Arduino Learning Studiorobotics pathway

R08-U1 · usually age 8 · Little Inventors

Input, Output and Events

How does a machine react?

Pilot unit plan · 4 sessions · not yet classroom-validated

Build: Interactive light-and-sound toy

How a machine reacts to events: an event (a slide, a press) causes a response (a light, a beep). Children play a when-then game, then at the adult's station make the kit's two loops (Snap Circuits Beginner (Elenco, SCB20), the same kit and routine as R07-U3) into a light-and-sound toy behind a card shell, and demonstrate its two different cause-and-effect responses.

  • Sense
  • Decide
  • Act

Who it is for

Age is a starting point, never a limit. A learner who can show what this unit starts from can begin here at any age.

How they learn
By making, moving and playing: ramps, wheels, levers, a classmate acting as a robot. Pictures and arrows instead of words; no code text.
The adult's role
An adult leads every session and prepares anything powered. Children never handle loose batteries, sharp tools or hot parts.
Session
45–60 minutes
Hardware
No controller needed: cardboard, wheels, gears; optional enclosed low-voltage modules. The adult prepares or checks any wiring. No loose batteries, coin cells, small magnets, sharp tools or hot parts.

Starts from

Builds, and what it is the input for

In the studio today

No studio lab or activity for this unit yet.

Sessions

  1. Session 1 · 45 min

    What makes a machine react?

    An event is something that happens: a slide, a press, a card held up. A response is what the machine does when it happens: when this, then that. Two events can cause two different responses. A sensor is the part that notices the event: a switch notices a slide or a press.

    The adult says first: “When something happens, a machine can react. Let's play when and then.”

    Picture cards for the children (symbols and drawings; they read nothing)

    1. ⏻ ➡ — picture: sliding a switch on: an event
    2. 💡 — picture: a light shining: a response
    3. ✋ ⬇ — picture: pressing a switch: another event
    4. 🔊 — picture: a beep: another response
    5. ➡ — picture: an arrow from an event to its response
    6. ✋ ⛔ 🔋 — picture: only the adult touches the battery box or power link
    7. ⏻ ⛔ — picture: power off before changing anything

    Key words (said aloud, pointing to the card): event · response · sensor

    Timing (0 of 45 min at the screen)

    1. 15 minAway from the screen: The when-then game: two event cards and the toy's two responses.
    2. 10 minAway from the screen: Each pair invents a when-then card for the group; then a noticing walk.
    3. 10 minAway from the screen: Each child draws a face for the toy's card shell.
    4. 10 minAway from the screen: The adult shows the closed kit box and its safety cards.

    In the studio

    No studio lab: this session is off-screen.

    Hands-on

    Nothing is powered. The when-then game: the adult holds up an event card and the children are the toy. The slide-on card (⏻ ➡): every toy child raises a yellow paper light card and keeps it up until the adult shows the slide-off card (⏻ ⬅). The press card (✋ ⬇): every toy child says “beep” softly, only while the adult holds the press card down. Then each pair invents its own when-then card for the group to follow: the pair chooses an event and a response (a clap, and both arms up), the adult draws them as pictures with an arrow between, and the group responds whenever the pair makes its event. Then a noticing walk round the room: the adult names things that react when we do something (a door that swings shut, a tap that runs while it is turned) and the children say the event and the response. Each child draws a face for the toy's card shell. Last, the adult shows the closed kit box and its safety picture cards, and the children copy each rule with their hands.

    Evidence to collect

    The adult's note of which children made the right response to each event card and said a when-then sentence of their own, each pair's own when-then card, and the toy-face drawings, kept by the adult.

    Predict
    Before each event card, the children point to the response card they think goes with it: the light card or the beep card.
    Debug
    If the toy children mix up the responses, the adult shows each event card again slowly, and the group says its when-then sentence together.
    Reflect
    What is the event, and what is the response, when you press a doorbell?

    ⚠ Adult checks: The kit stays closed in the adult's box: this session only shows it. The light cards are paper, and every beep in the game is said softly.

    Works towards: Events

  2. Session 2 · 50 min

    Can a slide make the toy light up?

    The toy's first cause and effect: when the slide switch slides on (the event), the light shines and stays on (the response); when it slides off, the light goes out. The slide switch is the toy's sensor for a slide. The children snap the loop with the power link off; only the adult snaps it on, and off.

    The adult says first: “Slide the switch on: that is the event. Watch how the toy responds.”

