Pam Marsh Background Separate single sex groups initially did the follow up. They tried out given activities using the skills learned. The boys were terribly keen and all wanted to have their hands on at once. The girls made methodical notes of all their moves, and took turns to give instructions and to program. The Lunch Box Assault Course Skittle Challenge
The next class session was to introduce the lights and the motor using the T commands. To incorporate these, we worked on a Santa theme. Helping Santa Deliver the Parcels For this activity, the Roamer was transformed into Father Christmas's heli-sleigh by adding the Lego motor with helicopter rotors. The children were shown how to wire in this and the lights to terminals 1,2and 3 and to switch them on and off using the T command.
The story was that Santa would get into his heli-sleigh, which would play the first six notes of Jingle Bells, then set off with motor running and lights flashing to deliver the parcel to the first child. The sleigh would wait silently while the parcel was delivered, then re-start the motor, switch on the lights and zoom off to the second child where the process would be repeated. Children would guide the sleigh by clapping to make it turn right 90 degrees. After delivering the presents, Santa would then return home and switch off his sleigh, which would play a final rendition of 'Jingle Bells'.
Introducing the sound sensor
At the next class session, the story was adapted to integrate the sound sensor. As the heli-sleigh arrived at each child to deliver the parcel, the child would clap its hands in excitement. The class decided that the heli-sleigh should turn 90 degrees to the right when the sound was detected. They entered the procedure to turn right, and programmed the sensor:
The benefit of the repeat command for playing the first six notes of 'Jingle Bells' was quickly spotted, and after some dispute, 5 and 9 were selected for duration and pitch of the note. First, the note was repeated six times. Then children realised the need for a rest, so the program was amended to:
Using Roamer World was invaluable for the children and avoided the frustrations of having to constantly try out the program, clear memory (CM CM) and re-program. Next ... The next stage will be for the groups to devise their own programs and send them to and from the computer using Roamer World and the interface cable. They are anxious to try out the touch sensors and will be encouraged to invent stories for the Roamer. It may well appear in a variety of new disguises! For the moment I don't feel the children are ready for the light sensor, however they may wish to try it out at a later stage. The boys and girls of the class seem to be equally proficient and equally challenged so that they will now be able to work in mixed groups without either being disadvantaged. The project has been stimulating and challenging and we have enjoyed it tremendously. The finished program Jingle Bells
Note: As they gain further experience, children may be encouraged to look for places where procedures could save a lot of effort. For example, these procedures could be defined to turn the lights and motor on, then off:
Instead of the long lines of T commands, which are repeated several times, children could then enter:
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We used a set of skittles bearing numbers below 10. Initially we used 2 skittles. The idea was to program the Roamer to knock down both skittles in one set of moves and add the numbers together. More skittles were gradually introduced and positioned so that various angles could be used. It was interesting to hear conversations such as, 'Well that's smaller than a right angle.' 'It's about half, that's 45 degrees.' 'No, it's smaller than that.' This activity was also very useful for number bonds.
A Father Christmas model and parcels were added using suction hooks (available from DIY shops and originally intended for stringing up Christmas lights!) The heli-sleigh was then festooned with tinsel. We also used 2 dolls as the children who would receive the parcels. 
Although the class managed to get the lights flashing in the class lesson by using the repeat command, the process of turning this on and off several times proved too complicated for the groups. This was the perfect moment to introduce Roamer World. The children could see their commands and edit mistakes. Using the interface cable, they could send the program back to the Roamer. We decided to keep the lights on while the sleigh was in motion and off when it was still.
The program was then complete and consisted of Santa travelling round the four sides of a square, stopping to deliver parcels on the way. The corners were created by the sensor procedure when the children clapped hands.
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