Lesson B1 — Discovery: make snAIl move

Track	Blocks (ages 8–12)
Duration	1 h
Group size	3–4 students per robot
Prerequisites	None

Objectives

By the end of the session, students can:

• connect the tablet or computer to the robot's Wi-Fi hotspot;
• assemble a sequence of "move", "turn" and "wait" blocks;
• predict the robot's path before running the program;
• explain the difference between translation and rotation.

Materials

• 1 charged snAIl robot per group;
• 1 tablet or computer per group, with the blocks interface;
• a clear space of about 2 m × 2 m per robot;
• colored tape to mark a course on the floor.

Session plan

1. Who is snAIl? (10 min)

Introduce the robot: its special wheel that lets it move forward and spin in place, its "eyes" (the camera), its antennas. Ask the students: "How do you tell a robot what to do?"

2. Connecting (10 min)

Each group connects its tablet to the robot's Wi-Fi (the robot creates its own network — show its name). Check that the blocks interface shows "robot connected".

3. First program (20 min)

Students assemble their first sequence:

when [flag] clicked
  move forward 50 cm
  turn 90°
  move forward 50 cm

Golden rule: predict before you run. Each group draws the expected path on paper, then runs the program and compares.

4. Challenge: the square (15 min)

Challenge: make the robot drive a full square and return to its starting point. Fast groups try the triangle (hint: the angle is no longer 90°).

5. Wrap-up (5 min)

Each group shows its course. Questions: "What surprised you?", "What would you do differently?"

Going further

Add a block "if the bumper is touched, stop": a first encounter with sensors, the topic of lesson B2.

For the teacher

The exact blocks depend on the interface version; adapt the screenshots and block names to your setup. The plan and objectives stay the same.