    Picture cards for the children (symbols and drawings; they read nothing)

    1. ⏻ ➡ — picture: a hand sliding the switch on
    2. 💡 — picture: the light shining and staying on
    3. ⏻ ⬅ ◯ — picture: the switch slid off, the light dark
    4. 🔗 ✋ — picture: the red power link in the adult's hand
    5. ✋ ⛔ 🔋 — picture: only the adult touches the battery box or power link
    6. ⏻ ⛔ — picture: power off before changing anything

    Key words (said aloud, pointing to the card): event · slide · light

    Timing (0 of 50 min at the screen)

    1. 10 minAway from the screen: The safety cards; the adult shows the slide switch, the light and the loop card.
    2. 25 minAway from the screen: Each pair snaps the light loop with the power link off; the adult checks it and snaps the link on; slide on and off.
    3. 10 minAway from the screen: The when-then sentence: each child says what the switch felt and the light did.
    4. 5 minAway from the screen: The adult photographs the loop and its shell, the build only, unsnaps the power link and takes the cells out.

    In the studio

    No studio lab: this session is off-screen.

    Hands-on

    At the adult's station, up to six children, one pair at a time at the kit. Before the session, away from the children, the adult puts 3 AA alkaline cells in the battery holder, screws its cover shut, fixes the holder on the grid and makes its other connection, with the power link off: the power link is the one 3-snap wire that joins the holder to the loop, marked with red tape and kept in the adult's hand. Spare modules and wires stay in the adult's box, and no metal tools or objects are on the kit table. Before the session the adult also tapes the children's toy faces onto the card shell. With the power link off, each pair snaps the light loop onto the base grid with the slide switch off, copying the adult's picture card of the maker's Project 4 (Red Light): the slide switch, the LED and 3-snap wires, the LED's + mark as on the card. The adult lifts the shell away, checks the loop and snaps the power link on, last, and stays within arm's reach of it, and the shell stands behind the grid. A child slides the switch on: the light shines and stays on with no hand on it; slid off, it goes out. Each child says the when-then sentence: when we slide it on, the light shines. The adult unsnaps the power link before the next pair. At the end the adult unsnaps the power link, takes the cells out and shuts the kit in the adult's box.

    Evidence to collect

    A photo of the light loop with the toy's shell behind it (the build only), and the adult's note of each child's when-then sentence.

    Predict
    Before a child lets go of the slide switch, everyone holds up the light card or the dark card: will the light stay on?
    Debug
    If the light stays dark, the adult unsnaps the power link, checks every snap is pressed home and the LED's + mark against the card, and tries again; then the adult replaces all three cells together.
    Reflect
    Which event did the switch feel, and what did the light do?

    ⚠ Adult checks before power-on: Cells: 3 AA alkaline, as the maker says, all three replaced together. Only the adult puts them in, away from the children, and screws the holder's cover shut. Children never touch a cell or the holder. The adult fixes the battery holder on the grid before the session and makes its other connection. Children snap only the parts on the card, never onto the holder or the power link's place. The power link (a planning choice): one 3-snap wire marked with red tape, the only way power reaches a loop. Only the adult snaps it on, last, and unsnaps it first, before any change. Power off to change anything: the adult unsnaps the power link before any part is added, moved or taken away. Children never change a loop that has power. Before the power link goes on: spare modules and wires back in the adult's box, no metal tools or objects on the kit table, and the adult within arm's reach of the power link. Before the power link goes on, the adult checks: only the parts on the card; every path from the holder goes through the light or horn; no wire or switch across the holder, the light or the horn. Then: the light's and the horn's + marks as on the card, every snap pressed home, any slide switch off. Only then does the adult snap the power link on, last. Short circuits, the maker's two examples: a 3-snap wire straight across the holder, and a circuit whose slide switch, turned on, makes a path that skips the light or horn. The loop check looks for both. Never left with power: if the adult steps away, the power link comes off first. At the end of every powered session the adult takes the cells out and shuts the kit in the adult's box. If anything gets warm, smells or cracks: hands off and tell the adult, who unsnaps the power link. A cracked or broken part leaves the kit; the adult gets a replacement from the maker. Kit parts stay as the maker made them: nothing is taped, glued, drawn or stuck on any module, and no module is opened or changed. Card goes beside the grid, never on it. The card shell (a planning choice) stands beside or behind the grid, never on it, cut by the adult. Every module stays in full view, and the adult lifts the shell away before every loop check.

    Works towards: Events

  3. Session 3 · 50 min

    Can a press make the toy beep?

    The toy's second cause and effect: when the press switch is pressed (the event), the horn beeps, only while it is pressed (the response). Two events, two different responses: a slide makes a light that stays on; a press makes a beep that stops when you let go.

    The adult says first: “Press and hold: the toy beeps. Let go: it stops. That is another event.”

    Picture cards for the children (symbols and drawings; they read nothing)

    1. ✋ ⬇ — picture: a finger pressing the press switch
    2. 🔊 ▭ — picture: the horn under a folded cloth, beeping
    3. ✋ ⬆ 🔇 — picture: the finger lifted, the horn silent
    4. ⏻ 💡 ✋ 🔊 — picture: each event card beside its response card
    5. ✋ ⛔ 🔋 — picture: only the adult touches the battery box or power link
    6. ⏻ ⛔ — picture: power off before changing anything

    Key words (said aloud, pointing to the card): press · beep · response

    Timing (0 of 50 min at the screen)

    1. 10 minAway from the screen: The safety cards; the adult shows the press switch and the covered horn.
    2. 25 minAway from the screen: Each pair snaps the sound loop with the power link off; a warning before each beep; press and let go.
    3. 10 minAway from the screen: Sort the event cards and the response cards into when-then pairs.
    4. 5 minAway from the screen: The adult photographs a loop, the build only, unsnaps the power link and takes the cells out.

    In the studio

    No studio lab: this session is off-screen.

    Hands-on

    At the adult's station, one pair at a time at the kit. Before the session, away from the children, the adult puts 3 AA alkaline cells in the battery holder, screws its cover shut, fixes the holder on the grid and makes its other connection, with the power link off: the power link is the one 3-snap wire that joins the holder to the loop, marked with red tape and kept in the adult's hand. Spare modules and wires stay in the adult's box, and no metal tools or objects are on the kit table. With the power link off, each pair snaps the sound loop from the adult's card, the maker's Project 6 (Horn): the press switch, the horn and 3-snap wires, the horn's + mark as on the card, and the adult covers the horn with a folded cloth. The adult lifts the shell away, checks the loop and snaps the power link on, last, and stays within arm's reach of it. Before each press the adult says a beep is coming; children make short beeps, then one slightly longer beep, still short, and any child may choose the light instead and sit the horn out. For a child who chooses the light, with the power link off the adult swaps the horn for the light, making the light loop of the maker's Project 4 (Red Light) with the press switch in place of the slide switch: the press switch, the LED and 3-snap wires, checks, then snaps the power link on: the light shines only while the switch is pressed. Then the pair sorts the two event cards and the two response cards into when-then pairs on the table. The adult unsnaps the power link before the next pair. At the end the adult unsnaps the power link, takes the cells out and shuts the kit in the adult's box.

    Evidence to collect

    The adult's note of each child's when-then sentence for the press, and a photo of the covered horn loop (the build only).

    Predict
    Before letting go of the press switch, each child says: will the beep keep going, or stop?
    Debug
    If the horn stays silent, the adult unsnaps the power link, checks the horn's + mark and every snap against the card, and tries again; then the adult replaces all three cells together.
    Reflect
    How is the press response different from the slide response?

    ⚠ Adult checks before power-on: Cells: 3 AA alkaline, as the maker says, all three replaced together. Only the adult puts them in, away from the children, and screws the holder's cover shut. Children never touch a cell or the holder. The adult fixes the battery holder on the grid before the session and makes its other connection. Children snap only the parts on the card, never onto the holder or the power link's place. The power link (a planning choice): one 3-snap wire marked with red tape, the only way power reaches a loop. Only the adult snaps it on, last, and unsnaps it first, before any change. Power off to change anything: the adult unsnaps the power link before any part is added, moved or taken away. Children never change a loop that has power. Before the power link goes on: spare modules and wires back in the adult's box, no metal tools or objects on the kit table, and the adult within arm's reach of the power link. Before the power link goes on, the adult checks: only the parts on the card; every path from the holder goes through the light or horn; no wire or switch across the holder, the light or the horn. Then: the light's and the horn's + marks as on the card, every snap pressed home, any slide switch off. Only then does the adult snap the power link on, last. Short circuits, the maker's two examples: a 3-snap wire straight across the holder, and a circuit whose slide switch, turned on, makes a path that skips the light or horn. The loop check looks for both. Never left with power: if the adult steps away, the power link comes off first. At the end of every powered session the adult takes the cells out and shuts the kit in the adult's box. If anything gets warm, smells or cracks: hands off and tell the adult, who unsnaps the power link. A cracked or broken part leaves the kit; the adult gets a replacement from the maker. The horn is loud: a folded cloth over it (a planning choice), short beeps only, a warning from the adult before each beep, never near an ear. Any child may choose the light; ear defenders are offered. Kit parts stay as the maker made them: nothing is taped, glued, drawn or stuck on any module, and no module is opened or changed. Card goes beside the grid, never on it. The card shell (a planning choice) stands beside or behind the grid, never on it, cut by the adult. Every module stays in full view, and the adult lifts the shell away before every loop check.

