In this activity from Scratch, students will use coding skills to create their own compositions.
Students are introduced to computer programming concepts as they solve basic coding puzzles, and enhance STEM learning outcomes as they play a fun coding adventure game. Learn skills such as patterning, sequencing, loops, conditionals, critical thinking, and problem-solving, while leading a personalized troll through the adventure! This interactive game can be used during a lesson on constructing elements of a simple computer program in collaboration with others. A teacher's guide and answer key are available. Est. time: 30 min. More free coding activities @ Tynker.
How do people talk to computers? In this clip from Ready Jet Go!, Jet and his friends learn about computer programming from Dr. Rafferty. They demonstrate how it works by using colored playing blocks to signify different computer commands. This video can be played during a lesson on constructing elements of a simple computer program in collaboration with others.
Video games are fun to play, but have you ever wondered how to make one? Carmelo, a grad student in the MIT Media Lab, shows how anyone can start learning how to create video games by talking to machines through programming languages using block-based programming. This video can be played to introduce a lesson on computer programming.
Print this PBS KIDS ScratchJr Story Cubes and let the cubes decide which backgrounds and PBS KIDS characters to use! This will help students get ready for block programming.
PBS KIDS ScratchJr app is now available for free from the App Store on IPad and from the Google Play store on Android tablet.
This resource can be used during a lesson on constructing elements of a simple computer program.
Print and shuffle the following block slides to play the PBS KIDS ScratchJr Block version of Simon Says.
PBS KIDS ScratchJr app is now available for free from the App Store on iPad and from the Google Play store on Android tablets.
Print this Human-Robot Activity Handout and guide the students in a game of Human-Robot where they use the cuttable blocks to program each other to act out different sequences.
These How-To Cards introduce multiple pathways and features to help children get started using the PBS KIDS ScratchJr app for block programming. Print, cut, glue, and make them available for children to reference as they work with the app.
In this lesson, students (K-3) will be introduced to the PBS KIDS ScratchJr app by creating interactive characters that respond to tap. Through this process, they will learn about movement blocks, looks blocks, the ‘start on tap’ trigger, and character selection.
PBS KIDS Scratch Jr. app is now available for free from the App Store on iPad and from the Google Play store on Android tablets.
In this activity, students (K-3) will be introduced to the PBS KIDS ScratchJr app by animating characters from their favorite PBS KIDS shows. Through this process, they will learn about movement blocks, the ‘start on flag’ trigger, and character selection.
Peg and Cat have a really big problem! Cat is stuck in a tree. Again! In this activity, children will be challenged to create projects with the PBS KIDS ScratchJr app where they help Peg rescue her friend Cat.
Children will learn how to create projects, add characters, and how to use the programming blocks to make their characters animate on screen. They will explore coding and computational thinking practices as they utilize technology as a tool for creativity, expression, and learning with the PBS KIDS ScratchJr app.
Tally Ho! Inspired by NATURE CAT, in this activity children will explore cause and effect relationships and what plants need to grow and thrive. Children will be challenged to create projects in PBS KIDS ScratchJr where they make their own plants and trees grow.
Children will learn how to use the PBS KIDS ScratchJr programming blocks to make animated stories and interactive projects. They will explore coding and computational thinking practices as they utilize technology as a tool for creativity, expression and learning with the PBS KIDS ScratchJr app.
Activate Creature Powers! Inspired by the WILD KRATTS, in this activity children will be challenged to create PBS KIDS ScratchJr projects that explore different animals and their unique behaviors and traits.
Children will learn how to create projects, add characters, and how to use the programming blocks to make their characters animate and move on the screen. They will explore coding and computational thinking practices as they utilize technology as a tool for creativity, expression, and learning with the PBS KIDS ScratchJr app.
Excelsior! Inspired by READY JET GO!, in this activity, children will be challenged to use PBS KIDS ScratchJr to create projects where they blast off and explore our solar system.
Children will learn how to use the PBS KIDS ScratchJr programming blocks to make animated stories and interactive projects. They will explore coding and computational thinking practices as they utilize technology as a tool for creativity, expression, and learning with the PBS KIDS ScratchJr app.
