Algorithmic thinking doesn’t just happen when coding. Scott Turner and his son Thomas have developed a game that uses an algorithm to produce drawings

Turner, Scott

Turner, Thomas

English

NECTAR

helloworld.cc74Algorithmic thinking doesn’t just happen when coding. Scott Turner and his son Thomas have developed a game that uses an algorithm to produce drawingsTHOMAS’S TANGLEShe aim of this game is to use an algorithm to generate an image and see the main algorithmic constructs in action. Per team (two to three students)•  Squared paper•  Six coloured pens or pencils•  One or two dice7–10UnpluggedREQUIREMENTSAGE RANGELESSON TYPETn  Students may need some guidance on interpreting the ‘check for blocks’ part of the algorithm/subroutine: essentially it is just either if the move is off the page or the blocks have already been filled in, then find a new starting pointLESSON PLANLEARNING OBJECTIVES  Explore abstract patterns using randomness within an algorithm.After this activity, students should be able to: Use an algorithm that uses randomness Produce a picture by using an algorithmA FEW MINUTES MAY BE NEEDED TO GO THROUGH THE ALGORITHM AND SHOW AN EXAMPLE“helloworld.cc 75THOMAS TURNER AND SCOTT TURNERThomas Turner has an interest in both playing and creating games. He is 14 years old.Scott Turner (@scottturneruon) is Principal Lecturer in Computing at the University of Northampton. He is also a Code Club leader and volunteer. Get your students into pairs, each with a copy of the algorithm, a sheet of squared paper, pens, and dice. A few minutes may be needed to go through the algorithm and show an example.Working in pairs, ask the children to take turns with the two roles.ACTIVITY 1:  PRODUCE YOUR TANGLES  30 minutesACTIVITY 2:  REVIEW, MODIFY AND MAKE  30 minutesIf die roll = 1 Roll die for number of moves Check for blocks  If not blocked then move die roll number of steps up the pageIf die roll = 2 Roll die for number of moves Check for blocks  If not blocked then move die roll number of steps down the pageIf die roll = 3 Roll die for number of moves Check for blocks  If not blocked then move die roll number of steps to the leftIf die roll = 4 Roll die for number of moves Check for blocks  If not blocked then move die roll number of steps to the rightn    Person A: Rolls the dice and reads out the instructions – using the algorithm.n    Person B: Is the ‘robot’ carrying out the instructions.n    When the starting or central square is blocked and a new central square is needed, the roles of A and B swap (so n    Share examples of the children’s work around the class.n    What changes would you make to the algorithm?n    Make the changes to the algorithm (and, if there is time, repeat on a new piece of paper using the modified algorithm).A is the ‘robot’, and B rolls the dice and reads out the instruction).n    The roles keep swapping.n    Pedagogically, the approach is inspired by pair programming and this activity has elements of the Run and Investigation parts of PRIMM.If die roll = 5 Roll die If die = 1 change colour to Red If die = 2 change colour to Blue If die = 3 change colour to Black If die = 4 change colour to Red If die = 5 change colour to Orange If die = 6 change colour to YellowIf die roll = 6 Return to current centre square Check for blocks:If number of free blocks in the direction < number of moves, choose a new centre square.AlgorithmStart from a random square – call it the centre squareRepeat until end of gameSome suggestions for questions:   What part of this algorithm uses selection?   How do we know what will be repeated?   How would you modify to improve the algorithm?   How could we alter the algorithm to use 12 colours instead of 6?ASSESSMENTDIFFERENTIATIONFURTHER READINGFor a follow-on activity, can you build part of this in Scratch? As a suggestion, build it so that only a single ‘spiral’ of one colour is used.   A simple Scratch version of the game:   helloworld.cc/tangles    Scott Turner and Katharine Childs have written a chapter on artists in the book Teaching Computing Unplugged in Primary Schools:   helloworld.cc/primaryup n  As an extension activity, your students could write a program to create the ‘tangles’ in Scratch

Thomas's Tangles

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http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/13025/1/Turner_Scott_2019_Thomas_Tangles.pdf

Thomas's Tangles

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