Programming metamorphosis: bridging language and science through robotics

Computer science (CS) is becoming an essential part of elementary education. Despite recent initiatives that have expanded CS access, emergent multilingual learners (EMLs), students who speak languages other than English at home, continue to experience limited opportunities due to deficit-based perspectives and inadequate instructional support that overlook their linguistic and cultural strengths. This article presents a butterfly life cycle lesson that addresses these challenges by creating meaningful learning opportunities in both science and CS. The integrated lesson combines hands-on unplugged and robotics-based coding activities while intentionally integrating translanguaging practices and multimodal scaffolds throughout instruction. Grounded in the 5E Learning Cycle and supported by the PRIMM and TIPP & SEE instructional frameworks, the lesson helps all students, and especially EMLs, develop understanding of CS concepts such as sequencing, debugging, and algorithms while building computational thinking skills and academic language in both science and CS. This integrated lesson demonstrates how elementary teachers can create linguistically inclusive learning environments that position students’ multilingual resources as assets for CS learning.