This video explores our definition of coding and what it looks like to code with PBS KIDS ScratchJr. This video will explain coding to help get students ready for block-based coding.
Word up! In this activity, children will explore decision-making as they use PBS KIDS ScratchJr to help WordGirl make a tough choice between saving the day and going to her friend’s birthday party.
Print this PBS KIDS ScratchJr Cootie Catcher and have fun practicing sequence blocks with your favorite PBS KIDS characters! This will give additional practice for block coding.
Use the PBS KIDS ScratchJr Cheat Sheet as a quick guide for various programming blocks.
Students use computer science to simulate extreme sports, make their own fitness gadget commercial, and create commentary for a big sporting event.
Sports is a complete theme designed to be completed over eight, 45-75 minute, sessions. For each activity, students will watch a series of videos and create one coding project with opportunities to personalize their work using “Add-Ons,” which are mini-coding challenges that build on top of the core project.
Be sure to review the Materials tab for the lesson plan, starter guide, and more.
Users will need a Google account to use this resource.
In Art, students create animations, interactive artwork, photograph filters, and other exciting, artistic projects.
Art is a complete theme designed to be completed over eight, 45-75 minute, sessions. For each Activity, students will watch a series of videos and create one coding project with opportunities to personalize their work using “Add-Ons”, which are mini-coding challenges that build on top of the core project.
In this activity, pupils are challenged to detect and correct the error in a number of water cycle programs (debugging). They use logical reasoning to do this, comparing what the program should do with what it does do, and systematically homing in on the error (bug) by ‘thinking through’ the code in the program.
PUPIL OBJECTIVES:I can use logical reasoning to debug a program.I can explain how I debugged a program.
TEACHING ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES:Informal teacher assessment of pupils as they tackle the debugging challenge: focus on pupils’ logical approach and ability to explain the bugs they found, why they are bugs and how they corrected them.Summative assessment of pupils’ debugging challenge sheets.
An Unusual Discovery is designed to be completed within 45-75 minutes. Students watch a series of videos to create a coding project. Students personalize their project using mini-coding challenges called "add-ons.”
In this activity, students will sequence dialogue to tell a story. They animate interactions between characters, their backdrops, and a surprising object. This activity introduces students to computer science and the programming language Scratch. Students will use different Scratch blocks to create their own unique stories.
By selecting add-on videos that present coding challenges, students will:- Use event blocks (like “when flag clicked”) to trigger a series of code.- Sequence at least 3 “say” blocks between two sprites (characters) to construct a dialogue.- Program a conditional so that the computer can make a decision based on user response.- Produce repeated movements by applying control blocks to their program.
The teacher's resource can be accessed here and a lesson plan is available here.
In this activity, students use code to animate an ocean wave and tell a story that takes place on the high seas. This activity introduces students to computer science and the programming language Scratch. Students will use different Scratch blocks to create their own unique stories.
Adventure on the High Seas is a sample activity designed to be completed within 45-75 minutes. Students will watch a series of videos and create one coding project with opportunities to personalize their work using “Add-Ons,” which are mini-coding challenges that build on top of the core project.
This sample activity is a collaboration between Cartoon Network and CS First. Students will tell a story using the characters from “The Amazing World of Gumball". This activity introduces students to computer science and the programming language Scratch. Students will use different Scratch blocks to create their own unique stories.
Gumball’s Coding Adventure is a simple activity designed to be completed within 45-75 minutes. Students will watch a series of videos and create one coding project with opportunities to personalize their work using “Add-Ons”, which are mini-coding challenges that build on top of the core project.
In Storytelling, students use computer science to tell fun and interactive stories. Storytelling emphasizes creativity by encouraging students to tell a unique story each day.
Storytelling is a complete theme designed to be completed over eight, 45-75 minute sessions. For each Activity, students will watch a series of videos and create one coding project with opportunities to personalize their work using “Add-Ons”, which are mini-coding challenges that build on top of the core project.
This Unit Plan consists of eight activities to be completed over multiple days or weeks.
In Music & Sound, students use the computer to play musical notes, create a music video, and build an interactive music display while learning how programming is used to create music.
