Activities for Grades 6-8
Use block-based programming to code a dance party to share with friends! Features an exploration of events and animation using fun dance moves and a variety of pop music favorites.
- Type of Activity: Student-guided
- Level: Any, including beginners
- Language(s): Many!
- Devices: Any!
- Length of Activity: 1 hour, with a 1 hour extension activity
Explore Scratch as you imagine a world where anything is possible, then bring it to life! This on-screen tutorial will guide students around the Scratch interface as they use drag and drop blocks to create their own world!
- Type of Activity: Student-guided
- Level: Intermediate
- Language(s): English and Spanish (though easily adapted to other languages)
- Devices: Computers or Chromebooks
- Length of Activity: 60+ minutes
Learn the basics of coding in Python while creating your own Public Service Announcement. Choose a topic you find important and design you own animated or interactive PSA to share critical information about how to make a positive impact on the world.
- Type of Activity: Student-guided
- Language(s): English
- Devices: Computers or Chromebooks
- Length of Activity: 60+ minutes
Code and play a series of game levels while learning important computer science concepts and programming in Python or JavaScript. On the final level, show off your creativity and skills to code your own game from scratch!
- Type of Activity: Student-guided
- Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- Language(s): English only
- Devices: Computers or Chromebooks
- Length of Activity: 30 minutes - 3+ hours
Increase students' awareness of the problem of plastic pollution, and the growing Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Students will use JavaScript (text-based programming) to create a project to help promote awareness of the Ocean's plight. Great for science integration!
- Type of Activity: Student-guided
- Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- Language(s): English only
- Devices: Computers, Chromebooks, or iPads
- Length of Activity: 45 - 60 minutes
Moon Lander is a game builder course with 17 exercises that guides students on how to build their own physics-based game. In the game, students use code and 6-9th grade physics concepts in order to help a spaceship land safely. Along the way, they will learn about the power of gravity, understand the meaning of thrust force and learn more advanced concepts in coding and game design. Great for science integration!
- Type of Activity: Student-guided
- Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- Language(s): English only
- Devices: Computers or Chromebooks
- Length of Activity: 45 to 60 minutes
Use algebra and the WeScheme Editor to learn the basics of programming with Bootstrap! Great for math integration!
- Type of Activity: Student-guided
- Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- Language(s): English only
- Devices: Computers or Chromebooks
- Length of Activity: 45 - 60 minutes
Use JavaScript to create a project about Martin Luther King Jr. or the March on Washington. The project is scaffolded so that teachers of any subject - regardless of prior experience - can easily introduce coding. The project-based approach gives students a creative way to show what they know. Great for social studies integration!
- Type of Activity: Student-guided
- Level: Intermediate
- Language(s): English only
- Devices: Any!
- Length of Activity: 45 - 60 minutes
Create your own app in JavaScript using blocks or text. You'll make a simple app with buttons, images, sounds and multiple screens that you can share with your friends or publish to a public gallery. If you've already done some coding with blocks, take your skills to the next level.
- Type of Activity: Student-guided
- Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- Language(s): English only
- Devices: Computers or Chromebooks
- Length of Activity: 45 - 60 minutes
Make a Scratch game in which you play the notes of a song as they scroll down the stage. You'll score ten points for every correct note you play. Each note corresponds to a binary number.
- Type of Activity: Student-guided
- Level: Intermediate, Advanced
- Language(s): English only
- Devices: Computers or Chromebooks
- Length of Activity: 60+ minutes
Conditionals with Cards
Learn about algorithms and conditional statements in this fun unplugged activity using a deck of cards.
- Type of Activity: Teacher-guided
- Level: Any!
- Language(s): N/A
- Devices: None - unplugged
- Materials: playing cards (1 deck per team)
- Length of Activity: 30 to 60 minutes
Lesson Plan // Video