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Robots Follow Steps

Kindergartners learn that a robot is a machine that follows steps people give it — it does exactly what it’s told, and people are always the boss.

KindergartenComputing Systems25 minutes1 class periodUse → Modify → CreateExplicit teaching4 StandardsCSTA
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Know what a robot is.
  • ✓Know robots follow steps.
  • ✓Know people are boss.
  • ✓Give a robot a step.
Essential Question

Robots can do lots of things — but they only do what people tell them! How does a robot know what to do?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Robots Follow Steps Check

Project each item and have children answer about robots following steps.

🤖 Understand robots following stepsTry it
Answer each question about robots.
The Lesson · Use → Modify → Create (a coding progression with Unplugged practice)

25 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Robots Do What We Say

3 min

Robots do only what people tell them — how do they know?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a robot.
  • Ask how it knows.
  • Get ready.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Guess.
  • Get ready.
2

Unplugged — Unplug It

7 min

Children practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Be a robot that follows steps.
  • Give a robot step.
  • Feel the idea.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Follow.
  • Give it.
  • Feel it.
3

Use — Robots Check

7 min

Children use.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Robots Follow Steps Check.
  • Answer each one.
  • Explain them.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Explain.
  • Check.
4

Modify — Give a Step

5 min

Children modify.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Tell a “robot” to go forward.
  • Watch it follow.
  • Say why.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Tell it.
  • Watch.
  • Say why.
5

Create — Create

3 min

Children conclude.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Say what a robot does.
  • Say who is the boss.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say who.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards and ISTE Standards for Students.

CSTA
1A-CS-01

Describe how robots are used.

CSTA
1A-AP-10

Give a robot steps.

CSTA
1A-AP-08

Model steps for a robot.

ISTE
5

Computational Thinker.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Robot picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “The robot ___.”
  • Play robot games.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with “robots follow steps.”
  • Give one step.
  • Be a robot.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Give a robot two steps.
  • Explain a robot job.
  • Make a robot dance.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🤖Robot pictures/toys
  • 💻Robots Follow Steps Check
  • 👟Robot game space
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

robota machine that follows stepsmachinea tool that does workstepone thing to dofollowto do what’s saidforwardaheadbossthe one in chargecommanda step you givecontrolto tell what to do
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What does a robot do?
It follows steps that people give it.
QUESTION 2
If you tell a robot to go forward, what does it do?
Go forward, just like you said.
QUESTION 3
Who tells a robot what to do?
People, like you!

Create: be the boss.

Have children give a pretend robot (a family member!) two steps to follow. A printable robots sheet is in the Computer Science library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Robots Follow StepsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Robots Follow StepsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Robots Follow StepsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: boss, command, control, follow, forward, machine, robot, step
  1. to tell what to do
  2. a step you give
  3. a machine that follows steps
  4. the one in charge
  5. ahead
  6. a tool that does work
  7. to do what’s said
  8. one thing to do

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What does a robot do?
  2. If you tell a robot to go forward, what does it do?
  3. Who tells a robot what to do?
Answer key — Part A: 1) control · 2) command · 3) robot · 4) boss · 5) forward · 6) machine · 7) follow · 8) step
Part B: 1) It follows steps that people give it. 2) Go forward, just like you said. 3) People, like you!