Repeat Function l Roamer Music

The Roamer is associated with Key Stage 1 but it may also be profitably introduced in Mathematics at Key Stage 2 to explore 2D shape and space. In the activities which follow, children's ability to plan, enter, test and refine sequences will be extended as control and sensing is introduced. As a preliminary, we introduce the Repeat instruction, and details of programming 'music'.

Repeat
Here, the Roamer is programmed to draw a square. The instructions in the 'brackets' will be repeated 4 times:

Activity

Sketch a regular hexagon with chalk on a sheet of paper taped to the floor. Place the Roamer on one edge. Lift it gently and move it to the next corner. What angle must it turn? Ask pupils to plan then test the program to draw the hexagon. What is repeated 6 times?

Sounds / Music

'Music' can be programmed by entering a sequence of pitched notes.

An example is:

The first value represents the duration. The range is 1-8.
The second value represents the pitch. The range is 1-13, over the chromatic scale:

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13
C	C#	D	Eb	E	F	F#	G	G#	A	Bb	B	C

Activity

Use Repeat to program a police car siren:

Songs

means musical note

1 st number is length

2 nd number is pitch

This Old Man	Twinkle Twinkle little star

Hickory Dickory Dock

Three Blind Mice

Little Bo Peep

Hot Cross Buns

Download the instructions for playing music

Click here for Jingle Bells (scroll down to the botttom of the page)

Roamer commands	Key Stage 2: next steps
Lights and motors	RoamerWorld
Introducing the sensors	The light sensor

 

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