The Main Event
One goal I've had over the last few weeks is to use Dash and Dot to teach and enhance the new Code.org computer science curriculum. I've loved how the robots take the lessons in new directions and really help the students see a 3d representation of what the characters on the screen are doing.
This activity pairs well with the The Big Event lesson from the Code.org Course 1 curriculum. I started by discussing the vocabulary word Event and having the kids do some unplugged examples.
Next, we discussed what Event we had been using most often to trigger Dash to run our code, When Top Button.
I then demonstrated how to use the When Dash or Dot start block. My first and second graders loved making Dot shake to start their code.
We then added the Control Block called Wait for. I demonstrated having Dash wait for Dot to shake, look up, and look down before running the next block of code.
Having the students repeatedly use Dot as an Event really helped them understand the concept.
Have you used Dash and Dot to each the concept of Events? Have you tried teaching other coding concepts using robots? I would love to hear about your experiences!
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