Zombie Survival
Decomposition: Break it down to build it up
Year 8 Computer Science
⚠ ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE ⚠
2 MINUTES
Write down everything you need to do to survive.
GO — right now. Don't organise it. Just write.
The Problem with Problems
Your chaotic list: hard to follow, hard to prioritise, easy to miss things.
The solution: decomposition
SURVIVE
├── Food
├── Shelter
├── Safety
├── Communication
└── Medical
Now each branch is a manageable sub-problem.
Decomposition
Breaking a complex problem into smaller sub-problems that can each be solved independently.
Food
├── Find sources
│ ├── Identify edible plants
│ ├── Locate supermarkets
│ └── Set up hunting traps
├── Preserve food
└── Purify water
Go deep until every leaf is a specific, actionable task.
Your Turn
- Groups of 3–4. Use the worksheet.
- Fill in all 5 Level 1 categories
- Break each into 3 Level 2 sub-problems
- Go to Level 3 for at least 2 branches
- Every leaf = specific + actionable
Dependencies
Which sub-problems depend on each other?
- Can you get food before you have a safe route?
- Can you treat injuries before you have medical supplies?
- Can you communicate without a power source?
Draw arrows between dependent branches (in a different colour). Label each: WHY?
CS Connection
Programmers decompose problems into functions.
find_food()
check_water_safe()
alert_nearby_survivors()
treat_injury(patient, injury_type)
locate_shelter(radius_km)
Each function solves exactly one sub-problem.
Key Takeaway
Decomposition turns an impossible problem into a list of solvable ones.
Every complex program is built by decomposing into functions — each solving exactly one sub-problem.
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