    Works towards: Events

  4. Session 4 · 55 min

    Can our toy show two causes and two effects?

    Each child demonstrates the toy's two distinct cause-and-effect responses and says each when-then sentence: when I slide the switch on, the light shines and stays on; when I press the press switch, the horn beeps until I let go.

    The adult says first: “Show both: slide for the light, press for the beep. Say when and then.”

    Picture cards for the children (symbols and drawings; they read nothing)

    1. ⏻ ➡ 💡 — picture: a slide and the light staying on
    2. ✋ ⬇ 🔊 — picture: a press and the covered horn beeping
    3. 2 ✓ — picture: two responses shown
    4. ✋ ⛔ 🔋 — picture: only the adult touches the battery box or power link
    5. ⏻ ⛔ — picture: power off before changing anything

    Key words (said aloud, pointing to the card): event · response · show

    Timing (0 of 55 min at the screen)

    1. 10 minAway from the screen: The safety cards; the adult snaps the light loop with the power link off.
    2. 15 minAway from the screen: Each child in turn: the slide event and its light response.
    3. 20 minAway from the screen: With the power link off, the adult swaps in the press switch, then the covered horn: each child's chosen output.
    4. 10 minAway from the screen: The adult photographs each loop, the build only, unsnaps the power link and takes the cells out.

    In the studio

    No studio lab: this session is off-screen.

    Hands-on

    At the adult's station, the group of up to six together. Before the session, away from the children, the adult puts 3 AA alkaline cells in the battery holder, screws its cover shut, fixes the holder on the grid and makes its other connection, with the power link off: the power link is the one 3-snap wire that joins the holder to the loop, marked with red tape and kept in the adult's hand. Spare modules and wires stay in the adult's box, and no metal tools or objects are on the kit table. With the power link off, the adult snaps the light loop from its card (the maker's Project 4 (Red Light): the slide switch, the LED and 3-snap wires) while the children watch. The adult lifts the shell away, checks the loop and snaps the power link on, last, and stays within arm's reach of it; the toy's shell stands behind the grid. Each child in turn slides the switch on and off and says the first when-then sentence. Then each child chooses which output goes on the press switch, the light or the covered horn, and predicts what a press will do: any child may choose the light, and the horn only ever goes on the press switch, never on the slide switch. With the power link off again, the adult swaps the slide switch for the press switch, making the light loop of the maker's Project 4 (Red Light) with the press switch in place of the slide switch: the press switch, the LED and 3-snap wires, checks it, then snaps the power link on; the children who chose the light go first, and each presses, lets go and says the second when-then sentence: a slide keeps the light on, but a press lights it only while pressed. Then, with the power link off, the adult swaps the light for the horn under its folded cloth, making the maker's Project 6 (Horn): the press switch, the horn and 3-snap wires, checks it, then snaps the power link on. Before each press the adult says a beep is coming; each child who chose the horn presses, lets go and says the second when-then sentence. The adult unsnaps the power link before the next group. At the end the adult unsnaps the power link, takes the cells out and shuts the kit in the adult's box.

    Evidence to collect

    The unit's evidence: each child demonstrates two distinct cause-and-effect responses with the toy (a slide that keeps the light on, and a press that beeps the covered horn, or lights the light, only while pressed) and says the when-then sentence for each, shown and told to the adult; kept as the adult's note and a photo of each loop on the grid, never of the child.

    Predict
    Before each demonstration, the child says what the toy will do: stay lit, or respond only while pressed, with the output they chose for the press switch.
    Debug
    If a response does not come, the child says which event they made, and the adult unsnaps the power link and checks that loop against its card.
    Reflect
    Which other machines respond in two different ways to two different events?

