Learning Standards & Objectives:
1. Using the Code-n-Go Mouse, students will learn to code the steps they need to take to complete a chain of reactions that builds a social and/or executive functioning skill.

*This activity is particularly helpful for students who struggle to engage in conversations about their choices and behaviors.

Part 1: 
If your student(s) has experience with the mouse, great! If not, you should explain the functions of the arrows on top.  I like to give the example of "a mouse with no plan."  I let the student(s) press the buttons in no particular order to get a sense that if we do not think out the steps, the mouse will not go where we plan for it to go.

Part 2: 
Discuss how people need plans, too. We need to break down the things we do into steps. Identify with the student a skill that they would like to improve. In the above picture, the student identified that he wanted to learn to listen.  He broke it down into parts that were already suggested on the board.  His final destination was "Pay attention with eyes, and ears, and brain." 

Part 3:
Code the mouse together.  Plan the stops that the mouse will make.  I encourage my students to have the mouse do an "action" when it stops on a skill. 

Part 4:
Discuss the process: 
1. What was more helpful? When the mouse had a plan or no plan?
2. Think about how we learn... there are so many steps involved! Once we had a plan, the mouse knew where to go.
3. What were your observations? Talk to the student about what you saw that they slowed down to do?