Rugged Robot Coral Reef Mat

Take Rugged Robot for a swim. This 120 x 120 cm mat puts the robot on a coral reef populated with reef fish, visible examples of coral bleaching, and a broken ship's mast that links across to the Treasure Island mat.

It is the mat to reach for when you want the coding lesson to carry some science with it. Scatter the reef with pieces of plastic rubbish and ask students to program a collection route, then have them argue about which route is most efficient. Ask how long each type of rubbish takes to break down, and the same activity becomes a sustainability discussion with a programming task attached rather than a directional exercise with a marine theme.

Lesson ideas that use this mat are included in the Rugged Robot activity book, so it is straightforward to build a unit around it rather than a single one-off session.