Begin by explaining that today, the students will be acting like Bee-Bots. 

Demonstrate how Bee-Bots move with your own body:

1. Forward: Take one step forward.
2. Backward: Take one step backward.
3. Left Turn: Turn 90 degrees to the left without moving forward.
4. Right Turn: Turn 90 degrees to the right without moving forward.

Choose one student to be the Bee-Bot and have them stand at the front of the class. Explain that you will give them instructions, just like programming a Bee-Bot.

Give the Bee-Bot student simple commands, such as "Move forward two steps," "Turn right," and "Move forward one step." Demonstrate to the class how the student follows these commands step-by-step.

After the demonstration, play the game with the whole class, having all students follow the instructions as if they were Bee-Bots.

Have the students practice the Bee-Bot game from the previous lesson to reinforce the concepts of how the Bee-Bot moves. This will help solidify their understanding of turning and moving forward, ensuring they’re comfortable with the basic commands before progressing further.

Download and cut out the Bee-Bot Directional Cards, as well as the Bee-Bot Flower Resources for your class ➡️.

Explain to the students that now they will be using actual Bee-Bots to follow directions and plant flowers on the mat. They’ll be given specific directions cards to follow, and each time the Bee-Bot stops, they will place a flower printout on that square.

Lay out the mats on the floor (The size of the mats is up to the teacher). Hold up a few direction cards and explain what each one means, such as “Move forward two steps,” “Turn left,” or “Move forward one step.”

Place a Bee-Bot on the mat at the centre edge section of the mat and demonstrate how to input commands from a direction card. For example, show the card “⬆️⬆️⬆️,” press the forward button three times on the Bee-Bot, and then press go. When the Bee-Bot stops, place a flower printout on that square to mark its spot.

Next, divide the students into small groups, giving each group a Bee-Bot, a mat, direction cards, and flower printouts. Have the groups take turns programming the Bee-Bot to move to different squares by following the directions on the cards. After the Bee-Bot moves, they should place a flower printout on the square where it stops, creating a path of flowers as they go.

In this lesson, students practiced programming their Bee-Bots to follow specific directions and navigate a grid while placing flower printouts on each stop. This activity reinforced their understanding of directional commands and sequencing, which are fundamental skills in coding.

By following step-by-step instructions and seeing the immediate results of their inputs, students gained hands-on experience with the logical thinking and problem-solving processes that are essential for coding.