What students build
- A maze or grid
- A known start and direction
- A command vocabulary
- A predicted route
- A tested revision
- A demonstration trace
Guided Class Project
Guided Class ProjectRobot Maze Logic
Deliver a repair part through a maze using instructions precise enough for a robot that cannot guess what 'go around it' means.
Visible system / hidden curriculum
Build something clear enough to test.
What students learn
- Decomposition
- Sequence order
- Direction tracking
- Prediction
- Route testing
- Debugging one command
What students need
- Paper and pencil or browser simulation
- Optional floor grid
- No robot hardware required
Simulation-friendly and suitable for a paper logic version. Physical robot hardware is optional and not assumed to be included.
Suggested build order
Decisions and checkpoints, not a wall of copied blocks.
Students may use different artwork and implementation details. The shared structure keeps the concept teachable.
- 01
Define the command language
Task: Choose exact forward, turn, and stop commands.
Build and test this part before adding the next system.
- Checkpoint
- Every command has one meaning.
- Likely mistake
- Using vague human directions.
- 02
Mark start and direction
Task: Record both position and facing direction.
Build and test this part before adding the next system.
- Checkpoint
- Another student can reproduce the setup.
- Likely mistake
- Recording position but not direction.
- 03
Predict the route
Task: Write the complete sequence before testing.
Build and test this part before adding the next system.
- Checkpoint
- The final position is predicted.
- Likely mistake
- Changing commands during the first run.
- 04
Trace or simulate
Task: Run one command at a time and record state.
Build and test this part before adding the next system.
- Checkpoint
- The failure point is identifiable.
- Likely mistake
- Skipping intermediate states.
- 05
Revise one cause
Task: Change the earliest incorrect command and retest.
Build and test this part before adding the next system.
- Checkpoint
- The repair has a stated reason.
- Likely mistake
- Rewriting the whole route randomly.
Test it
Try the edges, not only the easy success.
- Does the route track facing direction?
- Can the robot cut through corners?
- What happens at the edge?
- Does stop occur at the target?
- Can another student follow the same commands?
Common mistakes
Read the clues before changing code.
- Directions assume a human viewpoint.
- Turns are confused with movement.
- The robot is treated as a point with no size.
- Several commands are revised at once.
Improve it
Preserve the core system while changing the project.
- Find a shorter route.
- Add one blocked square.
- Create a reusable turn routine.
- Swap command lists with another student.
Challenge levels
Choose meaningful difficulty.
Builder
Complete and trace one route.
Inventor
Optimize the route after proving it works.
Boss Level
Design a maze and command verifier for another student.
Show-teacher checkpoint
Demonstrate the working decisions.
- Command vocabulary
- Known start and direction
- Written prediction
- Complete trace
- One evidence-based repair
- Final route explanation