Play Robot

In this activity, we will explore the necessity to be specific and detailed in how we present information to a computer.

Numbers...

Form either pairs, triplets, or groups of four for this activity. Each person in the group should take turns playing the role of the algorithm tester while the others act as the algorithm authors.

Number Challenge: Adding

• Adding/finding/ordering numbers

  • Add any two numbers (not necessarily numbers in order)
  • Add any ten numbers (not necessarily numbers in order)
  • Add one hundred numbers (not necessarily numbers in order)

Number Challenge: Searching

• Find the lower of two numbers (not necessarily numbers in order)
• Find the lowest of ten numbers (not necessarily numbers in order)
• Find the lowest of one hundred numbers (not necessarily numbers in order)

Number Challenge: Ordering

• Put two numbers in order
• Put ten numbers in order
• Put one hundred numbers in order

Scrabble Tiles

In the following problems, you are allowed to use the following sentences as your language

We will have "memory spots" in this exercise. The best way to represent this is to get out a sheet of paper and make several squares to label each one. These squares will either contain a number or a tile.

Make a memory spot with the label ____.
Turn over the scrabble tile at the position determined by the value in label ____; copy the tile to a memory spot labeled ____; turn the tile back over.
Put the number ____ in the memory spot labeled ____.
Add `1` to the value of the number at memory spot labeled ____.
Change the letter at memory spot labeled ____ to the next letter in the alphabet (if you want consider wrapping around, then consider "A" the next letter after "Z").
If the tile in memory spot with the label ____ is equal to ____ then go to step number ____.
STOP with the answer YES
STOP with the answer NO

Scrabble Tile Challenge

Take ten scrabble tiles from your set and write algorithms for the following:

• Do you have a Z in your tiles?
• Can you make the word SDG?
• Do you have any vowels?

Try your algorithm for the entire bag of scrabble tiles you have. Does it still work? What part is slow, if any?