Teaching article
Grid coordinates work when everyone reads them in the same order
Define a coordinate convention before sending positions.
Row B, column three gives a precise destination only under a shared convention. Practise encoding and relocating a few positions before using shorthand in a longer program or partner challenge.
To hand: A labelled tabletop grid.
State row-column order. Encode a destination. Check with a partner.
Say the convention before shortening it
Row B, column three identifies B3 under the shared convention.
State coordinate order in words before using shorthand. A compact code is reliable only when everyone shares the same convention.
Reversing convention can change the location.
Did both partners read the same order? Use a small grid.
Resources
- Draw the Robot’s Grid Route – Open-Ended Drawing Worksheet — Use the route drawing as a spatial planning prompt; add your command key separately.
Further reading
- CS Unplugged — Kidbots and algorithm activities
- Australian Curriculum Version 9 — Technologies overview
Read next
- Look for exact repeated structure before writing a loop
- An arrow route is an algorithm only when the commands are clear
- An if instruction needs a condition the reader can test
Explore Coding and computational thinking. Browse all teaching articles.