Coding Game: Save the Ocean

In this course you will learn how to write an algorithm (a step-by-step plan) to control a robotic cleaner. You will learn to think like a robot or computer. This way you’ll learn a number of basic principles of Computer Science while you’re helping sea creatures by cleaning up the plastic in the ocean.

Download supply list & printables

Missions

Introduction

In these missions you are going to clean up the ocean by programming a robotic cleaner.

Mission 1 – Algorithms & Sequences

Did you know that every second 550 pounds of plastic end up in our oceans? That’s a whole truckload every single minute! Where is all that plastic coming from?

Mission 2 – Loops

In the 2nd mission you will make the algorithm for the robotic cleaner even more effective. You will expand the sequence with loops.

Mission 3 – Conditional Statements

So far, we have only made the robot swim right over the plastic… But we want to make the water cleaner! So, your robot will also have to remove that plastic out of the water.

Mission 4 – Procedures

In this mission you are going to finalize your algorithm
by adding a so-called ‘procedure’. In a procedure you define, in a separate sequence, a part of your algorithm that occurs more than once.

Conclusion

You encounter algorithms everywhere in daily life. These algorithms are a lot more complex than the ones we made… But ultimately it is the same thing: it is a step-by-step plan to solve a problem!

Educator Materials

Download Materials

Having trouble downloading the materials? Try our Dropbox folder.