Order of Operations | Standard Lesson
Students will practice sequencing by coding a simple classroom routine with picture cards and movement. They will learn that computers and people follow steps in a specific order to complete a task.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| order | The way steps go from first to last |
| sequence | A set of steps that happen in a certain order |
| first | The step that happens before all others |
| next | The step that comes after first |
| last | The final step |
Show 3 picture cards of a familiar routine, such as wash hands, dry hands, eat snack. Ask, 'What happens first? What comes next?' Model using sequencing words.
Name the steps, point to the correct card, and help place them in order.
Explain that coding means giving steps in order. Demonstrate with a toy robot: clap, turn, sit. Intentionally mix up the steps and ask what changed.
Listen, respond to questions, and notice that changing the order changes the result.
Place 3–4 floor arrows or action cards in a simple path. Model how to move the robot or stuffed animal from start to finish by following each step exactly. Repeat with one error and invite students to fix it.
Help arrange the path, say the steps in order, and correct the incorrect sequence with support.
Give pairs of students 3 picture cards and ask them to put the cards in order, then act out the code together. Prompt with questions and scaffold as needed.
Work with a partner to sequence the cards and act out the steps in order.
Invite one or two pairs to show their sequence and say first, next, last.
Share their code path and describe the order.
Review that coding is giving steps in order. Ask students to finish the sentence: 'First I __, next I __, last I __.' Celebrate their careful sequencing.
At home, students will teach a family member a 3-step routine in order, such as pick up a toy, put it in the basket, sit down, and then tell the teacher about it the next day.