A program is a list of steps, and so is a dance. Students dance the blocks themselves, build a Rover dance in Micromelon Junior, then perform it and predict which way the Rover ends up facing.
At a Glance
- Year levels: Foundation – Year 1
- Time: 30–45 minutes
- Blocks: Forward, Reverse, Turn Left, Turn Right, Make Lights Blue/Red, Buzz High/Low
- You need: Block cards, 1 Rover + 1 iPad per group of 3, about 1 m × 1 m of floor each, a song (optional)
I Can…
- build a dance from moves, lights and buzzes
- say which way the Rover will face before I press Play
- tell my dance in order: "First…, then…, next…, finally…"
Curriculum (Digital Technologies F–2): following and describing a sequence of steps. Also Maths (quarter turns), English (sequencing), HPE (movement to music).
Block Cards
Print the block cards (PDF) and cut them out. One set per group in an envelope.
Printable Junior block cards: Forward, Reverse, Turn Left, Turn Right, Make Lights Red and Blue, Buzz High and Low, Check Front, Left and Right, and Is Upside Down
Warm-Up: Dance the Cards (5 min)
Each card has a dance move: Forward is a step forward, Reverse a step back, Turn Left and Turn Right a quarter turn, Make Lights Blue hands up high, Make Lights Red arms out wide, Buzz High a high beep and Buzz Low a low buzz
- Hold up a card. The whole class does the move.
- Before the last card, stop: "Which way will you face at the end?" Everyone points, then check.
Predict → Run → Check
- Predict: "I think the Rover will face…"
- Run: press Play. Hands off!
- Check: thumbs up or down. Surprised? Dance the cards again to find the turn that caught you out.
Groups of 3. Pass the iPad on after every run.
Steps
1. Copy the Teacher's Dance
Dance it together once, then build it in Micromelon Junior.
The teacher's dance: Forward, Turn Right, Make Lights Blue, Buzz High, Turn Right, Turn Right, Make Lights Red, Buzz Low, Turn Right, Reverse. The Rover faces right, then back, then left, and finishes facing the way it started
Predict first: which way will it face at the end? Four Turn Rights = a full turn, so it ends where it started, facing the same way.
2. Make Your Own Dance
- At least 6 blocks: one move, one light and one buzz.
- Draw an arrow on a sticky note: which way will it face at the end?
- Run it. Wrong way? Count the turn blocks together.
3. Dance Show
- Each group reads their dance aloud: "First…, then…, next…, finally…"
- The audience predicts the final direction. Press Play. Who was right?
Make It Easier or Harder
- Easier: 4 cards only: Forward, Turn Right, Make Lights Blue, Buzz High.
- Harder: 10–12 cards that must end facing the start direction.
Extensions
- Copycat: one group plays their dance; another rebuilds it from memory.
- Turn puzzle: a dance ends Turn Left, Turn Left, Turn Right. Which way does it face? (A quarter turn left of the start.)
Teacher Tips
- Left and right not secure yet? Put a sticker on each student's right hand and an "R" on the Rover's right side.
- Insist on a spoken prediction before every run. That's where the learning is.
- Turns drift a little on carpet. That's a chat about real robots, not a bug.
Reflection
- Thumbs up, sideways or down: "I can say which way the Rover will face."
- Draw your dance as a comic strip, one box per block.
Try It in the Simulator
No Rover? Tap the Bot ID box, choose Use the simulator, build your dance and press Play. Tap ⬅ Back to blocks to edit.
The Micromelon Junior simulator
