Machines Follow Rules

The "Machines Follow Rules" curriculum is a comprehensive 8-lesson computational thinking program designed specifically for 6–7 year olds (Grade 2). Over the course of approximately 5.3 hours (8 lessons x 40 minutes), students transition from physical, "unplugged" activities to digital programming using tools like BeeBot and Scratch Jr.

The curriculum is structured into three core units:

• Unit 1: Loops – Students discover how to make instructions more efficient by identifying repeating patterns. They learn to use loop notation (REPEAT N TIMES) first through physical movement and then apply it to program BeeBot robots and create animations in Scratch Jr.
• Unit 2: If-Then Rules (Conditionals) – This unit introduces the foundation of machine decision-making. Students explore IF-THEN-ELSE logic through interactive games like "The Traffic Light Game" and by designing "brains" for robots based on real-world Nepal contexts, such as power cuts or water pumps.
• Unit 3: Debugging & Decomposition – Students develop advanced problem-solving habits by learning a systematic 5-step debugging process (Describe, Locate, Predict, Fix, and Test). They also learn decomposition, the skill of breaking complex problems—like animating a boat on Pokhara's Fewa Lake—into small, manageable parts.

Key features for an online platform:

• Integrated Learning: Connects coding to Grade 2 Mathematics (skip counting), Science (cause and effect), and Language (conditional sentences).
• Culturally Relevant: Uses local examples like rice farming cycles and monsoon patterns to make abstract concepts relatable.
• Assessment Ready: Includes observation rubrics and student self-assessments to track progress in logic and coding fluency.