← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

Tracking variable values on paper

A table with a column for each variable and a row for each step or repeat. It shows how the values change, and the first row holds the starting values.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6 — Algorithms with Branching and Repetition — Module 24, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Algorithms, Flowcharts and Pseudocode — Module 41, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Programming with Control Structures and Functions (JavaScript) — Module 25

Understanding Tracking variable values on paper in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

What it does: There is one row for each repeat, and each row shows how the value changed, here going up by 2 each time. The table has one column per variable, so coins and steps each have a column. The first row holds the values before any repeats happen, so you know where you began. The count goes 0, 2, 4, 6. After the second repeat it is 4. If you rub out old values you lose the history. A new row keeps every step so you can check your work. The starting values take 1 row, and the 4 repeats take 4 more rows, so there are 5 in total.

Common mistakes: The rule adds 2 each repeat. After repeat 1 the total is 2, so after repeat 2 it must be 4, not 5. Coins go up by 5 each repeat. After repeat 1, coins should be 5, not 10. Each row shows how the values change from the row before.

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 106–119) and word search (Modules 106–132).

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Learning
Duo
A tracking table has one column for each ___.
variableline of text
Matches
| repeat | score | score + 1 |
↓
The second column is an action, not a variable. A column should be named after a variable, such as lives or count, not a calculation.
Applying
Meanings
Term
tracking table
Meaning
A table with a column for each variable and a row for each step or repeat. It shows how the values change, and the first row holds the starting values.
Practice
count ← 0
Testing
Gaps
Table columns: lives,
Check Answer
Spots
3Repeat 1: count=1 total=2
4Repeat 2: count=2 total=5

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Quick Questions

1. A tracking table has one column for each ___.
A. variable ✓
B. line of text
Each variable gets its own column so you can watch its value change down the table.
2. What does each row of a tracking table show after a loop?
A. The name of the programmer
B. The values after one repeat ✓
One row for each repeat shows how the values look at that point in the algorithm.
3. Where do the starting values go in a tracking table?
A. In the last row
B. In the first row ✓
The first row holds the values before any repeats happen, so you know where you began.
4. An algorithm has the variables score and lives. How many columns does the tracking table need?
A. 2 columns, one for score and one for lives ✓
B. 1 column, because they go together
Each variable needs its own column, so two variables means two columns.
5. The algorithm starts with count = 0, then REPEAT 3 TIMES: ADD 2 to count. What is count in the row after the second repeat?
A. 4 ✓
B. 2
The count goes 0, 2, 4, 6. After the second repeat it is 4.

Match the Pairs

| repeat | score | lives | → The header row of a tracking table: one column for each variable, here score and lives, plus a column for the repeat number
| start | 0 | 3 | → The first row of a tracking table, which holds the starting values of the variables before any repeat happens
Each time the loop repeats, you add a new row to the tracking table to show the new values → | repeat 1 | 2 | | repeat 2 | 4 | | repeat 3 | 6 |
Each variable gets its own column, so a table for a loop that uses coins and steps needs two value columns → | repeat | coins | steps |
| repeat | score | score + 1 | → The second column is an action, not a variable. A column should be named after a variable, such as lives or count, not a calculation.
| repeat 1 | 1 | (first row, before the loop starts) → The first row should hold the starting values before any repeat. Here it shows the value after the first repeat, so the starting value is missing.

Key Term

tracking table
A table with a column for each variable and a row for each step or repeat. It shows how the values change, and the first row holds the starting values.

Fill in the Blanks

1. SET lives TO 3 SET coins TO 0 Table columns: lives, coins
Hint: Type the second variable that needs its own column in the tracking table.
2. SET count TO 0 REPEAT 3 TIMES: ADD 2 TO count Row 1 (start): count = 0
Hint: Type the starting value that goes in the first row of the table.
3. REPEAT 4 TIMES ADD 1 TO score Repeat rows needed in table: 4
Hint: Type how many repeat rows the table needs, one for each repeat.
4. SET total TO 10 SUBTRACT 3 FROM total Row 2 (after one repeat): total = 7
Hint: Work out the value of total to write in the second row.
5. REPEAT UNTIL count = 3 Each repeat of the loop adds a new row
Hint: Type the part of a tracking table that is added for each repeat.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A Add 2 to total each repeat
B Start: count=0 total=0
C Repeat 1: count=1 total=2
D Repeat 2: count=2 total=5
E Repeat 3: count=3 total=6
Line D — The rule adds 2 each repeat. After repeat 1 the total is 2, so after repeat 2 it must be 4, not 5.
Question 2
A Each repeat: lives-1, coins+5
B Start | lives 3 | coins 0
C Repeat 1 | lives 2 | coins 10
D Repeat 2 | lives 1 | coins 10
Line C — Coins go up by 5 each repeat. After repeat 1, coins should be 5, not 10. Each row shows how the values change from the row before.
Question 3
A SET total TO 5
B REPEAT 3 TIMES
C ADD 5 TO total
D Table: total 0, 5, 10, 15
Line A — The first row of the table holds the starting value, which is 0. The algorithm must start with SET total TO 0 so the table matches.
Question 4
A One row for each variable
B One row for each repeat
C First row: the starting values
Line A — A tracking table has one column for each variable. The rows are for the steps or repeats, not the variables.
Question 5
A n starts at 1 and doubles
B Start: n=1
C Repeat 1: n=2
D Repeat 2: n=6
E Repeat 3: n=8
Line D — n doubles each repeat. After repeat 1 n is 2, so after repeat 2 it is 2 x 2 = 4, not 6.

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