    ⚠ Adult checks before power-on: Cells: 3 AA alkaline, as the maker says, all three replaced together. Only the adult puts them in, away from the children, and screws the holder's cover shut. Children never touch a cell or the holder. The adult fixes the battery holder on the grid before the session and makes its other connection. Children snap only the parts on the card, never onto the holder or the power link's place. The power link (a planning choice): one 3-snap wire marked with red tape, the only way power reaches a loop. Only the adult snaps it on, last, and unsnaps it first, before any change. Power off to change anything: the adult unsnaps the power link before any part is added, moved or taken away. Children never change a loop that has power. Before the power link goes on: spare modules and wires back in the adult's box, no metal tools or objects on the kit table, and the adult within arm's reach of the power link. Before the power link goes on, the adult checks: only the parts on the card; every path from the holder goes through the light or horn; no wire or switch across the holder, the light or the horn. Then: the light's and the horn's + marks as on the card, every snap pressed home, any slide switch off. Only then does the adult snap the power link on, last. Short circuits, the maker's two examples: a 3-snap wire straight across the holder, and a circuit whose slide switch, turned on, makes a path that skips the light or horn. The loop check looks for both. Never left with power: if the adult steps away, the power link comes off first. At the end of every powered session the adult takes the cells out and shuts the kit in the adult's box. If anything gets warm, smells or cracks: hands off and tell the adult, who unsnaps the power link. A cracked or broken part leaves the kit; the adult gets a replacement from the maker. The horn is loud: a folded cloth over it (a planning choice), short beeps only, a warning from the adult before each beep, never near an ear. Any child may choose the light; ear defenders are offered. Kit parts stay as the maker made them: nothing is taped, glued, drawn or stuck on any module, and no module is opened or changed. Card goes beside the grid, never on it. The card shell (a planning choice) stands beside or behind the grid, never on it, cut by the adult. Every module stays in full view, and the adult lifts the shell away before every loop check. Photos are of the build only, taken by the adult on the setting's device, following its photo policy: no child in the frame, no names visible, the build on the table or floor, not in a hand. Nothing is uploaded to this studio and no name goes into it; the adult's notes follow the setting's records policy.

    Works towards: Events

Materials

  • Per group of up to six: a big cardboard box of prepared parts (pre-cut by the adult), masking tape, glue sticks, crayons and large sheets of paper for drawings
  • The adult's picture cards for the session, drawn large (drawn by hand today; printable cards are planned)
  • One Snap Circuits Beginner (Elenco, SCB20) kit per adult station, labelled Ages 5-8, using its the mini base grid, the 3-snap wires, the battery holder (B3B), the slide switch (S1), the press switch (S2), the red/yellow LED (D10) and the horn (W1); the light motor (M7), the lamp and the egg stay in the box
  • The power link: the one 3-snap wire in each loop that joins the holder to the loop, marked with red tape and kept in the adult's hand
  • 3 AA alkaline cells and a small Phillips screwdriver for the holder's cover, both kept by the adult, never in the children's reach and never on the kit table; when the cells run down, the adult replaces all three together
  • A folded cloth to cover the horn, and ear defenders for any child who wants them
  • The toy's card shell: a toy shape the adult cuts from thick card, with the children's toy faces taped on, that stands behind the grid, never on it
  • Event and response picture cards (slide on, slide off, press; light, beep) and a yellow paper light card for each child, drawn large by the adult
  • The adult's picture cards of each loop, drawn from the maker's Project 4 (Red Light) and Project 6 (Horn) with each + mark and the power link shown

