U3Ch1L4_The Need For Programming Languages
Purpose: Students will experience how a programming language can provide precise instructions to a computer where text cannot (ambiguous).

Journal: Write down 3 different reasons why instructions might be bad. (share).

Activity: Distribute Legos to each student (10?)

• Design and Build a structure with your blocks.
• Don’t let the other students see your structure.
• Take a picture of your structure.
• Write instructions on the steps necessary to recreate your structure.
• Now take the structure apart.
• Swap the instructions with another student.
• Students should attempt to rebuild the structure following the instructions.
• Compare the rebuilt structures to the photos.
• Discuss the success and failures and WHY!

Try again…have each student rewrite their instructions to see if they can make them even clearer.

Class Discussion: 

• Can you guess the point of me having you play with Legos today in a Tech class? 

 Video: "You should learn how to program, Christian Genco at Tedx SMU"