Activity 01 Little Road Mender

The aim of this activity is to introduce the Map A Journey to the Town. Unlike the Map mTiny and His Friends, this map involves a mechanism of roads and walls. mTiny can walk freely on any road but a wall will block its way. When it hits a wall, it will stop moving. This Road-and-Wall Mechanism requires children to check and adjust the way they assemble Road Map Blocks.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this activity, children will be able to:
(1) Understand the Road-and-Wall Mechanism in A Journey to the Town;
(2) Distinguish between the four types of Road Map Blocks in terms of the shape and the ways of assembling.

Key Competencies

Resources

For Child
Input Card × 1	Go! Card × 1	Forward Card × 4	Turn Right Card × 4	Turn Left Card × 4
mTiny Toolkit × 1	Crossroad × 1	Intersection × 2	Road Corner × 6	Straight Road × 3

For Educator
Input Card × 1	Go! Card × 1	Forward Card × 4	Turn Right Card × 4	Turn Left Card × 4
mTiny Toolkit × 1	Crossroad × 1	Intersection × 2	Road Corner × 6	Straight Road × 3

Educator-Led Instructions

Introduction

1. Introduce the four types of Roads:

Crossroad	Intersection	Road Corner	Straight Road

2. Encourage children to discuss the shapes and possible connection ways.

Main Activity

1. Hand out copies of Interrupted Roads Map as shown below:

1. Hand out the Map Blocks: each child should have 1 Crossroad Map Block, 2 Three-Way Intersection Map Blocks, 6 Road Corner Map Blocks, and 3 Straight Road Map Blocks.

2. Have children assemble the Road Map Blocks as Interrupted Roads Map shows.

3. Ask children to think about the following questions, for example:

(1) Why the roads on Interrupted Roads Map are interrupted? (or “Why do you think this ‘Roads Map’ is named in this way?”)
(2) Could mTiny be able to move from the Start Point to the End Point? Why?

:::tips Note: While discussing Interrupted Roads Map with children, invite them to have mTiny move on Interrupted Roads Map in the first place. Encourage children to test and observe the result (esp. while mTiny hits a wall) and then to give their answers. :::

1. Instruct children to draw a possible route connecting the Start and the End, and then to find out all the interrupted positions that hinder them.

2. Children act as road menders and rotate the map blocks at these positions to get the roads interconnected in all directions.

An Example of Interconnected Roads

1. Hand out mTiny Toolkits, Coding Cards, and blocks (or flag toys): each child should have 4 Forward Cards, 4 Turn Right Cards, 4 Turn Left Cards, 1 Input Card, and 1 Go! Card.

2. Instruct children to make mTiny Robot move from the Start to the End on the map blocks, and examine whether the roads are interconnected or not.
   

   Recap

   
   

3. Summarize the features of different types of Road Map Blocks and Road-and-Wall Mechanism.

4. Encourage children to work together to assemble a more complex Road Map.

:::tips Note: Instruct children to work in pairs (or group of three to four) to share their twelve Road Map Blocks. Encourage them to think about and create a special shape of Interconnected Roads Map. :::

Attachment

Here below is the printable Interrupted Roads Map: