Summer SAVY, Session 6 Day 5, Intro to Coding (1st -2nd)
It was a lovely last day in Intro to Coding here at SAVY! We began our day by asking the question, “What jobs use programming and coding?” To find out the answer to the question, students had to help crack the code and decipher 4 jobs written in code. We used a number substitution cipher that aligns the letter in the alphabet with its corresponding number. Students had a little time to try to decipher it on their own, and then we worked as a class to solve this puzzle. We found that there were jobs in game creation, app and website building, and cybersecurity. We discussed these jobs and how they use coding.
We then read the story HELLO RUBY: Journey Inside a Computer. Ruby has an imaginary adventure where she falls inside a computer. This gave us more background into the hardware a computer uses and how coding is part of how a computer functions. We also discussed a connection with the concept of Order.
We buckled down for our next coding mission: Sphero IN SPACE. The students were in teams, and each got a mission card to use. We alternated missions as the students completed them. Some missions included Rocket Payload, Rocket Launch, Moonwalking, Lunar Orbit, Planetary Factoids, and Asteroid Bounce. We used the Sphero Bolt Space Mat for our missions. Students practiced the new skills we learned this week to complete their missions.
After lunch, we got out the Sphero Soccer Pitch mat and used our Sphero knowledge to play soccer missions. Our soccer task cards were Free Kick and Color Elimination. These task cards had the students get into teams and take turns to complete the objective. The students enjoyed being the kicker and the defender for Free Kick, which used a draw code. Color Elimination had each player write block code to score on the color of the opponents. Students realized that it was more precise to use the block code than the draw code. The students had so much fun and had great sportsmanship with these games.
It has been such a fun week in Intro to Coding. The students were eager to learn through play and worked very hard to see each project through. Many new friendships were made, and the class was such a sweet bunch. If your child would like to practice programming at home, there are several affordable play bots to purchase that come with coding apps. Also, the website Hour of Code has many opportunities for students to practice and build their knowledge of code. Scratch Jr. May also be a great resource for your child. We sure hope your child had a great week, and it was our pleasure to teach them!
Mrs. Lewis and Ms. Kat