Getting Started in the Classroom with Navigation Activities
Students should experience classroom navigation activities—for instance, drawing simple pictures or diagrams to represent paths they might walk, such as a path from a table to the door and later from their classroom to the playground in order for them to build the knowledge on location and direction. They can write a set of directions for a classmate to move around the room, test the directions, and talk about the results and any modifications that should be made to their plan as these activities help students make their ideas about navigation explicit (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2011). Through these experiences, students use mathematics in understanding space when they say, "Turn right" or "Go forward eight steps". In performing these tasks, students are increasing their understandings of location and movement in space as they use various related mathematical concepts in geometry and measurement to solve different problems. One of the activities that can be used to teach students about location and direction is through Bee-Bot activity.
What are Bee-Bots?
Bee-Bots are programmable floor robots that have been purpose-built for use with Early Phase and Primary students.
Their features include:
1) Sounds and flashing eyes that let students know that their instructions have been entered
2) The ability to remember up to 40 instructions / steps entered by students
3) The ability to move accurately in 15cm steps and to turn in 90° increments
4) Bright buttons for the students to use to input instructions
5) A friendly and happy design that appeals to young learners and teachers
(Education Queensland, 2011)
(Education Queensland, 2011)
Bee-bot activity is an interesting and beneficial in helping students to develop their understanding on location and direction concepts. For example, teachers can ask students to set up a small city with lanes that the Bee-Bot can go through. In completing the city, the students will be developing the knowledge of their surroundings and an awareness of area so that the Bee-Bot could accurately move through the city.
Apart from that, students should also take note of each move made by the Bee-Bot and identify how many lengths the Bee-Bot need to go through the lanes. Using Bee-Bot also helps students to build upon the concepts of shapes as Bee-Bot has the ability to do a full 360 degree movement, in motions of 90 degrees. Thus, students will build skills on how to make lanes in the city that caters to this aspect. Moreover, students will be developing their concepts on shapes more as they will be using various materials with different shapes and sizes to build the city.
In order to play this activity, the students will have to press the four buttons on Bee-Bot which are forward, back, right and left in order for the Bee-Bot to make its way through the lanes. Students will be applying their knowledge on direction and estimate how far the Bee-Bot will move in each individual movement. The example of this activity is shown in the video below:
