If you’re looking to move your students on from block based programming to a textual programming language, then our introduction to Python with Marty is perfect.

Currently consisting of four lessons, you will be able to walk students through using Python to explore the different movements we can program Marty to do with an additional focus on robotics.

Moving to a textual programming language from a block based one can be daunting for some students, however, Python requires very little set-up before running your first program. This makes it perfect for students who are new to textual languages, as it allows for them to get straight into what they know without having to worry about setting up different projects and libraries. If you’re not sure where to start with setting up Python to be used with Marty, then don’t worry, we have a tutorial on how to get started with MartyPy.

In this lesson pack, available on the educator section of our website, students will be introduced to Marty by thinking about how Marty might move through investigating different joints and relating this back to how their body parts move. Students will then get the opportunity to test out their ideas by exploring the different movements and actions that Marty can be programmed to carry out by stringing together commands in Python.

Once students are comfortable with setting up and running simple Python programs, they will be given some exciting tasks and challenges of getting Marty to dance and complete an obstacle course. Students will not only be exposed to considering how robots moving around in a constantly changing environment can be influenced, but they will also be using simple programming concepts like if statements and functions to complete these tasks.

Using Marty to introduce programming concepts allows for what is normally abstract and sometimes confusing to be a lot more relatable in terms of what the student already knows about the world. For example, relating if statements to making simple decisions such as whether it is safe to cross the road.

We can’t wait to see what you build and create with whilst exploring Marty and Python - don’t forget to keep us up to date with your latest Marty projects on social media!