Lesson: Literal Instructions

Time: 30 minutes
Goal: The goal of this lesson is to give students an introduction to literal commands as a
precursor to the Digital Logic lesson. By the end of this lesson, students should be aware
of how a computer can only accept specific commands and has a very limited ability to
interpret even very simple commands.
Approach: Students will be charged with walking instructors (that’s you) through some
multi-processes, such as tying a shoe or making a sandwich. The role of the instructor
will be essentially to act as a robot and to interpret the orders of the students as literally
as possible. For example, if you are trying to make a sandwich and the instruction is “put
the peanut butter on the bread,” literally put the jar of peanut butter on the bread. The
trick is to try to not make the associations we usually make as humans and think as
machines with no foresight. Be creative.

Reccomended timing:
Introduction: 5-10 minutes. Mention that computers/machines don’t think ahead like we
do and don’t have experiential memory like we do. For example, I doubt you have to
consciously think about each step you take as you make a sandwich. You’ve made one
before, so you can just do it again, but machines have to be given explicit instructions.
Now is a great time to have the instructors go over an example task: making a peanut
butter and jelly sandwich. Go through the steps, (place one hand on jar, place other hand
on lid, rotate hand to unscrew cap, put cap down, pick up knife/spoon….etc). This can be
done as a whole-class exercise.

Core: 15-20 minutes. Break students into groups, one instructor per group. In each
group, pick a task and have at it (a few tasks are listed below). If the students complete
one, pick another one or improvise one.

Conclusion: 5-10 minutes. Wrap things up. Field questions, ask which tasks were the
hardest/easiest and why, and encourage students to think about the steps that go into the
everyday things they do and how they might instruct a machine to do it.

SUGGESTED TAKS – here are some tasks you can use as well as some possible ways to
respond to likely instructions (feel free to improvise). Some of them have different
formats (verbal vs. written commands, for example), but feel free to interpret and revise
as needed or desired.

1. Paper Airplane

Have students collaborate on creating a set of written instructions, which will then be
given to the instructor. Read aloud the directions from the group, following them
precisely. If it says “fold paper in half” choose a random axis to fold the paper in half
along. If it does not say to unfold the paper after folding in half, leave folded and
continue on to the next line of instructions. If the directions say to fold a corner, choose a
random corner.

Some groups may struggle to put into words how to fold airplanes. So after going through
some of the more well written—if not technical enough—codes for building a paper
airplane, you can have the students give you verbal commands for folding a plane.

Afterwards, throw the mis-created planes to see how they fly. This illustrates how less
than elegant directions for computers give less than functional outputs.

2. Tie Your Shoes

The person should start to act like a robot, following only literal directions. This means
they should not only not use any intuition, but also use extra effort in avoiding finishing
the task. Another person should start by telling the robot to put on the shoe. Possibilities
of actions:

• Ask what to put the shoe on.

• Put the shoe on top of their foot.
• Put the shoe on the table/chair

Ask the kids to help volunteer directions. Lead them to specify something like “put your
foot in the shoe”. The person wearing the shoe could claim, they are done, and walk
away. The kids, or you, should say the shoe should be tied. Possible actions:

• Tie the laces around the whole shoe

• Take shoe off and start folding it in an attempt to tie it (if they tell you put shoe back
on, repeat above)
• Tie the lace in a single knot and let it be

The kids should start to describe how the knot should be tied. Lead them to something
like a step by step list of instructions for tying a shoe. Get them to specify things like:

• Pull the laces in opposite directions to the left and right to tighten the shoe
• Put one lace under the other and pull it through
• Grab a lace and fold the end back to make a loop
• Put one loop through the loop formed by the other
• Pull on the correct laces in order to tighten the knot
• (some steps omitted of course)

Possible goofs depending on directions given:

• Grab the entire shoe and squeeze to tighten

• Put one lace under the other and leave it there
• Make a loop by twirling around your finger
• Pull on the wrong lace and undo everything

Done! Remember, the actions taken should reflect the instructions given. The above
examples may not apply. Try to do get the most detailed and least intuitive instructions
out of your kids.

3. Obtaining and Drinking a Cup of Water

You may want to do this outside (or tell students beforehand that you won’t try the
drinking part until you are outside). This one works well with written instructions – have
the students write out the procedure. You then do what the paper says (unless it would
result in you choking to death or getting water all over yourself/the room). Have students
revise their instructions if they don’t succeed, or switch to real-time verbal instructions if
they’re really struggling. The most difficult part will probably be the actual drinking, as
it’s not enough to just lift the cup to your lips and tip it. You need to apply some suction
or else tilt really far back.