BBC Learning - What Is An Algorithm.mp4

When you code, you create a series of commands that tell a computer what to do next. Coding factors into some everyday tasks that people perform without a second thought: for instance, programming a microwave to heat yesterday’s leftovers, or entering numbers into a calculator in a specific order. This game provides an introduction to basic programming concepts through fun, strategic play.

Prior to teaching this lesson:

Setup each game kit for the students as follows:

Each player gets 1 robot mouse and 1 super mouse card. Place the robot mouse directly over its matching-color outline on the board. This is their start position.
Divide the coding cards into four stacks (forward, right turn, left turn, reverse) and place them face up next to the board.
Place the 12 cheese wedges on the board’s matching neon spaces.
Place the 4 warp zone spots anywhere on the board (except on the cheese spaces). These spots can instantly transport you from one warp zone to another. This is a great way to quickly zoom around the board!
Insert the 8 maze walls into the stands for later use.

What You'll Need:

Code and Go Mouse Mania Board Games

Next Steps:

Divide the students up into groups of 2-4

Direct each group to one board game set that you set-up earlier

Go over how the game works and what the cards do.

Students will take turns building coding sequences or ALGORITHMS while racing to collect cheese wedges on the board. The player who collects the most cheese wedges is the winner!

WARP ZONE SPOT

If you land on this spot, you can instantly jump to another free warp zone spot on the board. This counts as one move. You also have the option of stepping onto this spot without teleporting (for example, if a cheese wedge is in the next space, you may want to stay put). You may not jump to an occupied warp zone!

MAZE WALL

If you roll this image, take a wall piece and place it anywhere on the board, on the gridline between two spaces. Think carefully: this is your chance to block an opponent from grabbing the cheese! If you roll a maze wall but none remain, you can move any wall already on the board.

SUPER MOUSE CARD

You may add this card to a coding sequence one time only. Playing this card helps your mouse jump over any maze wall in its path. Turn toward the wall before jumping. The mouse must face the same direction at the end of the jump as at the start—no midair turns!

Don't forget to use your Question & Encouragement Prompts. You can see them by clicking the arrow v on the right side of these words.

Keep Going:

How to Play:

1. The youngest player begins. Roll the die and take that number of coding cards.

2. Build a coding sequence by arranging the cards in a row. This helps you map the mouse’s movements in advance. Next, move the mouse on the board according to the sequence.

3. If you land on a space that has a cheese wedge, take it! Set your cards aside to make room for the next coding sequence. It is now the next player’s turn.

4. Play continues to the left. Take turns rolling the die, building a new coding sequence each time, and moving your mouse until all the cheese wedges have been collected.

5. The player who collects the most cheese wedges is the winner—and the top coder!

Optional tiebreaker: If two or more players collect the same number of cheese wedges, you can have a tiebreaker. The first player to return the mouse “home” to its starting position is the winner!

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

An important note about mouse moves: Each space on the board represents one step. Always move the mouse forward in the direction its nose is pointing; move the mouse in the opposite direction to reverse, pulling it one step backward. Right and left turns are pivots: rotate the mouse 90 degrees in place, left or right, in the intended direction.
You are allowed to jump over a space occupied by another mouse, counting the jump as one move. However, two mice are not allowed to share the same space. For example, if you roll 2, and a mouse is already in the space two steps forward, you will need to turn in a different direction after the first step; but if you roll 3, you can move forward three times over the occupied space and land in the open space.

TIPS FOR ADDED FUN

To help younger players get comfortable with coding, let them count the spaces and plot their moves in advance, directly on the board. Visualizing a sequence of moves can be challenging. A hands-on, try-it-first approach is often the best way to introduce critical thinking skills.
Add a little math to the action by having players count up their cards at the end of play. Who has the most, and the least?