I think that this activity will be quite challenging for a lot of students.
A couple ideas:
Use painter’s tape and make 5x5 grid on floor. Ask for a volunteer to follow the program - great for the kinesthetic learners!
While a volunteer follows the program - I created a [handout] (https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzNj-uq3VtWKUHgxTmxWLUgySHc) that can be placed in a sheet protector. Give each student a dry-erase marker and eraser (or paper towels). They’ll fill in the squares as needed, then implement the program.
I’ll share with teachers this Saturday and see what everyone thinks.
One of our teachers (Thanks Tracy!) suggested giving students pencil erasers to use as a turtle on the grid since they can bring in a pencil eraser with them during the exam. One thing that can help students is writing L for left and R for right on the pencil eraser.
You could even us game pieces that have left and right arms/sides.
So even if the turtle is facing south, east, or west, the letters (L,R) can help them as they navigate around the grid.
Another idea that was shared was creating a 5x5 grid with painters tape on an old shower curtain so teachers don’t have the hassle of taking off the tape or placing the tape back on the floor.
Another thought I had was to not make the blocks so dark (perhaps grey instead) so that students can write in pencil where they end up.
these really are great ideas! i LOVE the eraser strategy-- that is great for students who benefit from working through spatial problems in a physical way.
meanwhile, i’ll see what we can do for lightening the the will it crash activity guide.
