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About this lesson

Students are introduced to Ozoblockly and basic programming concepts. Using Ozoblockly, students program Ozobot to follow a path and travel through a maze that they have created. This lesson idea was created by Steven Payne.

Year band: 3-4

Curriculum Links Assessment

Learning sequence

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Overview

Resources

  • Ozobots (1 per group of 2 or 3)
    • Note – Ozobot Evo has Bluetooth capability and can be controlled via an app.
  • Tablets or computers to run Ozoblockly website and Ozobot Games website
  • Paper and pens
  • For creating a 3D maze:
    • Craft materials e.g. paper, wood, cardboard, boxes, tubes
    • Lego bricks or similar

Learning hook

Introduce Ozobot if not used before.

(If Ozobot colour codes have been used before explain that in this activity, we will not be controlling Ozobot by drawing lines and colour codes.)

Have one or two Ozobots preloaded with simple programs e.g. one of the levels from the Shape Tracer games.

Show that Ozobot can move on its own without the need to draw lines or colour codes. Play your preloaded program. Note: If the Ozobot is not following lines or codes properly, it may need to be calibrated.

How do you think we can control Ozobot?

In this activity, we will write a program on the computer and load the instructions onto Ozobot.

Learning map and outcomes

  • Students describe the sequence of moves that Ozobot needs to make.
  • Students use Ozoblockly to write a sequence of steps that navigate Ozobot along a path.
  • Students can program Ozobot to move along a path that they have designed
  • Students can debug their algorithms and programs

Learning input

Show a simple example of Ozoblockly e.g. one of the levels from the Shape Tracer games.

Teacher demonstrates both the ‘virtual Ozobot’ and loads the program onto Ozobot and shows this following the same path.

Sample questions to ask the class:

  • What would happen if I changed the light colour?
  • What would happen if I changed the speed?
  • What would happen if I choose ‘slight left’ instead of ‘left?

Additional scaffolding iconLimited abstract thinking skills icon

Additional scaffolding/Limited abstract thinking skills:

Model how to use the Shape Tracer game. This game may be a bit confusing at first for some students.

For students that require support and guidance demonstrate how to select coding blocks from the categories on the left side of the screen. They then select/drag the coding block to the middle of the page. The next step is to click on ‘Run’ on the right side of the screen. This lets them test the code using the ‘virtual Ozobot’.

The first level requires that the number of steps and the line colour needs to be changed in order to complete Level 1.

Learning construction

Students understand that Ozobots can be programmed using Ozoblockly.

Students may need explicit teaching of the terms: program, sequence, and debug.

Activity 1

They work in groups of 2 or 3 to work through a few of the Shape Tracer activities. CSER Group, The University of Adelaide

They should write their programs in Ozoblockly and run with the ‘virtual Ozobot’ and debug if necessary, before loading onto Ozobot.

As students work, teacher asks questions:

  • What distance is one step on the real Ozobot?
  • What angle does Ozobot turn when it is programmed it to turn right?

(right turn is approximately a right angle of 90 degrees, slightly right turn is approximately 45 degrees)

Activity 2

Students design a simple path or maze and program Ozobot to follow the path or solve the maze.

Using http://ozoblockly.com rather than the games website, gives more blocks – students can explore the additional blocks available.

Depending on time, the maze could be simply drawn on paper or you could use craft materials or LEGO to build the maze.

Learning demo

Once students have designed their mazes and successfully loaded programs, have students try to solve each other’s’ mazes.

  • What worked well and did not work well?
  • What did you discover about the different speed options?
  • What do we know about the distance of the steps?
  • Did you change anything?

Learning reflection

Bring together the observations from the learning demo and, with the students, come up with a list of findings, e.g.

  • What angle is a turn?
  • What distance is a step?
  • Does Ozobot behave better at a certain speed? When would you want to use slow, medium and fast?

Consider ways to make a more complicated maze – e.g. with tunnels and ramps – how would we need to alter the programs?

Resources