Technologies · Year 1

Active learning ideas

Visual Branching (If-Then Logic)

Active learning works for this topic because young students grasp ‘if-then’ logic best when they can move, talk, and see the choices play out. Acting out decisions and drawing simple paths makes abstract branching concrete and memorable.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDE2K04

• 15–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 20 min · Whole Class

Simulation Game: The Weather Path

Create two paths on the floor with masking tape. At a 'decision point', the teacher holds up a sun or a rain cloud. Students must choose the correct path based on the 'if-then' rule.

Explain how we decide to wear a coat based on the weather.

Facilitation Tip

During The Weather Path, give each child a weather card to hold so the class can physically ‘branch’ left or right based on the card shown.

What to look for

Present students with a visual flowchart for a simple task, like making a sandwich. Ask them to point to the 'if' part and the 'then' part of a decision box. For example, 'If there is cheese, then add cheese to the sandwich.'

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Inquiry Circle
• 40 min · Small Groups

Inquiry Circle: Choice Stories

In small groups, students create a three-page story. On the second page, the character faces a choice (e.g., go left or right). They draw two different endings based on that choice.

Predict what instruction a robot should follow if it hits a wall.

Facilitation Tip

While students work on Choice Stories, circulate and ask, ‘What happens if the main character chooses the red door instead?’ to reinforce alternative paths.

What to look for

Give each student a card with a scenario, such as 'It is sunny outside.' Ask them to write one 'if-then' instruction for what they would do. Then, ask them to write one different 'if-then' instruction for the condition 'It is raining outside.'

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Activity 03

• Think-Pair-Share
• 15 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Robot Decisions

Ask: 'If a robot is cleaning and sees a cat, what should it do?' Students think of a rule, share with a partner, and explain their 'if-then' logic.

Analyze how choices change the path we take in a story.

Facilitation Tip

For Robot Decisions, provide a small toy robot and have students physically move it along the grid to model each decision step.

What to look for

Show students two different paths on a large floor grid or a story map. Ask: 'What choice do we need to make to go down the red path? What choice do we need to make to go down the blue path?' Guide them to use 'if-then' language to describe the choices.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teach this topic by starting with children’s everyday decisions before introducing flowchart symbols. Avoid using algorithmic jargon; instead, use phrases like ‘what happens next’ and ‘the rule that tells us what to do’. Research suggests that pairing spoken instructions with visual arrows and physical movement builds stronger mental models for young learners.

Successful learning looks like students using ‘if-then’ language to describe choices, following visual paths without teacher prompting, and creating their own simple flowcharts with correct decision points.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During The Weather Path, watch for students saying the weather ‘chooses’ where to go. Redirect by asking, ‘Who made the rule that tells us what to do when it rains?’

  During Choice Stories, if students claim the story ‘decides’ what happens next, point to the flowchart and say, ‘Remember, we wrote this rule: if the character picks the blue key, then the door opens. The rule decides, not the story.’

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game
• Inquiry Circle
• Think-Pair-Share