CS Unplugged: Divide and Conquer
Use Santa’s Dirty Socks book or video to explore the problem of finding a hidden item in one of 1024 items. This problem uses the strategy, divide and conquer; half of the items can be eliminated each time, making the task faster and easier to complete. Relate the task to the way a computer searches. Support your teaching and learning with video clips and other related resources.
Additional details
| Year band(s) | 5-6, 7-8 |
|---|---|
| Format | Web page |
| Core and overarching concepts | Algorithms, Computational thinking |
| Australian Curriculum Digital Technologies code(s) |
AC9TDI6P01
Define problems with given or co developed design criteria and by creating user stories
AC9TDI6P02
Design algorithms involving multiple alternatives (branching) and iteration
AC9TDI8P04
Define and decompose real-world problems with design criteria and by creating user stories |
| Keywords | Computation, Maps, Algorithms, Problem solving, Divide and conquer, Search algorithm, Searching, Halving |
| Integrated, cross-curriculum, special needs | Mathematics |
| Organisation | University of Canterbury, New Zealand |
| Copyright | Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0 |
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