Music is a complete theme designed to be completed over eight, 45-75 minute, sessions. For each activity, students will watch a series of videos and create one coding project with opportunities to personalize their work using “Add-Ons,” which are mini-coding challenges that build on top of the core project.
In this set of puzzles, students will begin with an introduction (or review depending on the experience of your class) of Code.org's online workspace. There will be videos pointing out the basic functionality of the workspace including the Run, Reset, and Step buttons. Also discussed in these videos: dragging Blockly blocks, deleting Blockly blocks, and connecting Blockly blocks. Next, students will practice their sequencing and >debugging skills in Maze. From there, students will see new types of puzzles like Collector, Artist, and Harvester when they learn the very basics of loops.
Run
Reset
Step
We recognize that every classroom has a spectrum of understanding for every subject. Some students in your class may be computer wizards, while others haven't had much experience at all. In order to create an equal playing (and learning) field, we have developed this "Ramp Up Stage" for Course D. This can be used as either an introduction or a review of how to use Code.org and basic computer science concepts. This stage covers all prerequisites needed to start Course D.
Students will be able to:- order movement commands as sequential steps in a program.- modify an existing program to solve errors.- break down a long sequence of instructions into the largest repeatable sequence.
Note: You will need to create a free account on code.org before you can view this resource.
In this online activity, students will practice debugging in the "collector" environment. Students will get to practice reading and editing code to fix puzzles with simple algorithms, loops, and nested loops.
The purpose of this lesson is to teach students that failure is normal when learning a new skill. Students will be given pre-written programs that do NOT work. They will be asked to fix these programs. This process, called "debugging", teaches students essential problem solving and critical thinking skills. These skills transfer over as students proceed to harder and harder programming projects.
Students will be able to:- read and comprehend the given code.- identify a bug and the problems it causes in a program.- describe and implement a plan to debug a program.
As a quick update (or introduction) to using loops, this stage will have students using the repeat block to get Scrat to the acorn more efficiently.
repeat
In this lesson, students will be learning more about loops and how to implement them in Blockly code. Using loops is an important skill in programming because manually repeating commands is tedious and inefficient. With these Code.org puzzles, students will learn to add instructions to existing loops, gather repeated code into loops, and recognize patterns that need to be repeated.
Students will be able to:- construct a program using structures that repeat areas of code.- improve existing code by finding areas of repetition and moving them into looping structures.
This lesson builds on the understanding of loops from previous lessons and gives students a chance to be truly creative. This activity doubles as a debugging exercise for extra problem-solving practice.
This series highlights the power of loops with an array of puzzles meant to get students thinking about why repeat loops are superior to longhand.
Students will be able to:- identify the benefits of using a loop structure instead of manual repetition.- differentiate between commands that need to be repeated in loops and commands that should be used on their own.
In this online activity, students will have the opportunity to push their understanding of loops to a whole new level. Playing with the Bee and Plants vs. Zombies, students will learn how to program a loop to be inside of another loop. They will also be encouraged to figure out how little changes in either loop will affect their program when they click Run.
In this introduction to nested loops, students will go outside of their comfort zone to create more efficient solutions to puzzles. In earlier puzzles, loops pushed students to recognize repetition. Here, students will learn to recognize patterns within repeated patterns to develop these nested loops. This stage starts off by encouraging students to try to solve a puzzle where the code is irritating and complex to write out the long way. After a video introduces nested loops, students are shown an example and asked to predict what will happen when a loop is put inside of another loop. This progression leads to plenty of practice for students to solidify and build on their understanding of looping in programming.
Students will be able to:- break complex tasks into smaller repeatable sections.- recognize large repeated patterns as made from smaller repeated patterns.- identify the benefits of using a loop structure instead of manual repetition.
Students will create intricate designs using Artist in today's set of puzzles. By continuing to practice nested loops with new goals, students will see more uses of loops in general. This set of puzzles also offers a lot more potential for creativity with an opportunity for students to create their own design at the end of the stage.
In this online activity, students will create designs in Artist that they can proudly share with their loved ones. The purpose of this activity is to utilize nested loops as a way to inspire students with artistic minds to see coding as another creative outlet. This set of puzzles was built to develop critical thinking skills, an understanding of elementary geometry, and creativity -- all within the scope of nested loops!
