Hour of Code

Teacher How-To Page

Hour of Code PD

Goal: to inspire students to take interest in computer science (CS) and show that everyone can create with CS.

Hour of Code activities are meant to introduce all students to Computer Science and Programming.

Many activities are student-guided and are composed of:

  • Instructional videos and "talk-throughs". Talk-throughs are like videos, but you can pause them and play with the code in realtime.

  • Coding challenges, which give the student a chance to practice the concept and give us a way to automatically grade them and award points.

  • A final project, a way for students to use what they’ve learned in a more creative, free-form way.

As long as you have a PC or Chromebook, these tasks can be accessed by students. It's perfectly fine, even encouraged, to have pairs of students share a computing device. We call this pair programming. (More info on pair programming)

Some can be completed with tablets, and others without any technology at all: called "unplugged" activities.

PLAN YOUR ACTIVITY

  • Select a curated activity from the grade level pages on this website, choose one of the 20 ways to celebrate the Hour of Code, or explore all the activities at Code.org.

    • If students need to create an account they can usually click the Sign Up With Google button and use their @gilroyunified.org accounts.

  • Review the steps on How-To Teach Hour of Code

    • Go through and complete the activity first, to make sure it works on the devices and internet your students have access to, and so you have an understanding of what it is they are doing.

      • Most activities have tutorials guiding students independently.

    • Many of the Code.org activities have detailed lesson plans on this landing page.


Sample Lesson Plan

Getting Started: (2-5 mins)

  • Introduce the Activity

  • Direct Students to Selected Activity

    • Write the tutorial URL on a whiteboard or post the link to Google Classroom

    • Tip: For younger students, load the tutorial page ahead of time or save it as a bookmark

    • Optional: give students the link to this website for their grade level and allow them to choose their own activity

Activity: (20-40 mins)

  • Most activities are made so that students can work independently on them.

    • You might consider working through the activity with the entire class following along.

  • When your students come across difficulties, it's okay to respond:

    • "I don’t know. Let’s figure this out together."

    • "Technology doesn’t always work out the way we want."

    • "Learning to program is like learning a new language; you won’t be fluent right away."

  • What to do if a student finishes early?

    • Students can see all tutorials and try another Hour of Code activity

    • Or, ask students who finish early to help classmates who are having trouble with the activity.

Wrap-up: (5-10 mins)

  • Celebrate and pass out certificates and stickers.

  • Share photos and videos of your Hour of Code event on social media. Use #HourOfCode

  • Optional: Time permitting, challenge your students to reflect on the day’s activities and continue their learning

    • Gallery Walk: Have students showcase their work.

    • Exit Ticket: Have students complete an Exit Ticket before leaving to assess learning.

    • Flip your classroom: Challenge students to pick one of the tutorials they didn’t complete today, but that one of their friends did, and try to do it on their own at home.

    • Writing prompt: Have students journal at home about what they learned and how it made them feel.

An Educator's Guide to the Hour of Code


Go Beyond an Hour of Code in GUSD

Students have the option to take computer science in high school. If they are interested in computer science, they can sign up for the Computer Science Academy at Christopher High School. Applications to the academy will be sent out for 8th graders when counselors visit and when students select their elective.

Or if you want to try other Hour of Code Activities at various times throughout the year, especially good if you have a substitute, try one of the above activities you have not yet completed, or one from the whole Code.org list, or the list Mr. Clark has compiled.