Lesson 245: Discuss how people teach machines what to do

💡 TECHNOLOGY & FUTURE SKILLS (40 Lessons) • Section A — Technology Around Us

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Objective

I can explain in simple words that people teach machines what to do using steps and rules, and that people can test, fix, and turn machines off.

Materials

Mini-lesson — How do people teach machines?

Machines and computers do not just guess. They follow steps and rules that people give them.

Steps and rules

  • A step-by-step plan is called an algorithm.
  • It might say: "First do this, then do that."
  • Computers follow these steps, one after another.

Simple step example

  • For a robot vacuum: "Go straight. If you hit a wall, turn."
  • For a drawing app: "When the child taps, draw a dot."

People give instructions

  • Adults called programmers write the steps and rules.
  • They choose what the machine is allowed to do.
  • Machines cannot make their own rules. They use the rules people give them.

Learning from examples

  • Sometimes people show a computer many examples (for example, many pictures of cats).
  • The computer looks for patterns.
  • It tries to guess new answers, but it can still be wrong.

Testing and fixing

  • People test machines to see if they follow the steps correctly.
  • If something goes wrong, people fix the rules.
  • People can change or stop a machine's job.

Who is in charge?

  • People decide what machines may or may not do.
  • People can turn machines off or unplug them.
  • Machines are helpers, not the boss of the family or school.

Adults can say: "This machine follows steps that people wrote. If we do not like the steps, people can change them."

Picture strip: "Plan → Machine → Check"

Guided Practice — Write steps for a helper

You and an adult will pretend to teach a helper robot how to do a simple job using steps.

  1. Choose one easy job for a pretend helper, such as tidying toys, watering a plant, or handing out pencils.
  2. On a page, write or trace the title "Steps for my helper".
  3. With the adult, say the job out loud and break it into small steps, like a recipe. Number them 1, 2, 3….
  4. The adult can write the steps. The child may add small pictures to show each step.
  5. Now the child pretends to be the robot. The adult reads each step slowly. The child follows only the step that is read.
  6. If something funny happens (for example, a step is missing), pause and say, "Our robot did something silly. Let us fix the steps."
  7. Add or change steps together until the pretend robot can finish the job in a good way. Say a sentence like: "We taught the helper by fixing the steps."
Tracing Pad
Tracing snapshot for print
Tip: As you trace, say a sentence such as "Machines follow steps that people teach them."

Practice — My "people in charge" poster

Use this practice to help your child remember that people teach machines and stay in charge.

  1. On a new page, write or trace the title "People teach machines" at the top.
  2. Draw a simple machine helper (for example, a robot vacuum, a talking speaker, or a tablet with an app) on one side of the page.
  3. Draw a person (parent, teacher, or programmer) on the other side.
  4. Between them, draw three arrows that point from the person to the machine. Next to each arrow, add a short word such as "steps", "rules", or "fix".
  5. Under the machine, add a small sentence like "Follows the steps".
  6. Under the person, add a sentence like "Can change or stop it".
  7. Read the poster together and say: "Machines are helpers. People teach them and stay in charge."

Quick Check — How people teach machines

Answer each question about steps, rules, and who is in charge.

1) How do machines know what to do?

Machines follow instructions that people create.

2) What is an algorithm for kids?

An algorithm is a list of steps to follow.

3) Which job is most like teaching a machine?

Teaching a machine means giving it clear steps to follow.

4) Who writes most of the rules for machines?

People decide the rules machines follow.

5) Why do people test machines?

Testing helps people check if the instructions work well.

6) What can people do if a machine does something they do not like?

People are in charge and can stop or change machines.

7) Which sentence is true?

Machines are tools that follow instructions, not people with feelings.

8) A computer learned from many pictures of cats. What should you remember?

Even trained machines can be wrong and need checking.

9) Who is really in charge when we use machine helpers?

People decide how and when to use machine helpers.

10) What is one big goal of this lesson?

We want children to understand how people teach machines and keep control.

Assessment (parent/teacher)

Exit ticket (student)

Next time I will practise…

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