Welcome to Beebots 2! In our last lesson, we discovered how to move our Beebot forwards and backwards, guiding it from one place to another. Today, we’re taking the next step by learning how to turn our Beebots. Turning is an important skill because it helps our Beebots navigate around corners and change direction.

We’re going to explore how to make the Beebot turn left and right, so we can guide it more precisely. Let’s get started and see how we can make our Beebots move in new and exciting way!

Begin by reminding your students of the previous lesson, where they learned how to move the Bee-Bot forwards and backwards. Emphasize the importance of clearing the code after each movement by making an 'X' with their arms, just like they did last time.

To help refresh their memories, consider practicing with the interactive game before moving on to new skills. This will give them a chance to recall what they’ve learned and get ready for today’s lesson on turning the Bee-Bot.

Now explain that you will focus on turning:

Demonstrate with the following interactive activity how pressing the turn buttons will rotate the Bee-Bot, but it won’t move in that direction until you press the forward or backward button.

Practice this movement together as a class, making sure everyone understands how the turning works in combination with moving forward or backward. Once the students feel confident, invite them to complete the tasks themselves, applying what they’ve just learned.

Now, it’s time to show the students how this works with a real Bee-Bot. Place the Bee-Bot on a grid mat on the floor. (Any Bee-Bot grid will work, but you can also download and print a mat using our mat designer tool here.)

Begin by showing how to turn the Bee-Bot left and right by pressing the turn buttons. Make sure the students see that while the Bee-Bot changes direction, it doesn’t move until you press the forward or backward button.

Next, demonstrate a sequence like turning right and then moving forward to illustrate how the Bee-Bot first changes direction and then moves in that new direction. This will help them visualize the difference between turning and moving.

Divide the students into small groups and give each group a Bee-Bot and space to practice (this can be tabletop or  floor space).

Let students practice sequences where they turn the Bee-Bot and then move it forward or backward. For example, turn right and then move forward two steps.

When a student seems comfortable with the concept of turning the Bee-Bot, they can then practice reaching specific points. Place a target (like a sticker or small object) on the grid and have students turn and move the Bee-Bot to reach that specific point.