The Algorithm Games: Glitch Lab
Play it. Test it. Fix it.
Glitch Lab is a new class of The Algorithm Games, ten unplugged computer science lessons for grades 3 to 5. Each lesson is one idea, like queues, error checks, records or user testing, and a cooperative game that uses it to test and fix something. Kids who haven't taken The Algorithm Games can start here.
Players: grades 3 to 5
Levels: 10 lessons
Time: 55 minutes
Mode: team play
Kid screens: none
Inside a lesson
What happens in a lesson
Each lesson is one idea. I show one worked example with everyone, then kids play the game in small teams. At the end we talk about where the idea turns up in everyday life and in technology.
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Step 1: Play it
Kids play the lesson's game and look for the place where the result doesn't match the goal.
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Step 2: Test it
They choose one change, try it and watch what it affects.
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Step 3: Fix it
A test that fails still tells them something. They change one thing and test again. Programmers call this debugging.
The ten lessons
One idea per lesson
The last lesson brings earlier ideas back together. Each lesson has a written plan with a take-home activity for families.
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Lesson 01
Debugging & testing
Debugging means finding what doesn't match, changing one thing and testing again.
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Lesson 02
Information & useful questions
A useful question removes possibilities. Search filters use this to narrow a big collection.
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Lesson 03
Constraints & logic
A constraint is a rule the answer must follow. Scheduling software uses them to avoid conflicts.
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Lesson 04
Queues & bottlenecks
A queue is a waiting line, and a bottleneck is the slow step holding it up. A printer queue lines up print jobs in order.
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Lesson 05
Error detection & resend
Networks send error-checking information with data, so a changed message can be caught and sent again.
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Lesson 06
Parallel work & dependencies
Some jobs can happen at the same time, and some have to wait for others. A computer runs separate calculations at once, and a result that needs them waits.
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Lesson 07
Records, keys & indexes
A key identifies a record, and an index tells a system where to look, so it can find records without checking every one.
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Lesson 08
States & events
A state is the mode a system is in, and an event can change it. Apps track states like loading and ready so they respond the right way.
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Lesson 09
User testing & clarity
A user test shows whether another person can understand a design, so designers know what to fix.
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Lesson 10 · finish
All of it together
Technology teams combine testing, data checks and user feedback to make systems dependable.
Two classes
Glitch Lab and The Algorithm Games
The first class, The Algorithm Games, covers nine ideas, from algorithms to fairness, and ends in an escape room. Glitch Lab has ten new lessons, and apart from debugging, its ideas aren't in that class.
Both classes ask kids to check a result and fix what went wrong.
Read about The Algorithm Games
Questions
Questions about Glitch Lab
Do kids need The Algorithm Games first?
No. Glitch Lab doesn't depend on the first class, and no coding experience is needed. Each lesson starts with a worked example the whole class does together.
Do kids use screens?
They don't use devices. I use one display at the front, and the games are played in small teams.
Do kids make a video game?
No. They test and fix games and puzzles that are already made, and nobody designs or programs a game.
What if a kid misses a lesson?
Each lesson has its own idea and game, so the next one starts fresh. The last lesson brings earlier ideas back, and teams work through them together.
For older students
Going Live: Vibecode a Website or App
Going Live is a separate course I teach for teens in grades 8 to 12. They build a website or app with AI, publish it online and learn to check what the AI writes. No coding experience is needed.
Visit Going LiveContact
Ask me about Glitch Lab
Email me if you'd like Glitch Lab for your co-op or homeschool group, or if you'd like to teach it yourself. You can also ask me about any of the ten lessons.