K-2 Computer Science - Orange - Unit 2 Bee-Bots

orange bot

Bee-Bot is a robot designed for use by young children. The colorful, easy-to-operate, and friendly little robot is a perfect tool for teaching sequencing, estimation, problem-solving, and just having fun! It was inspired by Seymour Papert’s robot turtles and LOGO programming language.

In this unit, students will learn to program Bee-Bots using sequences of simple commands. By doing so, they will gain fluency with planning, testing, and debugging programs of increasing complexity.
The lessons were designed to support groups of about 4 students per Bee-Bot.

Sequence of Lessons

Bug Dance! Orange Level: Unit 2, Lesson 7

View the Lesson Plan -  O2-7: Bug Dance!

Lesson Overview

After reading the book Bug Dance, students will program their Bee-Bots to perform the dance they learned in the book. Then, students will use the yellow command cards to program their own original dance.

 

Agenda

  1. Ask: What do you know and/or remember about the Bee-Bot?
  2. Read: Bug Dance by Stuart J. Murphy
  3. Activity: Students program the Bug Dance dance sequence.
  4. Activity: Students program their own original dance sequences.
  5. Reflection & Close-Out:
    • What did you learn/remember about the Bee-Bot today?
    • How did you work with your group so that everyone got a turn to program the Bee-Bot's dance?

Materials

  • Bug Dance book
  • Bee-Bots, 1 for each group of 4 students
  • yellow Bee-Bot Command Cards (1 set per Bee-Bot being used) small / large
  • Bee-Bot team roles lanyards (Driver and Navigator only)

Vocabulary

  • program: a set of instructions written in a language that a computer understands
  • sequence: a set of instructions that follow one another in order

Additional Resources

Standards

  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.12 Create programs with sequences of commands and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.13 Decompose the steps needed to solve a problem into a sequence of instructions.
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Drawing Numbers & Letters Orange Level: Unit 2, Lesson 8

View the Lesson Plan -  O2-8: Drawing Numbers

Lesson Overview

Students will use a 3-button sequence to trace numbers with their Bee-Bots. They will then use the command cards to plan their sequence to trace a letter before programming their Bee-Bot to run.

 

Agenda

  1. Ask: What were you able to program your Bee-Bot to do last class?
  2. Activity: Drawing numbers and/or letters using the 3-button sequence and the command cards
  3. Reflection & Close-Out:
    • How did you use the command cards today? Was it easy or hard to use them to plan your Bee-Bot's program?
    • How did you work with your group so that everyone got a turn to program the Bee-Bot?

Materials

Vocabulary

  • decomposition: breaking down a problem into smaller pieces
  • program: a set of instructions written in a language that a computer understands
  • sequence: a set of instructions that follow one another in order

Additional Resources

Standards

  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.12 Create programs with sequences of commands and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.13 Decompose the steps needed to solve a problem into a sequence of instructions.
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Life Cycle Sequences Orange Level: Unit 2, Lesson 9

View the Lesson Plan -  O2-9: Life Cycle Sequences

Lesson Overview

Students will practice navigating their Bee-Bot across 4-, 5-, and 6- part sequences using the life cycles of a butterfly, frog, and/or pumpkin. Students will explore and practice using team roles as they work through this activity.

 

Agenda

  1. Ask: How do computer scientists tackle a large problem, like tracing the number cards with the Bee-Bot?
  2. Activity: Life Cycle sequences using the butterfly (4 parts), frog (5 parts), and/or pumpkin (6-parts)
  3. Reflection & Close-Out:
    • How did you work with your group so that everyone got a turn to program the Bee-Bot?
    • What is your favorite job to perform (driver, navigator, designer)? Why?

Materials

  • Bee-Bots, 1 for each group of 4 students
  • yellow Bee-Bot Command Cards (1 set per Bee-Bot being used) small / large
  • Bee-Bot mats, 1 per robot used
  • Life Cycle mat cards (4, 5, or 6 cards per set)
  • Bee-Bot team roles lanyards (Driver, Navigator, and Designer only)

Vocabulary

  • decomposition: breaking down a problem into smaller pieces
  • program: a set of instructions written in a language that a computer understands
  • sequence: a set of instructions that follow one another in order

Additional Resources

Standards

  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.12 Create programs with sequences of commands and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.13 Decompose the steps needed to solve a problem into a sequence of instructions.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.14 Develop plans that describe a program's sequence of events, goals, and expected outcomes.
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Shapes, Color, and Size Orange Level: Unit 2, Lesson 10

View the Lesson Plan -  O2-10: Shapes, Color, Size

Lesson Overview

Students will learn about debugging as they navigate their Bee-Bots to solve challenges of increasing complexity involving shapes, color, and size.

 

Agenda

  1. Ask: Has your Bee-Bot ever gone the wrong way? What did you do to fix it?
  2. Read: Circus Shapes by Stuart J. Murphy (optional)
  3. Introduce: Bee-Bot Team Roles
  4. Activity: Shapes, Color, and Size
  5. Reflection & Close-Out:
    • What bugs did you find in your program today?
    • What is your favorite job to perform (driver, navigator, designer, debugger)? Why?

Materials

Vocabulary

  • debug: find and fix errors (bugs) in programs
  • decomposition: breaking down a problem into smaller pieces
  • program: a set of instructions written in a language that a computer understands
  • sequence: a set of instructions that follow one another in order

Additional Resources

Standards

  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.12 Create programs with sequences of commands and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.13 Decompose the steps needed to solve a problem into a sequence of instructions.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.14 Develop plans that describe a program's sequence of events, goals, and expected outcomes.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.16 Debug errors in an algorithm or program that includes sequences and simple loops.
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Find Ruby’s Friends! Orange Level: Unit 2, Lesson 11

View the Lesson Plan -  O2-11: Find Ruby's Friends!

Lesson Overview

Ruby's friends got lost and are now scattered across the Bee-Bot mat! Students will navigate the Bee-Bot from one friend to the next using the Team Roles to facilitate taking turns and sharing. Students will then practice debugging strategies with a debugging challenge activity.

 

Agenda

  1. Ask: When I use the Bee-Bot, I like to be the <job role> because ______.
  2. Review: Bee-Bot Team Roles
  3. Activity: Find Ruby's Friends mat activity
  4. Activity: Find Ruby's Friends Debugging Challenge
  5. Reflection & Close-Out:
    • What bugs did you find in your program today?
    • How do you look for bugs in a program?

Materials

  • Bee-Bots, 1 for each group of 4 students
  • yellow Bee-Bot Command Cards (1 set per Bee-Bot being used) small / large
  • Bee-Bot mats, 1 per robot used
  • Hello Ruby character mat cards, page 1 only (6 cards per set)
  • Bee-Bot team roles lanyards (all 4 roles)

Vocabulary

  • debug: find and fix errors (bugs) in programs
  • program: a set of instructions written in a language that a computer understands
  • sequence: a set of instructions that follow one another in order

Additional Resources

Standards

  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.12 Create programs with sequences of commands and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.13 Decompose the steps needed to solve a problem into a sequence of instructions.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.14 Develop plans that describe a program's sequence of events, goals, and expected outcomes.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.16 Debug errors in an algorithm or program that includes sequences and simple loops.
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Bee-Bot Challenges! Orange Level: Unit 2, Lesson 12

View the Lesson Plan -  O2-12: Bee-Bot Challenges!

Lesson Overview

Students will engage in a final Bee-Bot challenge connected either to literacy instruction (CVC rhyming words) or math instruction (addition and subtraction), utilizing the 4 team roles to facilitate taking turns and sharing.

 

Agenda

  1. Ask: I found a bug in a program by _____.
  2. Review: Bee-Bot Team Roles
  3. Bee-Bot Challenges choose one:
  4. Reflection & Close-Out:
      • What is one success you had while working on the Bee-Bot challenges today?
      • What is something or someone you would like to celebrate today?

Materials

  • Bee-Bots, 1 for each group of 4 students
  • yellow Bee-Bot Command Cards (1 set per Bee-Bot being used) small / large
  • Bee-Bot mats, 1 per robot used
  • CVC Rhyming Words and/or Numbers mat cards
  • Bee-Bot team roles lanyards (all 4 roles)
  • Dice (optional, for addition/subtraction game)

Vocabulary

  • debug: find and fix errors (bugs) in programs
  • decomposition: breaking down a problem into smaller pieces
  • program: a set of instructions written in a language that a computer understands
  • sequence: a set of instructions that follow one another in order

Additional Resources

Standards

  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.12 Create programs with sequences of commands and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.13 Decompose the steps needed to solve a problem into a sequence of instructions.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.14 Develop plans that describe a program's sequence of events, goals, and expected outcomes.
  • CA CSS: K-2.AP.16 Debug errors in an algorithm or program that includes sequences and simple loops.
Link to this item

This page was last updated on September 13, 2023