Students will be able to:- combine simple shapes into complex designs with nested loops.- count the number of times an action should be repeated and represent it as a loop.- break complex tasks into smaller repeatable sections.
Now that students know how to layer their loops, they can create so many beautiful things. This lesson will take students through a series of exercises to help them create their own portfolio-ready images using Anna and Elsa's excellent ice-skating skills!
In this series, students will get practice nesting loops while creating images that they will be excited to share. Beginning with a handful of instructions, students will make their own decisions when it comes to creating designs for repetition. They will then spin those around a variety of ways to end up with a work of art that is truly unique.
Students will be able to:- break apart code into the largest repeatable sequences using both loops and nested loops.- recognize the difference between using a loop and a nested loop.- describe when a loop, nested loop, or no loop is needed.
By the time students reach this lesson, they should already have plenty of practice using repeat loops, so now it's time to mix things up.
While loops are loops that continue to repeat commands while a condition is met. While loops are used when the programmer doesn't know the exact number of times commands need to be repeated but does know what condition needs to be true in order for the loop to continue repeating. For example, students will be working to fill holes and dig dirt in Farmer. They will not know the size of the holes or the height of the mountains of dirt, but the students will know they need to keep filling the holes and digging the dirt as long as the ground is not flat.
While
As your students continue to deepen their knowledge of loops, they will come across problems where a command needs to be repeated, but it is unknown how many times it needs to be repeated. This is where while loops come in. In today's lesson, students will develop a beginner's understanding of condition-based loops and also expand their knowledge of loops in general.
while
Students will be able to:- distinguish between loops that repeat a fixed number of times and loops that repeat as long as a condition is true.- use a while loop to create programs that can solve problems with unknown values.
In this lesson, students will learn about until loops. Students will build programs that have the main character repeat actions until they reach their desired stopping point.
until
This set of puzzles will work to solidify and build on the knowledge of loops by adding the until conditional. By pairing these concepts together, students will be able to explore the potential for creating complex and innovative programs.
Students will be able to:- build programs with the understanding of multiple strategies to implement conditionals.- translate spoken language conditional statements and loops into a program.
Up until this point, students have been writing code that executes exactly the same way each time it is run - reliable, but not very flexible. In this lesson, your class will begin to code with conditionals, allowing them to write code that functions differently depending on the specific conditions the program encounters.
After being introduced to conditionals in "Conditionals with Cards", students will now practice using them in their programs. The if / else blocks will allow for a more flexible program. The bee will only collect nectar if there is a flower or make honey if there is a honeycomb. Students will also practice and recognize a connection between if / else blocks and while loops in this set of puzzles.
if / else
Students will be able to:- translate spoken language conditional statements into a program.- solve puzzles using a combination of looped sequences and conditionals.
Students will practice while loops, until loops, and if / else statements. All of these blocks use conditionals. By practicing all three, students will learn to write complex and flexible code.
Practicing the use of conditionals in different scenarios helps to develop a student's understanding of what conditionals can do. In the previous lesson, students only used conditionals to move around a maze. In this lesson, students will use conditionals to help the farmer know when to harvest crops. New patterns will emerge and students will use creativity and logical thinking to determine the conditions where code should be run and repeated.
Students will be able to:- nest conditionals to analyze multiple value conditions using if, else if, else logic.- pair a loop and conditional statement together.
In this online activity, students will have the opportunity to learn how to use events in Play Lab and to apply all of the coding skills they've learned to create an animated game. It's time to get creative and make a game in Play Lab!
Students will use events to make characters move around the screen, make noises, and change backgrounds based on user input. This lesson offers a great introduction to events in programming and even gives a chance to show creativity! At the end of the puzzle sequence, students will be presented with the opportunity to share their projects.
Students will be able to:- create an animated, interactive game using sequence and events.- identify actions that correlate to input events.
This series of online lessons will have students learning to make images using on and off. This will help reinforce the fact that computers can do a multitude of things with 0s and 1s.
Students will be able to:- create pictures using unique combinations of on and off.- identify repeated sequences and break long codes up into smaller chunks that can be looped.- utilize loops and binary code to recreate provided images.
