See KS1 for other broken code and sequencing activities which:
- can be adapted or used as starters for upper KS2.
- can be used in lower KS2 to build or re-consolidate core knowledge within computational thinking
What the National Curriculum says
The national curriculum computing key stage two programme of study requires pupils to 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
(Taken from the National Curriculum in England: Computing programmes of study, 2013)
Micro:bit can be used in various ways to meet the national curriculum aims-
- Design
- Write
- Pupils could add new code or adapt current code to accomplish a different goal/ produce a new outcome.
- Debug
- Pupils could use sequencing activities to problem solve using computational thinking.
- Interlinked with writing and designing pupils will use and develop their understanding of programming language whilst creating their new code and absolving challenges along the way.
- Pupils will be naturally analysing problems in computational terms.
If pupils are able to use logical reasoning and other key principals of computational thinking than they will be able to begin to move towards:
- Adaptation
- Pupils can make adaptations to the Tyson the Tractor game
- Changing sprites, backgrounds, the input the controller gives etc.
- Pupils can make adaptations to the Tyson the Tractor game
- Addition
Below are two activity ideas for KS2 pupils which can be adapted to KS1, used as starters or be differentiated to suit differing levels of attainment in a class.
Sequencing activity
Sequencing activities can be used in the same way as the Broken Code activities in the KS1 area.
Example
I want Tyson to look left when he moves left and look right when he moves right. Can you fix the broken code?
Below is the code I originally wrote for Tyson to move left.
“Point in direction -90” was the solution.
Pupils can then begin to use this code to enable them to write the code for moving right, and maybe even up and down as an extension.
This type of problem solving would require more experience with Scratch and the programming language.
Hints could be given to complete broken code like this where the additional code is not obvious.
Here is the code for Bess moving around the field, I want to make the game easier as I keep losing all my lives when I bump into Bess. How could I do this? (this could be printed and cut up or on Scratch)
(Solution: to change the glide time)
Sequencing activities could then involve removing the 0.5 sec wait from the costume changes above and asking the pupils to either:
- picture 1- add the wait time to show Bess moving
- picture 2- create a sequence to change Bess’s costumes to show she is eating grass
Can you…? Challenges.
Pupils can collect Can you…? cards from boxes in the classroom during a session.
These could be
- Starter cards
- Plenary cards
- Whole session cards
- Adaptation cards
- Addition cards
Cards can offer varied levels of challenge, these could be labelled as green, orange and red so the children know the red will be the hardest challenge, or alternatively they could be labelled as Coding genius, Coding mastermind or Coding expert where the children pick a card and identify if the challenges are too difficult or too easy for their own ability.
Cards could contain a certain number of Can you…? questions to challenge the pupils. These could be adapted to fit within different sessions at different times. Children could keep a copy of the cards they used and recount how they were able to solve problems (assessment opportunity), or they could be reused over many sessions.