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Science and Technology K–6 · Years 1–2

Plan a route: writing an algorithm for a floor robot

Digital Technologies with Design and Production (NSW 2017); Digital Technologies, Processes and production skills (ACARA v9)

Practical, model not builtLow risk

This site has no interactive model of its own. Where a step or a material names a Concept Studio model, simulation or tool, it has not been built; an external simulation a step names (for example PhET) is not part of this site.

The idea

An algorithm is a sequence of exact steps, written before it runs, and a robot shows at once whether the sequence is right.

What you need

  • A Bee-Bot (15 cm per step, quarter turns on the spot) and a 6 by 6 grid mat of 15 cm squares with a picture map (school, shop, park, pond) on some squares
  • Arrow cards and a recording strip to write the sequence before pressing
  • A 15 cm Bee-Bot ruler made by the class to estimate distances in steps

How to do it

  1. Choose a start square and a target square with one obstacle square between them that the robot must not cross.
  2. Estimate the distance in steps with the ruler. Write the whole sequence on the strip using the arrow cards.
  3. Press the sequence exactly as written and press Go. Record where the robot stopped.
  4. If it missed, find the first wrong step, fix the strip and run the whole sequence again from Clear.
  5. Swap strips with another pair and run their sequence without changes. Does it work.

What you should see

A correct strip lands the robot on the target with no obstacle crossed. Because each forward is exactly 15 cm, a square that is 45 cm away needs three forwards, and the class ruler predicts this before the run. Another pair's strip, started from the same square facing the same way, runs identically because the robot does only what is written. The learner knows it worked when the strip run by a different pair reaches the same square.

What changes

This activity lists no variables to change, measure and keep the same.

Common misconceptions

Each of these ideas is wrong, and the activity is a chance to test it.

  • A wrong run means the robot is broken.
  • Fixing one step at the end fixes the route (the first wrong step is what matters).

Safety card

Low riskLearners carry it out

Hazards

  • Tripping on the mat

Controls

  • Mat taped; one robot moving at a time

Note

No chemicals or heat. Record the activity on the school's risk assessment (Primary School RiskAssess, Ecosolve Australia, riskassess.com.au).

Curriculum references

The NSW syllabus outcomes and Australian Curriculum v9 codes this activity supports. They are references, not a verified or complete curriculum alignment.

  • Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2017), NESA. Current syllabus; NESA's timeline is 2026 plan and prepare, 2027 start teaching the 2024 syllabus. Code read from the official syllabus document on 2026-09-22.ST1-3DP-TST1-11DI-TST1-2DP-T
  • Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2024), NESA. Implementation from 2027, so this code describes the future syllabus. Code read from the outcomes page on 2026-09-22.ST1-DDT-01
  • Australian Curriculum v9AC9TDI2P02AC9TDI2K01AC9TDI2P01

Sources

The pages the author read to write this activity.

  1. www.scootle.edu.au/ec/search?accContentId=AC9TDI2P02
  2. www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/curriculum/science/science-and-technology-k-6-2017
  3. curriculum.nsw.edu.au/learning-areas/science/science-and-technology-k-6-2024/content/stage-1
  4. www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au/teach-and-assess/classroom-resources/lesson-ideas/buzzing-with-bee-bots
  5. www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au/teach-and-assess/classroom-resources/lesson-ideas/bee-bot-ruler
  6. www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au/plan-and-prepare/scope-and-sequence-f-10/years-1-2

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