The Arizona STEM Acceleration Project

Bee-Bot Board Game

Bee-Bot Board Game

A Kindergarten/First Grade grade STEM lesson

Danielle Houseman

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4/16/23

Notes for teachers

• This lesson takes place in a classroom for three or more hours.
• Students may work in small groups of 2-3.
• An emphasis on problem solving and collaboration.
• Planning and creating programs for Bee-Bots is also a challenge in this lesson.

List of Materials

• Bee-Bot Robot for each group of 2-3 students
• Large mat (butcher paper cut in half) with 15 cm squares
• One for each group
• Pencils, markers, and crayon for game board design.
• Planning page for each group.
• Sample attached
• Dice for each group (optional)

CSTA

CS Standards

1A-AP-10

Develop programs with sequences and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem.

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1A-AP-11

Decompose (break down) the steps needed to solve a problem into a precise sequence of instructions.

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1A-AP-12

Develop plans that describe a program’s sequence of events, goals, and expected outcomes.

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Arizona Computer Science Standards

1.AP.C.1 Identify programs with sequences and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem.

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NGSS

Next Generation Science STandards

ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems

A situation that people want to change or create can be approached as a problem to be solved through engineering. (K-2-ETS1-1)

Asking questions, making observations, and gathering information are helpful in thinking about problems. (K-2-ETS1-1)

Before beginning to design a solution, it is important to clearly understand the problem. (K-2-ETS1-1)

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ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions

Designs can be conveyed through sketches, drawings, or physical models. These representations are useful in communicating ideas for a problem’s solutions to other people. (K-2-ETS1-2)

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ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution

Because there is always more than one possible solution to a problem, it is useful to compare and test designs. (K-2-ETS1-3)

Objectives:

Students can understand that a program is a list of commands.

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Students can collaborate with their team to imagine, plan, and create a game board for their Bee-Bot. The game board will meet specific criteria.

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Students can create programs that will move the Bee-Bot through the game that they have designed.

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Agenda (120-180 minutes)

• Review Programming
• Show optional Video
• Review Bee-Bot Commands
• Introduce Bee-Bot Game Board
• Criteria
• Team Planning
• Imagine and Plan
• Create Game Boards
• Game Day!

What is Programing/Coding?

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What is Coding?

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Creating a list of commands that a computer can follow.

A command is an instruction.

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Creating a list of commands that a computer can follow.

A command is an instruction.

BeeBot Commands

Forward

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Backwards

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Turn Right

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Turn Left

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Go

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Clear

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Pause

Bee-Bot Game Criteria

Clear Theme and Title

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Spaces to Avoid - Obstacles

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Start and Finish Clearly Labeled

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Clear Collaboration - Everyone is Participating

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Creative - Colorful and Unique

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Neat and Organized

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Challenging - Not a Straight Path from Start to Finish

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Materials. Constraints

Game Board

Markers

Crayons

Dice

Two classes to create

Bee-Bot Game Board Planning Page

Sample Game Board Planning Page

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S=Start

F=Finish

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Meets Criteria

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Lines Drawn to show each person’s job

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Rough draft, not best drawings to save time.

Hands-on Activity Instructions

• Put students into groups of 2-3.
• Introduce students to game board criteria.
• Ask - What questions do students have?
• Imagine - Groups imagine 10 or more themes or topics for their design.
• Plan - Groups choose 1 theme or topic.
• Imagine - Students imagine the object of their game and what obstacles they may include. Imagine many different ideas.
• Plan - Groups select one object of the game and obstacles.
• Plan - Groups create their rough draft of the game using the planning page. Begin by selecting where the start and finish will be. Students share the pencil as they create the plan.
• Plan - Students decide which part of the game board each student will draw by drawing lines to their names on the margin of the paper.
• Create - Groups create the final poster following the plan. The final paper is created using butcher paper cut in half vertically.

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Criteria for Bee-Bot Maze/Programming

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• Clear Theme and Title

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• Spaces to Avoid - Obstacles

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• Start and Finish Clearly Labeled

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• Clear Collaboration - Everyone is Participating

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• Creative - Colorful and Unique

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• Neat and Organized

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• Challenging - Not a Straight Path from Start to Finish

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Assessment

• You will see if the planning page and final game board meet criteria.
• Students meet the objectives if they are able to work as a team to program the Bee-Bot to move through their game board.

Differentiation

Mediate groups that struggle to imagine and plan their designs.

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Use rock, paper, scissors if groups cannot agree.

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If someone is out voted, they will make the next decision the group does not agree on.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Encourage students to develop a game board that is a challenge.

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Allow students to use dice or other manipulatives to add challenge or interest in game.

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Students can develop more than one way to play the game.