Coding Demystified Aug 1

Decomposing means breaking a problem down into smaller pieces. A big job is made easier by breaking it down into smaller jobs.

It might seem like a big job to draw Mo Willem's pigeon! To make it easier we can break it down into smaller jobs. 

1) Draw the head. 

2) Draw the neck.

3) Draw the body.

4) Draw the legs.

An algorithm is a set of step by step instructions that solve a problem. In order for a computer to understand your algorithm your instructions need to be very clear and detailed. Computers only think algorithmically. Unlike humans they cannot rely on previous knowledge to solve a new problem. Computers simply execute instructions created by humans.

To create an algorithm for drawing the pigeon we would need to write more detailed instructions.

1) Draw the head would need to be broken into something like:

1) In the center at the top of your paper draw a circle with roughly a 2 inch diameter

2) Inside that circle draw a smaller circle with roughly a 1-1/2 inch diameter

3) Draw a sideways letter "M" that touches at the bottom of the M to the left side of the outer circle. 

4) Inside the second circle draw a third circle with roughly 1/2 inch diameter that touches the right side of second circle.

5) Color in the third circle.

2) Next we would need to break down the Draw the neck problem and so on until the pigeon is complete.

Part 1:

1) Break into 2 groups.

2) One person in each group will be the "robot". 

3) The other group members will use the instruction cards to get the "robot" from Starting Point A to Ending Point B.

Part 2:

1) Use the KEVA Structures to create some walls in your path.

2) Rewrite your instructions to get the "robot" through the path again.