unplugged activity - Thomas’ Tangles

An unplugged computing game developed by myself and my son - Thomas's Tangle was one the unplugged activities within a workshop at the Roehampton Festival of Computing today.

Thomas's tangles unplugged activity at our workshop @scottturneruon #RUFestofComp16 pic.twitter.com/DLMh7JTUS6

— Helen Caldwell (@HelenCaldwel) June 17, 2016

Playing @scottturneruon's unplugged game #RUFestofComp16 pic.twitter.com/Kofl1Q556u

— Katharine Childs (@primaryicttech) June 17, 2016

Unplugged Activity 3: Thomas’ Tangles

Exploring abstract patterns using randomness within an algorithm.

Using crayons, pencils or pens, we are going to follow an algorithm to create a random drawing. This could be done in pairs and you will need squared paper.

Person A: Rolls the dice and reads out the instructions.

Person B: Is the ‘robot carrying out the instructions.

When the starting or central square is blocked and a new central square is needed the roles of A and B swap (so A is the ‘robot’ and B rolls the dice and reads out the instruction). The roles keep swapping.

Algorithm

Start from a random square – call it the centre square

Repeat until end of game

If die roll = 1

Roll die for number of moves

Check for blocks

If not blocked then

move die roll number of steps up the page

If die roll = 2

Roll die for number of moves

Check for blocks

If not blocked then

move die roll number of steps down the page

If die roll = 3

Roll die for number of moves

Check for blocks

If not blocked then

move die roll number of steps to the left

If die roll = 4

Roll die for number of moves

Check for blocks

If not blocked then

move die roll number of steps to the right

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 Yellow

If die roll = 6

Return to current centre square

Check for blocks:

If pathway blocked do not move then

reroll die

If number of spaces in the direction > die roll then

move until blocked

If all pathways blocked then

choose a new centre square

More details of the activity can be found in the forthcoming book.



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