Teacher guide · Think Lab · Easier · about 30 min
🤖 Robot Treasure Route
Pupils practise problem solving through "Robot Treasure Route": Give precise commands and repair a wrong turn.
Lesson guide
1. Hook · 5 min
Show the 🤖 mission title and read the opening: "Which instruction is clearest for a grid robot?". Take three quick guesses.
2. Model · 5 min
Think aloud through the first step together. Use Cog the Owl's line as your prompt: "Good thinking. Show me the why."
3. Do · 10 min
Pairs work through the 5 steps on screen or on the printed sheet. Circulate and ask "why?"
4. Discuss · 10 min
Use two or three of the discussion questions. Ask pairs to share different answers, not just correct ones.
5. Reflect · 5 min
Exit ticket: one sentence on how they used problem solving today.
Discussion questions
- What was the hardest choice in "Robot Treasure Route", and why?
- Which instruction is clearest for a grid robot — explain your reasoning to a partner.
- A robot turns left instead of right. What should you do — explain your reasoning to a partner.
- Does a robot always know what you meant — explain your reasoning to a partner.
- Where could you use problem solving outside school this week?
- If you did this again, what would you change?
Adapting it
Support: Read prompts aloud, pair with a confident partner, and accept spoken or drawn answers for writing steps.
Stretch: Ask pupils to create their own extra step for a partner and explain the correct answer.
Curriculum links
- National Curriculum: Computing: algorithms, debugging and online safety
- National Curriculum: Maths: reasoning mathematically and problem solving
- National Curriculum: Computing: logical reasoning and algorithms
- PSHE: Living in the wider world: making decisions and evaluating choices
Pupil sheet
🤖 Robot Treasure Route
Name: ____________________ Date: __________
1. Which instruction is clearest for a grid robot?
☐ Be good
☐ Go over there
☐ Move forward 2 squares
2. A robot turns left instead of right. What should you do?
☐ Add random steps
☐ Correct the turn instruction
☐ Throw away every instruction
3. Does a robot always know what you meant?
☐ No, it follows its instructions
☐ Only when it is blue
☐ Yes, always
4. Connect the clues to their meanings.
Forward → ________________
Turn right → ________________
Debug → ________________
5. Write a route for a pretend robot with at least four precise commands. Add a mistake, then explain the fix.