Resource Map for Imparting Key 21st Century Skills

Express Course (2023)

Grade 6-8 | 29 Lessons

Course Description

Learn to create computer programs, develop problem-solving skills, and work through fun challenges! Make games and creative projects to share with friends, family, and teachers.

Learning Objectives

Lesson 1: Programming with Angry Birds

In this lesson, students will develop programming skills on a computer platform. The block-based format of these puzzles help students learn about sequence and concepts without having to worry about perfecting syntax.

Students will be able to:

Identify and locate bugs in a program.
Translate movements into a series of commands.

Lesson 2: Debugging in Maze

In this skill-building lesson, students will encounter pre-written code that contains mistakes. They will need to step through the existing code to identify errors.

Students will be able to:

Modify an existing program to solve errors.
Predict where a program will fail.
Reflect on the debugging process in an age-appropriate way.

Lesson 3: Collecting Treasure with Laurel

In this skill-building lesson, students will continue to develop their understanding of algorithms and debugging. With a new character, Laurel the Adventurer, students will create sequential algorithms to get Laurel to pick up treasure as she walks along a path.

Students will be able to:

Develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills by reviewing debugging practices.
Order movement commands as sequential steps in a program.
Represent an algorithm as a computer program.

Lesson 4: Creating Art with Code

In this skill-building lesson, students will take control of the Artist to complete drawings on the screen.

Students will be able to:

Break complex shapes into simple parts.
Create a program to complete an image using sequential steps.

Lesson 5: Swimming Fish in Sprite Lab

Students will program a simple animated underwater scene in this skill-building lesson.

Students will be able to:

Create new sprites and assign them costumes and behaviors.
Define “sprite” as a character or object on the screen that can be moved and changed.

Lesson 6: Making Sprites

In this skill-building lesson, students will work through a series of programming levels on the computer, finishing with an open-ended “free play” task where they can build whatever they like. Students will write programs and learn about the two concepts at the heart of Sprite Lab: sprites and behaviors.

Students will be able to:

Create an animation using sprites and behaviors.
Create new sprites and assign them costumes and behaviors.

Lesson 7: Sprites in Action

Students will be able to:

Create an interactive animation using events.
Develop programs that respond to timed events.
Develop programs that respond to user input.

Lesson 8:Virtual Pet with Sprite Lab

Students will create an interactive Virtual Pet that looks and behaves how they wish in this mini-project lesson. Students will use Sprite Lab's "Costumes" tool to customize their pet's appearance. They will then use events, behaviors, and other concepts they have learned to bring their project to life.

Students will be able to:

Create an interactive virtual pet using events, behaviors, variables, and custom art.
Program solutions to problems that arise when designing a virtual pet, like feeding it or monitoring its happiness.

Lesson 9: Dance Party

In this skill-building lesson, students will program an interactive dance party.

Students will be able to:

Create dance animations with code
Develop programs that respond to timed events
Develop programs that respond to user input

Lesson 10: Loops with Rey and BB-8This skill-building lesson has students using loops to help the Star Wars character BB-8 efficiently traverse a maze.

Students will be able to:

Break down a long sequence of instructions into the largest repeatable sequence.
Employ a combination of sequential and looped commands to reach the end of a maze.
Identify the benefits of using a loop structure instead of manual repetition.

Lesson 11: Mini-Project: Sticker Art

This mini-project lesson builds on the understanding of loops. Students will create unique artwork with the Artist.

Students will be able to:

Differentiate between commands that need to be repeated in loops and commands that should be used on their own.
Identify the benefits of using a loop structure instead of manual repetition.

Lesson 12: Nested Loops in Maze

In this skill-building lesson, students will learn how to program a loop inside another loop.

Students will be able to: