Unplugged Algorithms 2 – Building a Program | Loops, Blocks & Algorithmic Thinking

Help students develop computational and algorithmic thinking without using a computer.

Unplugged Algorithms 2 – Building a Program is a printable workbook designed for students in Grades 5–9 who are learning how programs are built and how algorithms can be made clearer, shorter and more effective.

Students progress from simple block-based instructions to loops, conditions, debugging, optimisation and finally designing their own algorithmic challenge.

The resource includes five main activities:

Program Using Blocks – students build programs using movement, action, condition and repetition blocks.

Loops and Repetition – students identify repeated actions, rewrite sequences using loops, correct errors and explore repetition in different contexts.

Algorithmic Challenge – students combine sequences, loops, conditions and actions in practical robot missions.

The Shortest Program – students compare solutions and learn how repetition can make written programs more compact.

Become an Algorithm Creator – students design their own mission, create a game board, write and test a program and challenge a classmate.

The workbook also includes teacher guidance, basic and advanced versions of selected activities, model solutions and a final reflection sheet. The activities can be used individually, in pairs or in groups and are suitable for standalone computing lessons, extension work, revision or lessons without access to computers.

Algorithms are written in simplified notation so students can focus on the logic of the solution rather than the syntax of a specific programming language.

Recommended for: Grades 5–9 / KS2–KS3
Format: Printable PDF
Pages: 30+
Topics: Algorithms, loops, conditions, block programming, debugging, optimisation, computational thinking