Beginner
30 mins
Teacher led
What you need:
Bee-Bots

Twist and Turn: Bee-Bot’s Lateral Moves

In this lesson, teachers will guide students through the process of making Bee-Bots turn left and right. The lesson begins with a recap of previous knowledge, followed by interactive practice of lateral movements. Teachers will then demonstrate the turning process with a real Bee-Bot, after which students will get a chance to practice themselves. The lesson concludes with a review and discussion of the learned skills.
Learning Goals Learning Outcomes

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    1 - Introduction

    Welcome to Beebots 2! In our last lesson, we discovered how to move our Beebot forwards and backwards, guiding it from one place to another. Today, we’re taking the next step by learning how to turn our Beebots. Turning is an important skill because it helps our Beebots navigate around corners and change direction.

    We’re going to explore how to make the Beebot turn left and right, so we can guide it more precisely. Let’s get started and see how we can make our Beebots move in new and exciting way!

    2 - Lesson 1 Recap

    Begin by reminding your students of the previous lesson, where they learned how to move the Bee-Bot forwards and backwards. Emphasize the importance of clearing the code after each movement by making an 'X' with their arms, just like they did last time.

    To help refresh their memories, consider practicing with the interactive game before moving on to new skills. This will give them a chance to recall what they’ve learned and get ready for today’s lesson on turning the Bee-Bot.

    3 - IWB Practice lateral movement

    Now explain that you will focus on turning:

    It's important to note that young students often struggle with the difference between turning and moving when using Bee-Bots. The turn buttons only rotate the Bee-Bot to face a certain direction, but it won’t actually move in that direction until they press the forward or backward button. Emphasizing this distinction is crucial to helping them understand how to properly navigate the Bee-Bot.

    Demonstrate with the following interactive activity how pressing the turn buttons will rotate the Bee-Bot, but it won’t move in that direction until you press the forward or backward button.

    Practice this movement together as a class, making sure everyone understands how the turning works in combination with moving forward or backward. Once the students feel confident, invite them to complete the tasks themselves, applying what they’ve just learned.

    4 - Teacher Bee-Bot Demonstration

    Now, it’s time to show the students how this works with a real Bee-Bot. Place the Bee-Bot on a grid mat on the floor. (Any Bee-Bot grid will work, but you can also download and print a mat using our mat designer tool here.)

    Using a Bee-Bot grid mat rather than just the floor provides clear visual boundaries and structured spaces, making it easier for students to understand and visualize how the Bee-Bot turns and moves within specific squares, which enhances their grasp of spatial awareness and precise programming.

    Begin by showing how to turn the Bee-Bot left and right by pressing the turn buttons. Make sure the students see that while the Bee-Bot changes direction, it doesn’t move until you press the forward or backward button.

    Next, demonstrate a sequence like turning right and then moving forward to illustrate how the Bee-Bot first changes direction and then moves in that new direction. This will help them visualize the difference between turning and moving.


    5 - Student Practice

    Divide the students into small groups and give each group a Bee-Bot and space to practice (this can be tabletop or  floor space).

    Let students practice sequences where they turn the Bee-Bot and then move it forward or backward. For example, turn right and then move forward two steps.

    When a student seems comfortable with the concept of turning the Bee-Bot, they can then practice reaching specific points. Place a target (like a sticker or small object) on the grid and have students turn and move the Bee-Bot to reach that specific point.

    Using a themed Bee-Bot mat with different locations would be a good idea in this case, as it gives students targets to work towards (e.g. can you reach the red square).

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