⚠ Safety before any session

  • Powered parts: only the plastic modules of one snap-together kit made for this age (Snap Circuits Beginner (Elenco, SCB20), labelled Ages 5-8), prepared and checked by the adult.
  • Cells: 3 AA alkaline, as the maker says, all three replaced together. Only the adult puts them in, away from the children, and screws the holder's cover shut. Children never touch a cell or the holder.
  • No coin or button cells and no rechargeable lithium cells (no Li-ion or LiPo): only the kit's own AA alkaline cells, in its screwed holder.
  • No mains: nothing in this unit plugs into a wall socket, and no adapter, charger or extension lead goes near the kit.
  • No bare or loose wires and no other parts: only the kit's own snap modules and 3-snap wires, on its base grid. Never a second battery or another power source.
  • The adult fixes the battery holder on the grid before the session and makes its other connection. Children snap only the parts on the card, never onto the holder or the power link's place.
  • The power link (a planning choice): one 3-snap wire marked with red tape, the only way power reaches a loop. Only the adult snaps it on, last, and unsnaps it first, before any change.
  • Power off to change anything: the adult unsnaps the power link before any part is added, moved or taken away. Children never change a loop that has power.
  • Before the power link goes on: spare modules and wires back in the adult's box, no metal tools or objects on the kit table, and the adult within arm's reach of the power link.
  • Before the power link goes on, the adult checks: only the parts on the card; every path from the holder goes through the light or horn; no wire or switch across the holder, the light or the horn.
  • Then: the light's and the horn's + marks as on the card, every snap pressed home, any slide switch off. Only then does the adult snap the power link on, last.
  • Short circuits, the maker's two examples: a 3-snap wire straight across the holder, and a circuit whose slide switch, turned on, makes a path that skips the light or horn. The loop check looks for both.
  • If anything gets warm, smells or cracks: hands off and tell the adult, who unsnaps the power link. A cracked or broken part leaves the kit; the adult gets a replacement from the maker.
  • The horn is loud: a folded cloth over it (a planning choice), short beeps only, a warning from the adult before each beep, never near an ear. Any child may choose the light; ear defenders are offered.
  • Never left with power: if the adult steps away, the power link comes off first. At the end of every powered session the adult takes the cells out and shuts the kit in the adult's box.
  • Kit parts stay as the maker made them: nothing is taped, glued, drawn or stuck on any module, and no module is opened or changed. Card goes beside the grid, never on it.
  • The card shell (a planning choice) stands beside or behind the grid, never on it, cut by the adult. Every module stays in full view, and the adult lifts the shell away before every loop check.
  • No scissors in this unit: the adult cuts each card shell before the session, away from the children, and the kit table holds only the kit's own parts and the shell.
  • The kit's label warns of small parts. The adult checks each piece against the small-parts cylinder and counts the kit out and back in; it stays at the adult's station.
  • Small parts: nothing loose, or that could come off, that fits inside the small-parts cylinder (31.70 mm wide, 57.10 mm long). No beads, marbles, buttons, small magnets or coin cells. If in doubt, leave it out.
  • The one exception is the kit's own pieces, which stay under the adult's count.
  • Photos are of the build only, taken by the adult on the setting's device, following its photo policy: no child in the frame, no names visible, the build on the table or floor, not in a hand.
  • Nothing is uploaded to this studio and no name goes into it; the adult's notes follow the setting's records policy.
Safety for every band
  • Low voltage only: battery packs or USB. Never mains electricity.
  • Never connect a motor straight to a controller pin: use a driver and a separate supply.
  • Every moving robot has a power-off switch within reach that cuts the motor battery (or all power). A software stop button is extra, never a replacement.
  • No coin or button cells and no loose small magnets; battery compartments screwed shut.
  • Guard wheels and moving parts against pinched fingers; keep robots slow and indoors.
  • No exposed lithium cells, improvised chargers or lasers.
  • No Li-ion, LiPo or RC packs: AA alkaline or NiMH cells in a closed holder with a switch, or USB.
  • Check polarity and voltage before power-on; a 3.3 V board must not receive 5 V signals.

Notes for the adult

  • Say each step aloud: your words come first. The children read nothing. Each session's picture cards show symbols and drawings only; say the key word as you point to its card.
  • These plans assume one adult for up to six children. The adult leads every step, prepares every cut before the session, makes every hole (by the hole rule) and keeps the craft box and the split pins.
  • With a whole class, run a carousel: one station of up to six children run by the adult, and independent stations within the adult's sight where the others have a defined task with no scissors, split pins or ramps (each plan's “Whole class:” note names them). Groups swap until every child has been at the adult's station.
  • Whole class: the kit stays at the adult's station. The independent stations are drawing a face for the toy's card shell with crayons, playing the when-then game with the event and response cards, and drawing an event with an arrow to its response. In the powered sessions (2–4) a second adult for the independent stations is recommended, so that the kit's adult watches only the kit.
  • Inclusion: every child takes part. Mobility: a child can show a movement their own way (hands, arms or a large soft toy), be the robot on big, clear squares in a wheelchair, lay the cards or give the instructions, or move a large soft toy across a table-top grid. Vision: large, high-contrast or tactile picture cards (raised outlines). Hearing: say each key word and point to its card at the same time, facing the child. Left-handed children get left-handed scissors with rounded ends.
  • In this unit, a child who cannot hear the horn shows the second response with the light (a press that lights it only while pressed), and a child who cannot see the light feels the slide switch's position while a partner says when the light shines. A child who finds sudden sounds hard is told before each beep, may choose the light every time, and is offered ear defenders.
  • Evidence is showing and telling: a demonstration, a photo of the build (never of a child, no names visible) or a drawing that you keep, or your own short note. No names in the studio, no scores, no uploads.
  • The CPSC's small-parts rule is written for toys for children under 3, and it exempts paper and writing materials such as crayons (16 CFR 1501.3, quoted). These plans apply its cylinder check to the loose objects children handle, and to anything that could come off, a stricter planning choice: groups mix ages and younger visitors come in. Paper and crayons stay in use; the adult collects glue-stick caps and crayon stubs at the end of each session.
  • No screen in this unit: every session is away from the screen. Robot Instructions has no level for it.
  • Be honest about the toy: it has no program and decides nothing. Each switch opens or closes its own loop. The when-then cards describe what happens, which is how a programmer thinks about events.
  • Two different responses, by this plan's choice: a slide keeps the light on, a press beeps only while pressed. For a child who uses the light for both, the difference is how long it stays on, which still counts.
  • Why this kit: the same Snap Circuits Beginner (Elenco, SCB20) that R07-U3 used, labelled Ages 5-8 by its maker, run by the same routine. The age label is not the whole answer: the maker asks the adult to make sure the child “understands and follows all of the safety warnings”, so you hold the power. The children never touch the cells, the holder or the power link, and nothing they build has power until you have checked it.
  • Who builds what (founder decision, 2026-11-07: children snap, the adult checks): the children snap modules together only while the power link is off. You alone fill and close the holder, fix it on the grid, snap the power link on, last, and unsnap it first.
  • Never modify the kit: the maker says “Never modify your parts, as doing so may disable important safety features in them”. The card shell stands beside or behind the grid, never on it; nothing is taped, glued or drawn on a module, and you lift the shell away for every loop check.
  • Short circuits, in the maker's words: “Placing a 3-snap wire directly across the batteries is a SHORT CIRCUIT.” and “When the slide switch (S1) is turned on, this circuit has a SHORT CIRCUIT path (as shown by the arrows).” Your loop check looks for a wire or a switch across the holder, the light or the horn, every time.
  • Take the cells out at the end of every powered session: the maker says “Never leave a circuit unattended while the batteries are installed.” When they run down, you replace all three together: the maker says “Do not mix old and new batteries.”
  • No coin or button cells come near this unit: the rule under Reese's Law (16 CFR 1263.2, quoted) says one swallowed or inserted “can become lodged in the digestive tract or airways”. Never anything from the mains, not even to test it: the maker says “Never connect Snap Circuits® to the electrical outlets in your home in any way!”, and the HSE, writing about electricity at work, says “Electricity can kill or severely injure people”.
  • A cracked or broken part leaves the kit, as the maker says (“Discard any cracked or broken parts.”). You order its replacement from the maker and check it before it joins the kit; the children never handle the battery holder.
  • The light motor stays in the box: the maker warns “Do not touch the light motor (M7) during operation.” These plans use only the light, the horn, the two switches and the 3-snap wires.
  • The horn makes, in the maker's words, “an annoying sound”, and has no volume control: the cloth, short beeps and a warning before each one are this plan's choices.
  • This unit relies on switch inputs and outputs (R07-U3): a child who has not met the kit's loops does R07-U3's sessions 2 and 3 first. It does not teach them again.
  • Readiness decides, not age: a child who already shows two different responses to two different events has what R08-U3 and R08-U4 need from this unit.

Planned studio features

Not built yet. The unit runs without them.

  • Printable picture cards: the event cards (slide on, slide off, press), the response cards (light, beep), the when-then arrow and the safety cards.
  • A printable card-shell template for the toy, sized to stand behind the kit's base grid.

Sources

The facts this plan relies on, in each source's own words.

