Hour of Code
High School Activities
Giving commands to a computer, which is what programming is all about, is just like giving commands to a dog. Learn how to code with Karel the Dog—a fun, accessible, and visual introduction to text or block-based programming that teaches fundamental concepts like commands and functions to beginners.
Type of Activity: Student-Guided
Devices: Computers, Chromebooks, Macs
Length of Activity: 60 minutes
Recommended Ages: Middle or High School
Students explore how coding is used in music creation by building their own dynamic eight-count beats and patterns with JavaScript blocks!
Type of Activity: Student-Guided
Devices: Computers, Chromebooks, Macs
Length of Activity: 60 minutes
Recommended Ages: Middle or High School
Learn the basics of programming by drawing shapes on your screen with Tracy the Turtle! Turtle Graphics (or LOGO) is a beginner friendly way to explore programming concepts and bring creativity into programming in a visual way.
Type of Activity: Student-Guided
Devices: Computers, Chromebooks, Macs
Length of Activity: 60 minutes
Recommended Ages: Middle or High School
This hour teaches your students to make their own webpages using the basics of HTML and CSS, finishing with a holiday greeting card. Requires good typing skills and a keyboard.
Type of Activity: Student-Guided
Devices: Computers, Chromebooks, Macs
Length of Activity: 60-120 minutes
Recommended Ages: 8+
Learn how to program drawings using JavaScript in Khan Academy and design your very own snowman.
Type of Activity: Student-Guided
Devices: Computers, Chromebooks, or Macs
Length of Activity: 60-120 minutes
Recommended Ages: 8+
Welcome to the Mobile CS Principles Hour of Code! In this activity, you will build code to play the tunes given in the puzzles. After you complete all the levels, click on Create to code your own tune and then package it as an Android app. You can also try MIT App Inventor, which has similar block programming to create mobile apps.
Type of Activity: Student-Guided
Devices: Computers, Chromebooks, Macs
Length of Activity: 60 minutes
Recommended Ages: High School
Students are introduced to the need for encryption and simple techniques for breaking (or cracking) secret messages. They try their own hand at cracking a message encoded with the classic Caesar cipher and also a Random Substitution Cipher.
Type of Activity: Student-Guided
Devices: Computers, Chromebooks, Macs
Length of Activity: 30-60 minutes
Recommended Ages: High School
Discover the basics of Python without any word or explanation. Our silent teacher will give you several series of challenges that will lead you to guess some rules and learn from your own mistakes.
Type of Activity: Student-Guided
Devices: Computers, Chromebooks, Macs
Length of Activity: 45-60 minutes
Recommended Ages: Grades 6+
Act as the "computer" as you read and interpret the programs to find the right trajectory and win the challenges. You will have to focus and use your intuitive abilities to understand some core concepts of programming.
Type of Activity: Student-Guided
Devices: Computers, Chromebooks, Macs
Length of Activity: 30-120 minutes
Recommended Ages: Middle or High School
Conditionals with Cards - Unplugged
Learn about algorithms and conditional statements in this fun unplugged activity using a deck of cards.
Type of Activity: Teacher-Guided
Devices: None - unplugged
Materials: playing cards (1 deck per team)
Length of Activity: 30-60 minutes
Recommended ages: Middle or High School
Go Beyond an Hour of Code in GUSD
Students have the option to take computer science in high school. Computer Science is an elective you can sign up for.
Ongoing list of many Hour of Code Activities tracked by TClark
Note: many of these are self-guided and could be a great substitute lesson if students have access to Chromebooks
If you would like to continue computer science, either with your class or individual students on their own, you can check out online tutorials from a variety of sources:
Khan Academy: learn to create websites with HTML and CSS, and create art and drawings with JavaScript
CodeHS: learn a myriad of programming language using CodeHS, or just complete more Hour of Code Activities
Scratch: make fun and creative projects using Scratch Creative Computing
App Inventor: create apps for your phone or tablet!
Google CS First: A free computer science curriculum that makes coding easy to teach and fun to learn. Or just complete more Hour of Code Activities
Blockly Games: solve puzzles
Code Studio: solve puzzles, or just complete more Hour of Code Activities
Codecademy: learn how to create websites with HTML and CSS, or how to use Python or JavaScript