Coding Club is a 12 week program for students in third through fifth grade. During the semester, students explore and use different coding platforms such as Scratch Jr., Code.org, Tynker or Microsoft’s Makecode. The first three weeks are dedicated to learning the coding basics while the middle weeks are spent creating playable games and building programmable robots. Lastly, students get the opportunity to dive deeper into a topic of their choice during the passion project.
Aside from gaining knowledge in coding concepts, students build confidence and friendships. Computational thinking (a problem solving technique), communication and critical thinking skills are also enhanced.
Week 1- Intro to Code
- What is Coding Video- Scratch Garden
- Code: Giving instructions to a computer or a robot in a language it understands.
- What is Coding- Song Lyrics PDF
- Code.org Minecraft Hour of Code Adventure
- Answer Key for Minecraft Adventure Hour of Code
- Week 1 3-5 Spring 2023 Handout PDF
Week 2- Intro to Code
- Sequencing Video- Scratch Garden
- Sequence: The order something happens in
- Scratch Login Link
- Maze Example Project on Scratch
- Maze Video Tutorial on Scratch
- Week 2 3-5 Spring 2023 Handout PDF
Week 3- Intro to Code
- Algorithm Video
- Algorithm: Step by step directions in order to complete a task or a goal (example: a recipe)
- Dragon Blast- Tynker Hour of Code
- Tynker limits the amount of free puzzles the students are able to do. Students do have login information created by Miss Mikayla. Please email her if you would like the login information for your child or if you need further assistance. The Tynker app may have different puzzles than the website.
- Dragon Blast Answer Guide
- Week 3 3-5 Spring 2023 Handout PDF
Week 4- Robotics (Sphero)
- Decomposition Video- Scratch Garden
- Decomposition: Breaking big problems down into smaller problems to make solving the big problem easier
- Week 4 3-5 Spring 2023 Handout PDF
Week 5- Robotics (Lego EV3)
- Debugging Video- Scratch Garden
- Debugging: The process of finding and correcting mistakes (bugs) in a code
- Week 5 3-5 Spring Handout PDF
Week 6- Robotics (Lego EV3)
- Pattern Video
- Pattern: Something that repeats over and over again. We look for similarities between the different parts of a problem.
- Week 6 3-5 Spring 2023 Handout PDF
Week 7- Robotics (Lego EV3)
- Loops Video- Scratch Garden
- Loops: Used to repeat a sequence of code.
- Week 7 3-5 Spring 2023 Handout PDF
Week 8- Game Design (Scratch)
- Abstraction Video
- Abstraction: The process of removing details to make a solution work for other problems. Example: If we have a monkey moving towards a banana and then a bee moving to a flower, we can look at the code for the monkey and the banana but we are not worried about the color or size of the monkey or the block of code that makes the monkey make monkey noises. We are removing the details of this code to then use it for the bee moving towards the flower. A real life example would be forms that need to be filled out. Everyone gets the same form but then add their details (name, address, phone number, etc.) to it.
- Miss Mikayla’s Try Not To Get Hit Game on Scratch
- Click see inside to see the code on the characters. If one logs into Scratch, they would be able to remix this project which will make a copy of the game into their account and they would be able to edit the code if desired.
- Week 8 3-5 Spring 2023 Handout PDF
Week 9- Game Design (Makecode)
- Conditions Video- Scratch Garden
- Conditions: Lines of code that decide and are often phrased in an “If/Then” statement. Example: The robot is programmed to drive forward. IF it senses red, THEN turn right. A real life example: IF it is raining, THEN bring an umbrella.
- Makecode Arcade
- In the middle of the screen (under skillmaps) there is a section for tutorials. A Galga tutorial is listed here (might need to press the button the on the right side of the screen to see more options). This tutorial will have limited blocks, explain the coding blocks and has a voice over.
- Miss Mikayla’s Galga Walkthrough PDF
- Miss Mikayla’s Completed Galga Game- Makecode
- Press show code at the top to see the lines of code.
- Week 9 3-5 Spring 2023 Handout PDF
Week 10- Passion Project Week 1
- Variables Video- Scratch Garden
- Variables are used to store and change information. They are kind of like buckets. The bucket has a name on the outside so we can see what it is. Inside of the bucket, is the information that is stored and can be used later. There are three types of variables: Boolean, String and Number. Boolean variables will give data that is either true or false. While string variables will be a list of letters. Number variables give numerical data like a player’s score in a game. Check the link below for examples and more information.
- Scratch Garden Blog Post- Breaking Down the Basics of Computer Variables for Kids
- Week 10 3-5 Spring 2023 Handout PDF
Week 11- Passion Project Week 2
- Computational Thinking Video
- Computational Thinking Article– This article provides definitions and examples of Computational Thinking
- Computational thinking is a problem solving technique. It has 4 parts: Abstraction, Decomposition, Pattern Recognition and Algorithms.
- Abstraction is removing details of the problem so this solution can work for other solutions.
- Decomposition is breaking a big problem down into smaller problems.
- Pattern Recognition is looking at what is similar between problems.
- Algorithms: Step by step directions in order to complete a task or goal.
- Computational thinking is a problem solving technique. It has 4 parts: Abstraction, Decomposition, Pattern Recognition and Algorithms.
- Week 11 3-5 Spring 2023 Handout PDF
- You Can Do It- Scratch Garden Video
- Coding and computer science can sometimes be difficult but we can do hard things! We can try breaking the problem down into smaller problems, looking at only the important details, finding pattens and following step by step directions in order!
- Week 12 3-5 Spring 2023 Handout PDF
Other Resources
Our YouTube Channel – We’ve created several free videos to walkthrough some of the puzzles from above and activities in Scratch Jr. from below.
Scratch Jr – Free app for iOS, Android, and ChromeOS – Allows your students to use the ideas learned above in their own creative programming environment. They can add characters and backgrounds to program their own games and animations. Here are some examples of free activities in Scratch Jr: www.scratchjr.org/teach/activities
Tynker – Free app for iOS, Android, and ChromeOS (also a website tynker.com). Limited number of free puzzles similar to the links listed above.
LightBot Code Hour – Free app for iOS and Android. Three-dimensional puzzles similar to the links above.
Additional Coding Resources
Enrollment Now Open
Choose from online and in-person coding courses for young learners, K-6, designed to develop critical thinkers and problem solvers with transferrable skills across all subjects.