  • US CPSC: Child Safety: Summary Information for Small Parts, 16 C.F.R. Part 1501
    “A small part is any object that fits completely into a specially designed test cylinder 2.25 inches /57.10mm long by 1.25 inches /31.70 mm wide that approximates the size of the fully expanded throat of a child under three years old. … A piece of a toy or article that breaks off during testing that simulates use or abuse by children. … Toys and games that are or contain small parts as manufactured and that are intended for use by children from 3 to 6 years old must be labeled to warn purchasers not to buy them for children under 3 years old because those children could choke on the small parts. Marbles, small balls, and balloons require similar warnings.”
  • US eCFR, 16 CFR 1501 (a CPSC rule): Method for identifying toys and other articles intended for use by children under 3 years of age which present choking, aspiration, or ingestion hazards because of small parts
    “This regulation does not apply to toys or articles which are solely intended for use by children 3 years of age or older. … The following articles are exempt from this regulation … Books and other articles made of paper; … Writing materials such as crayons, chalk, pencils, and pens; … Any components or pieces (excluding paper, fabric, yarn, fuzz, elastic, and string) which have become detached from the article as a result of the use and abuse testing shall be placed into the cylinder, one at a time.”
  • Elenco Snap Circuits Beginner, SCB20 (the maker's product notes: its age label, batteries, modules and warning)
    “Perfect for future engineers age 5+. … Extra safety features for younger engineers, 5 and up. … Requires 3 "AA" batteries (not included) … All parts are mounted on plastic modules and snap together with ease. … No tools required. … Ages | 5-8 … Product Warning | WARNING CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for Children under 3 yrs”
  • Elenco Snap Circuits Beginner Instruction Manual, 753097 (the maker's product notes: warnings, parts, batteries and short circuits)
    “AGES 5+ … Always check your wiring before turning on a circuit. Never leave a circuit unattended while the batteries are installed. Never connect additional batteries or any other power sources to your circuits. Discard any cracked or broken parts. … adults should exercise discretion as to which experiments are suitable and safe … Make sure your child understands and follows all of the safety warnings, and keeps them at hand for reference. … Use only 1.5V AA type, alkaline batteries (not included). … Do not mix old and new batteries. … Do not mix alkaline, standard (carbon-zinc), or rechargeable (nickel-cadmium) batteries. … Do not short circuit the battery terminals. … Batteries are harmful if swallowed, so keep away from small children. … WARNING: SHOCK HAZARD Never connect Snap Circuits® to the electrical outlets in your home in any way! … 3-Snap Wire … B3B | Battery Holder - uses 3 1.5V type AA (not included) … D10 | Red/Yellow LED … Slide Switch … Press Switch … Horn … Be sure that the light motor (M7), red/yellow LED (D10, and horn (W1) have their “+” marking positioned as per the drawing. … Do not touch the light motor (M7) during operation. … Remove the safety cover from the battery holder (B3B) with a Phillips head screwdriver. Insert three (3) 1.5V “AA” batteries (not included) into the battery holder (B3B). … Placing a 3-snap wire directly across the batteries is a SHORT CIRCUIT. … When the slide switch (S1) is turned on, this circuit has a SHORT CIRCUIT path (as shown by the arrows). … be careful not to accidentally make a direct connection across the battery holder (a “short circuit”), as this may damage and/or quickly drain the batteries. … Be sure that all connections are securely snapped. … Do the same with the LED, it should light red or yellow, depending on how you oriented it. … Do the same with the horn (horn + to battery +), it should make an annoying sound. … Project 4 : Red Light … Project 6 : Horn”
  • Elenco Snap Circuits Beginner Instruction Manual, 753097 (the maker's product notes: never modify the parts)
    “Never modify your parts, as doing so may disable important safety features in them”
  • US eCFR, 16 CFR 1263.2 (a CPSC rule): Definitions, in the Safety Standard for Button Cell or Coin Batteries (Reese's Law)
    “section 5 of Reese's Law … Button cell or coin battery means: … A single cell battery with a diameter greater than the height of the battery; … Ingestion hazard means a hazard caused by a person swallowing or inserting a button cell or coin battery into their body whereby: … The button cell or coin battery can become lodged in the digestive tract or airways; and … Can potentially cause death or serious injury through choking, generation of hazardous chemicals, leaking of hazardous chemicals, electrical burns, pressure necrosis, or other means.”
  • UK HSE: Introduction to electrical safety
    “Electricity can kill or severely injure people and cause damage to property. … electric shock and burns from contact with live parts … Even incorrectly wiring a plug can be dangerous and lead to fatal accidents or fires.”