Teaching article
An arrow route is an algorithm only when the commands are clear
Represent an ordered set of instructions for a defined task.
Give the token a start, a goal and an agreed command key. The order matters, but so does the meaning of each instruction; two readers cannot test the same program if they interpret its arrows differently.
Write the command meanings beside the grid. An ordered sequence is executable only when the interpreter understands the same rules as the author.
Define the interpreter's rules
- Mark start and goal.
- Arrange commands.
- Execute in order.
Forward then turn produces a different route from turn then forward.
Define each command precisely. Did order affect the outcome?
Move a token instead of a person.
Resources
- Human Robot Commands – Coding Without Screens Printable Game — Check the command conventions before using the sequence or debugging task.
Further reading
- CS Unplugged — Kidbots and algorithm activities
- Australian Curriculum Version 9 — Technologies overview
Read next
- Forward means the way the robot faces
- A sequence follows order; a conditional selects an action
- An ordered card set permits a different search strategy
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