In light of the Hour of Code and Computer Science Week, 2nd to 5th graders engage in computer programming using various tools on a variety of projects. Students are learning computational thinking, which includes algorithmic thinking, pattern recognition, abstraction, and decomposition.
In second grade, Kodable introduces the concepts of sequence, condition, and loops through maze games. To guide their fuzzy balls through the maze, young coders must use algorithmic thinking to arrange different blocks in the correct order. As tasks become more complex, students discover the challenge of insufficient blocks for the arrows needed. This prompts them to observe repeating patterns in the maze, leading them to employ loops to accomplish the task efficiently
In the third grade, students have been learning about the life cycle of a plant. A surprising revelation for them is how flowers transform into fruits during this process. After learning about flower anatomy and watching sped-up videos of the transformation, students were challenged to create animations in Scratch (a block coding platform) to demonstrate their understanding. They begin by drawing at least six pictures depicting the process and then use loop blocks to connect them, forming an engaging animation. What impressed me most are the students’ impressive drawing skills and their creative use of coding blocks to explain the intricate process during the project.
Fourth and fifth graders also explored the flower-to-fruit project. They were then introduced to game design. Here, they learned how to create games where their main characters capture prizes to gain points while avoiding enemies to prevent point loss. This practice enables students to translate their thought processes into computer languages and decompose the game into manageable chunks. Upon completion of the projects, students play each other’s games and provide constructive feedback.
Through these projects, students not only refine their thinking processes but also perceive coding as a medium to make their thoughts visible and effectively communicate with others.
