In this lesson, students gain an understanding of programming and coding.  Through the introduction and use of block-based coding, students will design, compile, and execute code to fly and navigate the Parrot Mambo Drone.

Algorithm?

In order to understand computer programming, it is first essential to understand the definition of an algorithm.

“A set of steps that can be followed (frequently by a computer) to solve a problem.”

Recipe = Algorithm

A recipe is a great example of an algorithm. 

A recipe is a set of instructions that tells you how to cook something specific.  If you follow the recipe, the food should taste the same no matter who cooks it or when they cook it.      

Solve the Problem

In computer programming, the first step is to identify the “problem”(what are you trying to get the drone to do?).  

Once you have determined the problem you can create a series of directions (algorithm) to solve that “problem”.   These directions don’t need to be in computer language at this point, just a series of steps outlined.   

 This series of steps will be used to program the drone.  We will translate them into a language the drone understands, and this will be called Code.

 Problem:

Program the drone to take off, hover, flip forward and then land. 

Algorithm:

The series of steps that will “solve” this problem (the program) is:

1. Drone Takeoff

2. Drone Hover in place

3. Drone flip forward

4. Drone land

Now we need to turn this into a series of commands that the drone can follow (the code). 

Write the Code:

Code = the solution to the problem that the drone will understand.

Solution in FTW Code: