Course D: Getting Started

What You Will Learn

Course D is for kids who read at a third grade level. You will learn about angles. You will watch videos. You will get hints too.

First, we will review Courses A, B, and C. We will remember loops and events. Then we learn new things. We will learn about algorithms. An algorithm is a list of steps. We will learn about nested loops. We will learn about while loops. We will learn about conditionals and events.

We will also learn about digital citizenship. That means being safe online.

This course helps you build strong skills. Then you try new fun things!

Journaling

You will write in a journal. You can use it for scratch paper too. You can use it to build things. You can use it to fix problems. You can look back at old answers. This helps with hard problems later.

Debugging

Debugging means finding and fixing problems in your code. Even experts do lots of debugging! Most of your coding time will be fixing bugs. We give you a guide to help.

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Chapter 1: Sequencing

Lesson 1: Graph Paper Programming

In this lesson, you program your classmate. You help them draw pictures!

What You Will Do

You will use symbols. Symbols are like secret codes. You will tell a friend how to color squares. You want them to make the same picture as you.

Why We Do This

This activity helps you think hard. It makes coding fun! You will learn about sequencing. Sequencing means doing steps in order. You will learn what an algorithm is. You will learn how to turn it into a program.

Algorithm: A list of steps to finish a task.
Program: An algorithm made into code a machine can run.

The Lesson

Warm Up

First, watch a video about robots. Maybe a dancing robot! Or a robot that walks.

Then talk with your class. How do robots know what to do? Do they have brains like us? No! People must program robots. People give them special commands.

Main Activity

Now you get to be a robot programmer! You will use a small grid with 16 squares. You will get a picture to copy.

These are your commands:

• Move one square right
• Move one square left
• Move one square up
• Move one square down
• Fill in square with color

First, the class will help the teacher. Pretend the teacher is a robot arm. The class gives commands out loud. The teacher follows them and colors the grid.

This list of steps is called an algorithm. It is easy to say out loud. But what if the picture is very hard? Writing every step gets long. It could take many, many lines!

So we use symbols instead. Symbols stand for whole steps. This makes writing programs much easier.

Then the class tries a harder picture. Everyone uses the symbols to make their program short.

Wrap Up

You will write in your journal. You will talk about what you learned.

Lesson 2: Introduction to Online Puzzles

You will practice new skills. These skills help you in this course.

Lesson 3: Relay Programming

Remember drawing with code? Now you do it with a team! You work together this time.

Lesson 4: Debugging with Laurel

Sometimes coding has problems. In this lesson, you learn about debugging. Debugging means finding and fixing problems in your code.

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Chapter 2: Events

Lesson 5: Events in Bounce

Want to play a game at school? In this lesson, you make your own game!

Lesson 6: Build a Star Wars Game

Feel the force! You build your own Star Wars game.

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Chapter 3: Loops

Lesson 7: Loops in Ice Age

You use a repeat block. It helps Scrat get to the acorn. You try to do it the best way.

Lesson 8: Drawing Shapes with Loops

Loops help you make cool pictures. You use the Artist to draw shapes.

Lesson 9: Nested Loops in Maze

Loops inside loops inside loops. What does that mean? You will learn about nested loops in this lesson.

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Chapter 4: Conditionals

Lesson 10: Conditionals with Cards

You play a card game. You earn points only sometimes. It depends on the conditions.

Lesson 11: If/Else with Bee

Now you know about conditionals. You program Bee to collect honey and nectar. Bee uses if/else to decide what to do.

Lesson 12: While Loops in Farmer

Loops are useful in coding. Now you learn a new loop. It is called a while loop.

Lesson 13: Until Loops in Maze

You learn about until loops. You can do amazing things with them!

Lesson 14: Harvesting with Conditionals

Sometimes it's hard to know which conditional to use. This lesson helps you practice choosing.

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Chapter 5: Binary

Lesson 15: Binary Images

Computers store pictures in a special way. They use only two symbols. This is called binary.

Lesson 16: Binary Images with Artist

You make pictures too. You use only 0s and 1s to do it.

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Chapter 6: Digital Citizenship

Lesson 17: Digital Citizenship

Some information is not safe to share online. This lesson helps you learn what is safe. It helps you learn what is private.

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Chapter 7: End of Course Project

Lesson 18: Dance Party

Time to celebrate! You program your very own dance party. You make it move and dance!