Learning Intention
- I can test and debug my programs
Introduction
Start with the script below. Alter the script for 'yes' to include a space (or, if you want to make it easier, a full stop after yes). Ask children to predict what the code will do when it runs and 'yes' or 'no' are entered.
Teacher Input
Ask children to observe what Picoh does closely when the code runs. Run the script. What does Picoh actually do? How is it different to what we predicted?
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 Picoh respond to the answer. Run children's code suggestions. Explain that they can adopt this approach to debugging their own code.
Activities
Children open up Picoh 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 Picoh project.
Key Points
- An answer that looks right can still fail to match if it has an extra space.
- Comparisons match text exactly, including punctuation and spaces.
- Predict, run, then compare what happened with what you intended.
- Read code line by line to isolate where the behaviour diverges.
Need Help?
If you're stuck on any part of this lesson, check out these resources: