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1. Understand the concepts: Program your "robotic friend" to learn to convert real actions into coded instructions. Understand the need for precision and learn to debug. (Activity from Tinkersmith Traveling Circuits, Lesson 3: My Robotic Friend)
- Look at the symbol key. These are the only instructions you may use to write the algorithms.
- Try one out together. Write the code to create this stack with cups. The cups always start in a stack at one side of the image.
- The cups always start in a stack at one side of the image. The "pick up cup" moves the cup above the highest cup already in the stack. Each arrow moves the cup only 1/2 cup width forward or backward.
- Once you are done, check out the solution.
- To give each person a chance to be the robot and the coder, each person should take a card and write the code to build that stack. Don't let the other person see your code.
- One at a time give the code to the "robot" and have him/her build the stack. Watch and debug as necessary. Switch and allow the other "robot" to build a stack from code.
2. Learn it yourself: Go through Getting Started with Scratch to learn about this drop-and-drag programming language for ages 11+.
If you want more about how to actually do block coding, try one of these:
- Hour of Code: Anna and Elsa
- Hour of Code: Minecraft
- Hour of Code: Start Wars
3. Your Challenge: Create a short Scratch program that tells the story of two characters interacting on something (your choice). The characters could be sprites already in the program or something you create. Have the characters move, make sounds or speak, change look, react to keyboard actions, and anything else you would like to do. Capture this in a screencast or a series of images to share.
4. Create a Challenge: Think about the level you work at and create a coding challenge that would encourage student exploration and creation. It doesn't not have to use Scratch as the language.
5. Create a curricular Tie-In: Develop a an idea to suggest to teachers for using coding for a curricular purpose.
Include an objective, at least one relevant standard that could be included, a description of an activity, and considerations on it implementation (e.g., equipment needs, student skills, grouping, timeframe).
OPTIONAL: Test your Knowledge Off-Line
OPTIONAL: Test your Knowledge Off-Line
CODE: On the Brink
CODE: On the Brink
This board game really tests your knowledge of coding. There are 40 challenges that contain maps of colored squares. Each color has pre-programmed moves for your Robot to perform. Determine the moves needed to get your Robot from start to finish. It really focuses on sequencing and procedures, really focusing on computational thinking. If you are on the UWW campus, check out this game in Andersen Library.
Make sure to read the instructions first. I'd recommend starting with an easy challenge. If you get stuck, the solutions are at the end of the book.
Resources
Resources
Other Programming Languages to Consider
Other Programming Languages to Consider
- Scratch Jr. (ages 5-9, iPad and Android table app)
- Hopscotch
- Kodable
- Tynker
- Pencil Code
- Light-Bot
- Snap!
- Kodu (game creation)
- Google CS First
- App creators:
Scratch
Scratch
- Scratch website from MIT: http://scratch.mit.edu/
- Learn Scratch: http://learnscratch.org/video-courses (video tutorials)
- Invent with Scratch: http://inventwithscratch.com/ (screencasts on specific skills)
- How to use Scratch from Instructables: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-use-Scratch/
- Johnstone High School Scratch Programming tutorial: http://www.jhigh.co.uk/ITIntroCourses/S2Courses/ScratchProgramming/Scratch_Home.html
- Pi Programming: Your First Scratch Program: http://www.piprogramming.org/main/?page_id=132 Scratch Wiki: http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Scratch_Wiki
- Super Scratch Programming Adventure! : Learn to Program by Making Cool Games / by LEAD Project (2014)
- Scratch Programming in Easy Steps / by Sean McManus (2013)
- Learn to Program with Scratch : A Visual Introduction to Programming with Games, Art, Science, and Math / by Majed Marji (2014)
For Teachers
- ScratchEd: http://scratched.media.mit.edu/
- ScratchEd Resources: http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/resources
- Educator’s Guide to Scratch Programming: http://www.scratchprogramming.org/
- Middle School Math Scratch Unit: http://pwoessner.com/scratch-programming/
- Scratch (by redware): http://scratch.redware.com/scratch
Kodu
Kodu
- Kodu Game Lab Community: http://www.kodugamelab.com/
- Kodu for Kids: The Official Guide to Creating Your Own Video Games by James Floyd Kelly (2013)
Programming
Programming
- Hour of Code: http://csedweek.org/learn or http://code.org/learn
- Sansing, Chad (2015). Coding Skills Empower Us All. School LIbrary Journal
- Sansing, Chad (2015). Ready to Learn Coding? Here are the Resources. School LIbrary Journal
- Code.org
- ComputeIt: Solve challenges to learn code reading
- Creating Computing: A Design-Based Introduction to Computational Thinking (curriculum)
- Made with Code (Google)
- Microsoft MakeCode
- Black Girls Code
- iPad Coding Apps Comparison chart (with links to tutorials)
- Teaching Kids to Code (Comparison of coding tools)
- Hello World! : Computer Programming for Kids and Other Beginners by Warren and Carter Sande (2014, 2nd ed.)
- Raspberry Pi in Easy Steps by Mike McGrath (2013)
- Building Apps by Laura La Bella (2013)
- Python for Kids: A Playful Introduction to Programming by Jason R. Briggs (2013).
- 3D Game Programming for Kids : Create Interactive Worlds with JavaScript by Chris Strom (2013).
- Video Game Programming for Kids by Jonathan S. Harbour (2012)
- Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python, 2nd ed by Al Sweigart (2010).
Additional Coding Games Tutorials
Additional Coding Games Tutorials
- Coding Is for Everybody (Scratch video tutorials)
- Hour of Code: Tutorials beyond an hour
- Erase All Kittens (HTML)
- Codecademy
- Khan Academy
- LearnStreet: JavaScript, Ruby and Python tutorials
Google Sites
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