Session 2 — My First Program (Card Coding Lesson 1)

Opening concept: A program is a sequence. Order matters.

Physical activity: PL-2 (Blind Maze Walker) — tape a simple path on the floor. One student blindfolded, one giving directions. Run two or three rotations. When they step off the tape, find the wrong instruction and fix it. Then introduce Card Coding as the same idea, but the cards are the instructions and Edison is the blindfolded walker.

Activity:

  • Card Coding Lesson 1: what is a program, what is sequence
  • Students build a simple drive-forward-then-backward program from cards
  • Scan into Edison, run, observe
  • Change the order: what happens?
  • Challenge: program Edison to draw a rough square (forward, turn, forward, turn…). Does it work?

Engineering connection: Prove — it didn’t make a square. Understand why, then Imagine what to change.

Materials: Card Coding student cards, EdMat