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Acting out Bee-Bot commands
This Computing video supports teachers in leading the children through an unplugged activity to build their understanding of algorithms and programming. By physically acting out commands, the children explore how a Bee-Bot responds only to the exact instructions it is given. One child acts as the controller while another becomes the Bee-Bot, following single instructions such as ‘Clear’, ‘Forward’ and ‘Go’. The key learning point is precision, as the children see that vague or incorrect instructions cause unexpected outcomes, highlighting the importance of clear sequencing.
This video is part of the Year 1 Programming 2: Bee-Bot unit, preparing the children to design their own Bee-Bot worlds. The video reinforces the concept that Bee-Bots—and computers—cannot think for themselves, so human input must be explicit and logical. It offers practical guidance to support classroom management and modelling during unplugged activities.
See more of our Year 1 Computing scheme of work.
