Following instructions to make banana bread

On Thursday we worked in small groups with Mrs Dawson to make Gambian banana bread. We each had our own small bowl where we mashed the bananas and mixed the ingredients. Each ingredient needed to be weighted on the scales to make sure we used the right amount. We added raisins and golden sugar. We added oil and flour. We added baking powder to make it rise. The mixture cooked in small paper cases and then we ate the delicious cakes!

Instructions - some activities to try at home

In class we followed a set of instructions in the form of a recipe to make banana bread. Here are some activities to practise ordering instructions.
http://www.iboard.co.uk/activities/path/non-fiction-texts_instructional-procedural-texts

Programming Beebots

We have been writing algorithms to control the Beebots. We worked in pairs and used the instruction cards: forward, backward, right turn and left turn. The cards helped us think through our ideas and plan carefully. The fakebots (paper Beebots) helped us work-through our algorithm before testing with the actual Beebots. 

It was good to work with a partner to share ideas

Working out the turns was tricky

Some of us laid the cards on the digit to help our thinking

What a good idea! Copying on the digit card with the fakebot as the Beebot moved along...

Lots of turns to think through in the digit 5

Good ideas spread!

Crazy Characters

We learnt about algorithms today. Miss Ash tried out an algorithm on us. It was an algorithm for drawing a crazy character. This is how they turned out. Next lesson we will be writing our own algorithms, testing them on a friend and then thinking how we can improve them.

Here is the algorithm song if you want to listen to it again at home!

Giving instructions

We have been practising giving clear instructions. Firstly, Miss Ash and Mrs Dawson showed us the task. Miss Ash had made a small 3D model using the multilink cubes. The teachers sat back to back and Miss Ash had to explain to Mrs Dawson how to build the model. We noticed that it was helpful to say how many cubes to use.

With enthusiasm, we started to independently build our own models. We kept each model fairly simple by limiting ourselves to a maximum of 20 cubes. Once our model was complete we found a partner to test out our instructions on. 

We noticed that it is easier if both people use a loud, clear voice. It was helpful when the person building asked questions or simply said they were ready to hear the next stage of instructions. Saying things like 'it looks like...' seemed to make it easier for our partners to have a picture in their mind. 

Bee Bot: There and Back

Year 2 are carrying on with the Bee Bot programming they started earlier in the week.

They worked out the program to get the Bee Bot to go along this tape track... and back!

Watch the video:

Bee Bots

Children in Year 2 have been programming the Bee Bots to move round a course. We had to carefully measure how far they go in one step and use that to work out how to make them go round the course.