Activity set part 1
Activity set summary
In this set, students will develop their understanding of programming principles by learning how to use repeat loops, if statements and respond to changes in variables in a visual programming language. The activities focus on driving a delivery van around increasingly complex routes involving twists and turns.
| Resources | Key |
|---|---|
• Rapid Router game: www.codeforlife.education • Resource sheets Session 1 to 5 • Levels Guide • Video links • Glossary | Vocabulary: Programming terms appear in blue Assessment: Key questions appear in red |
Student’s previous experience
Students should have experience of the forward, right, left and simple repeat commands. If they have not used the Rapid Router game before, familiarise yourself with levels 1 to 28, and pick out suitable activities from the KS1 and KS2 plans to create a preparatory lesson, before moving on to the following activities.
Teacher preparation
If you have not used the Rapid Router game before, set up your class accounts to record progress (see the step–by–step guide at: www.codeforlife.education).
Learning expectations
In this activity set, the students will:
Create algorithms to move on–screen vans around different routes
Debug their programs
Use repeat loops, and use repeat loops within other repeat loops (extension)
Use a conditional repeat loop (repeat until at destination)
Use if… do... commands
Links to the National Curriculum for Computing PoS
Key stage 2
Pupils should be taught to:
Design, write and debug programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller parts; use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and various forms of input and output
Use logical reasoning to explain how some simple algorithms work and to detect and correct errors in algorithms and programs
Select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a range of digital devices to design and create a range of programs, systems and content that accomplish given goals
Key stage 3
Pupils should be taught to:
design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems
understand several key algorithms that reflect computational thinking [for example, ones for sorting and searching]; use logical reasoning to compare the utility of alternative algorithms for the same problem
use two or more programming languages, at least one of which is textual, to solve a variety of computational problems; make appropriate use of data structures [for example, lists, tables or arrays]; design and develop modular programs that use procedures or functions
understand simple Boolean logic [for example, AND, OR and NOT] and some of its uses in circuits and programming; understand how numbers can be represented in binary, and be able to carry out simple operations on binary numbers [for example, binary addition, and conversion between binary and decimal]
understand the hardware and software components that make up computer systems, and how they communicate with one another and with other systems
understand how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system; understand how data of various types (including text, sounds and pictures) can be represented and manipulated digitally, in the form of binary digits
undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using, and combining multiple applications, preferably across a range of devices, to achieve challenging goals, including collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users
create, re-use, revise and re-purpose digital artefacts for a given audience, with attention to trustworthiness, design and usability
understand a range of ways to use technology safely, respectfully, responsibly and securely, including protecting their online identity and privacy; recognise inappropriate content, contact and conduct and know how to report concerns.
Last updated