What should I do?
- Click the steps to add them here, in order.
Lesson 1: Computers follow instructions
Level 1, Meet Your Computer. Program a robot chef and hunt your first bug. The new word: program. Next comes lesson 2, Everything is a file.
What the lesson explains
Computers follow instructions. Today is day one. You don’t need to know anything yet. Meet our robot chef!
A computer follows steps. It does exactly what it is told. Nothing more. Very fast; Not smart.
Steps in order = a program. You just wrote your first program! Steps; In order; = a program.
A wrong step is a bug. Watch: one step is in the wrong place.
What you do first
Teach the robot to make toast. Put the robot's 5 steps to "make toast" in order and press Run: 1. Get the bread; 2. Put the bread in the toaster; 3. Push the lever down; 4. Wait for the pop; 5. Put the toast on a plate.
Put a step too early and the robot still does it. The robot put… nothing in the toaster. It needs bread first! That is how a computer works: it follows the steps it is given, in the order it is given them.
The jobs in this lesson
Make toast: get the bread, then put the bread in the toaster, then push the lever down, then wait for the pop, then put the toast on a plate. When every step is in place: "Ding! Golden toast!"
Brush your teeth: pick up the toothbrush, then put toothpaste on the brush, then brush for two minutes, then spit, then rinse your mouth, then put the toothbrush away. When every step is in place: "Sparkly clean teeth!"
Make a bowl of cereal: get a bowl, then pour in the cereal, then pour in the milk, then eat it with a spoon. When every step is in place: "Crunchy breakfast!"
Plant a seed: dig a small hole, then drop in the seed, then cover it with soil, then water it. When every step is in place: "A little plant pops up!"
What you practise
Try it, "Teach the robot to make toast": Put the robot's 5 steps to "make toast" in order and press Run: 1. Get the bread; 2. Put the bread in the toaster; 3. Push the lever down; 4. Wait for the pop; 5. Put the toast on a plate.
Bug hunt, "Find the bug": Find the step in the wrong place in the robot's program to "brush your teeth": "Put the toothbrush away" comes right after "Pick up the toothbrush".
Mini practice, "Two more jobs": Put the robot's 4 steps to "make a bowl of cereal" in order and press Run: 1. Get a bowl; 2. Pour in the cereal; 3. Pour in the milk; 4. Eat it with a spoon. Then: Put the robot's 4 steps to "plant a seed" in order and press Run: 1. Dig a small hole; 2. Drop in the seed; 3. Cover it with soil; 4. Water it.
In your head, "What will the robot do?": What happens? The answer: "It pushes the lever on an empty toaster".
What PlayBuddy and PlayType say
PlayBuddy: "Hi! I’m PlayBuddy. Welcome to lesson one!"
PlayType: "And I’m PlayType! Today is day one. You don’t need to know anything yet."
PlayBuddy: "A computer is not smart. It is just very fast at following steps."
PlayType: "A list of steps in the right order is called a program."
PlayBuddy: "A wrong or missing step is called a bug. Let’s hunt one!"
PlayBuddy: "Your turn. Slow and steady!"
PlayType: "You’re ready! Next, we meet files."
Help in every lesson
PlayBuddy and PlayType stand beside the board, cheer you on and say when it is your turn.
A green ring shows where to click the first time. After that you do it on your own, and if you slip twice the ring comes back.
Stars
The lesson has 5 things to do. Up to one slip in ten gives three stars, up to one in four gives two, and finishing always gives at least one. Stars and progress are saved in this browser only; there is no account.
About DayOneCode
DayOneCode is an independent learning site, not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic. Claude and Claude Code are trademarks of Anthropic.