Bee Bot Balloon Pop

Resources

• Bee-Bots
• Craft supplies (eg cardboard, scissors, glue, sticky tape, paper, etc)
• Balloons
• Pins
• Bee-Bot rulers (please check ruler size is 15cm when printed)

Prior Student Learning

Digital Technologies:

Students may have had previous experience using the Bee-Bots, however, this is not necessary.

Teacher to explain to students that they will be designing a challenge where another student will be required to try and solve. This will involve students designing and making a course for the Bee-Bot which will conclude with the popping of a balloon. A pin will be attached to the back of the Bee-Bot for the purpose of popping the balloon. Therefore, the challenge will need to end with the bee reversing into the balloon. The challenge will be to make this as challenging as possible, however, it still needs to be achievable. See this video for an example.

If students are not familiar with the Bee-Bot, it will be important to give a small demonstration and instructions on how to use these.

• Students plan and construct in teams a challenge
• Students identify and record an algorithmic solution
• Students test and debug

In the planning stage of this task, students will work in groups to design their course, considering things such as materials, Bee-Bot movement (eg. Length of each move), level of difficulty within the course, etc.

Students will also be asked to write the algorithm to a possible solution to their course. This will then need to be tested and debugged after the course has been created to ensure this is a working solution to the problem.

Additional scaffolding/Limited abstract thinking skills:

You may wish to simplify how students conceptualize this task by not focusing on the building of the course or what materials to use; instead have them think about simple maze puzzles. You may wish to show the students a simple maze pattern with a few steps (see figure below). Ask students to write out each turn the Bee-bot needs to take. You can include a visual on the board and a handout if you’d like. When students understand how to write out a set of directions from a maze pattern, then they can consider creatively building a larger maze for the Bee-bot. Note: this may not be feasible for students with limited or no vision.

Once students have completed the planning stage of this task, they will then begin constructing their course. This will require them to build, test and reassess throughout the process.

At the completion of construction stage, students will then ask other students to attempt their course and try and pop the balloon.

Additional scaffolding/Limited abstract thinking skills:

You may organise first to have students demonstrate their learning by having them pop their own balloons on their own course. They can describe the after algorithm for their course.

There is a possibility of using a buddy system in this stage, where younger students are invited to learn about the Bee-Bots and attempt the courses.

Encourage students to assess their solution algorithm and compare this to the attempts that are made. What new thinking has arisen?

Students are given a chance to think about and describe what happened in their courses and to talk about what worked and what didn’t. What parts of the challenge were the hardest? Did the solution algorithm be achieved? Students discuss what happened in their algorithm and what they would do differently next time. How could you have made your course more challenging or extended the course?

• Download entire lesson plan: PDF version.
• Download entire lesson plan: Microsoft Word version.
• Computer Science Education Research Group (CSER)
• This lesson plan corresponds to professional learning in the following CSER Digital Technologies MOOCs:
  • F-6 Digital Technologies: Foundations
    • Unit 7: Algorithms and Programming
    • Unit 8: Visual Programming