too short?”
• Extension for Year 5:
• Add iteration or events (for example, repeat a short sequence several times, or respond when the character touches a target).
• Challenge: minimize steps while still reaching the goal; explain the trade-off.
• Add a simple data task: run the program 2–3 times and note consistency.
• EAL/SEN strategies:
• Keep language consistent: cause, effect, instruction, outcome.
• Allow pointing and demonstration instead of full sentences for Year 1.
• Provide extra wait time and model one example explanation before student talks.