Learning Intention
- I can test and debug my programs
Introduction
Start with the script below. Explain that you wanted to make Ohbot nod three times and count. Ask children to predict what it will do.
Teacher Input
Ask children to observe what Ohbot does closely when the code runs. Run the script. What does Ohbot actually do? How is it different to what we want?
Model going through the code line by line. Ask children to explain line by line in pairs, describing what each block does.
Get children to work in pairs to come up with possible solutions to make Ohbot nod. Run children's code suggestions. Explain that they can adopt this approach to debugging their own code.
Activities
Children open up Ohbot projects they have written this term. Which work and which could be improved? Can they debug their programs to fix them?
Extension
Can children add extra code to their programs to improve them?
Plenary
Evaluation of the Ohbot project. Children to complete the following feedback.
Key Points
- Predicting what code will do before running it helps you spot bugs.
- Compare what the robot actually does with what you intended.
- Reading code line by line, block by block, isolates where the bug is.
- Explaining code aloud to a partner is an effective debugging technique.
- The same debugging approach works on any of your own projects.
Need Help?
If you're stuck on any part of this lesson, check out these resources: