Part 1 - Step by Step

1. InstructInstruct students that they will now get to test the other two Action Coder cards in their groups. They will follow the same prediction, test, and observation steps that they did together for “Act happy” with the “Act sad” and “Act crazy” Coder cards. Below is an example of what the students will see the 123 Robot do when they test the "Act sad" Coder card.
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   Below is an example of what the students will see the 123 Robot do when they test the "Act crazy" Coder card. 

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2. ModelModel for students how to wake the 123 Robot and turn on, and connect the Coder.
   • To wake the 123 Robot, push the wheels along a surface until you hear the startup sound, as shown in the animation below. Turn on sound for this animation. For more information about the 123 Robot, see the Using the VEX 123 Robot VEX Library article.
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   • To connect the 123 Robot and Coder, press and hold the Start and Stop buttons on the Coder, and the Left and Right buttons on the 123 Robot for at least 5 seconds, until you hear the connected sound, and the indicator lights flash in time, as shown in the animation below. Turn on sound for this animation. For more information about the Coder, see the Using the VEX 123 Coder VEX Library article.
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   • All groups will need to have their 123 Robots and Coders ready before testing.

     

   • Distribute the “Act sad” and “Act crazy” Coder cards to groups.
   • Have groups discuss and write or draw 2 or 3 behaviors they think the 123 Robot will complete when each Coder card is used.
     • For the “Act sad” Coder card, ask students how they show they’re feeling sad or upset.
     • For the “Act crazy” Coder card, ask students how they show they’re feeling silly.
   • Once groups have their predictions made, they can insert one of the Action cards into the Coder and press “Start” to test. Below is an example of what the students will see the 123 Robot do when they test the "Act sad" Coder card.
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   • When the 123 Robot has stopped moving, have students compare their predictions to the observed behaviors of the 123 Robot. Students can write or draw any differences between their prediction and the actual behavior.
     • Restart the project if needed, to create a complete list of behaviors.
     • Students can act out their lists once they are complete.
   • Then, students should remove the “Act sad” Coder card, replace it with the “Act crazy” Coder card, and begin the process of predicting and testing again.
   • If students finish testing early, give them the “Act happy” Coder card, and ask them to repeat this process to create their own list of behaviors. Are there any behaviors that are similar between the three Action Coder cards?
3. FacilitateFacilitate a conversation with students while they test the two Coder cards.
   • How did the 123 Robot act when it acted sad?
   • How is that similar or different to how you act when you are sad?
   • How do your predictions compare to the behaviors of the 123 Robot?
4. RemindRemind students to test one Action card at a time. Depending on your classroom, you may want to hand out one Coder card at a time and have the class make a prediction as a whole, rather than having groups test the cards independently.
5. AskAsk students how they would code the 123 Robot to act sad. Would you choose different behaviors than what you observed? Why?

Mid-Play Break & Group Discussion

As soon as every group has tested both the “Act sad” and “Act crazy” Coder cards, come together for a brief conversation.

• How did your group’s predictions compare to the actions of the 123 Robot when you tested the “Act sad” and “Act crazy” Coder cards?
• What other emotions do you think the 123 Robot could act out?
  • Students are going to create “emotion codes” for the 123 Robot in Play Part 2, if students are unfamiliar with the word “emotion”, introduce that vocabulary word to them during this conversation.

Part 2 - Step by Step

1. InstructInstruct students that they will be making their own code for the 123 Robot to act out another emotion or feeling. Below is an example of what the students will see the 123 Robot do in the "Act Angry" example.
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2. ModelModel for students how to create a new emotion code. You can assign groups emotions, or have them choose their own. Use the vocabulary for this Unit for help in brainstorming potential emotions to assign groups.
   • To best model the creation of an emotion code, you can walk the class through the Act Angry example.
     • Walk students through identifying how they act or what actions they do when they are angry. Do they yell? How do they move? Is there a color they associate with feeling angry? Why? This can be a conversation or something written on the board. Limit students to 3 behaviors.

     • Using the feedback from students, help them find the Coder cards that match those behaviors. For example, someone who is angry might yell and walk away. So the 123 Robot can honk, turn around, and drive.

       

     • Model for students how to lay out those Coder cards into a project for the 123 Robot to act angry. They should insert the cards in the order, they want the 123 Robot to complete the behaviors.

       

   • Distribute Coder cards to each groups. Students should have Looks, Motion, and Sound cards to make their emotion codes. (See the Environment Setup for specific Coder cards to distribute.)
   • Once students are ready, have them begin working in their groups to define how they act when they feel that emotion, and how those actions can translate into behaviors of the 123 Robot.
   • Have students lay out their Coder cards on their desk, in order, to create a plan for their project. To help them stay focused on the goal and have time to test their projects, limit emotion codes to three Coder cards.
   • After their plans are created, students can add their emotion codes to the Coder. Then, press “Start” on the Coder to test their projects, and edit as needed.
   • For students who finish early, either give them a second emotion to create an emotion code for, or have them create a different code to communicate the same emotion in a different way.
3. FacilitateFacilitate a conversation with students while they create and test their emotion codes.
   • Show me how you want the 123 Robot to act when you start your code. Have groups act out what they want the 123 Robot to do.
   • What behaviors will the 123 Robot do first when you start your project?
   • What Coder cards are you using to create your emotion code?
   • Why did your group use this Coder card? How does that card relate to how you act when you feel this emotion?
4. RemindRemind students that the order of the cards in the Coder, is the order the 123 Robot will complete those behaviors. If they want the 123 Robot to turn around before it drives away, the “Turn around” Coder card should be above the “Drive 2” Coder card.
5. AskAsk students how they can tell how their friends are feeling. Are there certain actions that tell you when someone else is sad or happy? What actions do you think of, when you think of angry or bored?

Optional: Students can use the emotion codes created here in Lab 2. Have students write or draw their emotion code, or take photos of each group’s Coder with the project for reference when you complete Lab 2.