1. Victory Lutheran college
Coding for Beginners
Victory Lutheran college

2. Why teach / expose your students to coding:

3. What is Coding?
Code is a set of instructions (or rules) that computers can understand; it might be helpful to think of code as a recipe.
Computers run on binary code—written in 1s and 0s— which is very difficult for humans to work with.
But just as people can understand different languages computers can understand different languages (like Python, C, C++, Perl, Visual Basic, Java, Javascript, Ruby and PHP, among others) which translate our instructions into binary.

4. Learning to Code Two Main formats: BLOCK PROGRAMMING
Block programming: click together or drag & drop sets of bundled code, graphically created & easier to work with
Block programming is great for learning the logic behind writing code, computational thinking and sequencing of steps
TEXT-BASED PROGRAMMING
Text-based programming: the actual lines of code used behind most electronics today- written in a prescribed syntax and format
It is easier to make an error in this format, as missing one bracket or misspelling a word means code won’t work, BUT it is how ‘real’ programming works

9. Absolute Beginners: To Try
Turtle Art is an old-school but very user- friendly and powerful block programming program
Key concept: the Turtle has a pen under it. You write code to get the pen to draw different items
TASK 1: Try to use Turtle Art and get it to draw your initial
Turtle Commands:
move the turtle forward or back and by the number of pixels you determine
Clean wipes the board before you run your code each time
Right or Left turn the turtle, by the degrees you prescribe

12. Repeat sequences using the orange repeat command

13. You can create your own functions using the yellow diamond

14. You can change the colour of the pen
Use pick up and put down if you wish to move the turtle without writing

15. First Task:
Try to write your initial using code. If possible, get your turtle to start from the centre point and move to your desired location
Hot tip- use pu and pd to lift and put down the ‘pen’
If you succeed, see if you can write both initials using one sequence of code (not two separate strings you have to click on)

16. Now Explore
If this was really easy, or you are ready to explore, try to create some patterns and sequences
Try:
Using the repeat block
Creating your own function
Reverse-engineering a pattern to see how it is made

17. Other Tools:
Code.org has a huge range of free teaching resources and fun tutorials
Hour of Code is their big initiative
To Try: Star Wars- Building a Galaxy with Code
You can choose to use block programs OR Java Script!
Go to:
Choose Star Wars- your choice- Java Script or Block Code?

18. Where to from here? Teach yourself to code:
Grok Learning, Code.org and Codehs.com, Khan Academy
Use code to power robotics such as Mindstorm or Arduinos, Dash robot, etc.
kit-example-sketches#.WARKMvl97IV Has some great beginner Arduino instructions
Get your students to try it- it’s ok if they are more confident than you at it- they are digital natives!

22. Resources Turtle Art: https://turtleart.org/# Email for Turtle Art:
Raspberry Pi:
Mad Maker Program: