Lesson PlanTeaching Programming Concepts to Young Children with The Code Road

DESCRIPTION:The Code Road is an App along with a board book that can be used to introduce young children to the basic concepts of computer programming. The app includes an interactive story that is also repeated in the board book with mini-games to help children learn early coding concepts at their own pace.

SUBJECT: Computer Science

LESSON: Programming Concepts for Beginners

LESSON DESCRIPTION:1. The first step students will take is to read The Code Road interactive story. The interactive

ebook introduces students to some of the most common terms used in coding along with their meanings. The book can be used in a read-alone mode or the student can read themselves without prompting. The settings should be set to turn the mini game off if the teacher wants the child to read the entire book without interruption.

2. Students will continue by completing the Tommy the Turtle Tutorial Mode. This is a tutorial thatprovides the students with hints on how to use commands to make Tommy the Turtle move.

3. Using the Free Play Mode, the teacher will assign students 3 tasks for Tommy the Turtle to complete based on what they learned from the tutorial. Task 1: Make Tommy the Turtle Move Forward, Turn, Grow, and then Move forward. Task 2: Make Tommy the Turtle Move Forward to the end of the screen and then Jump. Task 3: Complete task 2, and have it repeat 3 times.

4. Next, after finishing the free play mode, the teacher will assign students to complete the challenge tasks. There are 2 challenge levels with from 2 to 6 tasks at each level. Beginner students should be asked to complete the Level 1 challenge levels. The student can advance until they complete all available challenge levels.

5. Finally, the students will each come up with a task for Tommy the Turtle to complete. Afterwards, they will share their tasks with a partner and take turns trying to make Tommy the Turtle complete them.

HOW WILL THE APP(S) BE USED?The Code Road will be used to introduce students to basic computer concepts and beginning logic.

WHY/HOW DOES THIS APP SUPPORT THE LESSON?By using this app, students will be able to see the relationship between the basic computer commands they use and the movements of their selected play character.

The Code Road

Lesson 1

Play Ebook

The Code Road is a basic ebook and accompanying board book with additional features. It has interactive animations in addition to mini game which allows the students to use some of the concepts they have just read about.

The first menu allows the student to either read the book or play the mini game. Default format is that at selected times during the course of the book, the mini game interrupts the sequence and selects commands that the student can try.

The settings menu sets up the options that will be currently active. The mini game selection can interrupt or not interrupt reading. The scan option allows accessible scanning for single switch selection. Education mode allows the Zumo plush switch to be used to control the app. The app can be configured to read or not read to the child as the pages are turned and each sentence can be highlighted as the app reads it. This provides not only STEM Coding language acquisition, but also practice in reading.

Play Mini GameTommy the Turtle teaches basic programming skills by animating a cartoon Turtle or Character selected. It uses basic command to introduce students in preK-3 the basic logic behind computer programming. A list of commands is provided to the student. When the commands are selected, they then appear in the program box. Once all the commands are selected, students can run their code by hitting Play and Tommy the Turtle will move per the programmed directions. This app is designed to be accessible to children of all abilities as it incorporates visual learning, voice guidance, and switch-access.

LESSON 2

Students will begin by completing the Tommy the Turtle Tutorial Mode. This is a tutorial that provides the students with hints on how to use commands to make Tommy the Turtle move.

STEP 1: Open the App. On the Main Menu, have students select the Tutorial option and thenContinue on the next screen.

STEP 2: Once on the tutorial screen, students will go through a 4-step tutorial1. Learning how to enter single commands – Commands highlighted are Forward, then Play.

Students will view Tommy the Turtle moving forward after which the Clear command is to be selected.

2. Learning how to enter multiple commands – Commands highlighted are Forward, Backward, then Play. After Tommy the Turtle moves, the Continue command is to be selected.

3. Learning how to loop – Commands highlighted are Begin Loop, Jump, End Loop, then Play. After Tommy the Turtle moves, the Clear command is to be selected.

4. Learning how to erase commands – Commands highlighted are Jump, Spin, Erase, then Play. After Tommy the Turtle moves, the Clear command is to be selected.

5. The Menu option is to be selected to exit the Tutorial mode.

LESSON 3

The student can also select a different character rather than Tommy the Turtle to use in free play mode. Here Ollie Owl has been selected. Once the desired character is selected, pressing the play button will start the free play option.

Using the Free Play Mode, the teacher will assign students 3 tasks for Tommy the Turtle to complete based on what they learned from the tutorial.

Task 1: Make Tommy the Turtle Move Forward, Turn, Grow, and then Move forward. Task 2: Make Tommy the Turtle Move Forward to the end of the screen and then Jump. Task 3: Complete task 1, and have it repeat 2 times.

STEP 1: Open the App. On the Main Menu, have students select the Free Play option.

STEP 2: Once on the free play screen, students are asked to complete Task 1: Make Tommy the Turtle Move Forward, Turn, Grow, and then Move forward.

SOLUTION: Commands entered should be Forward, Turn, Grow, then Forward. Solution on student’s screen should look as follows:

STEP 3: Students are asked to complete Task 2: Make Tommy the Turtle Move Forward to the end of the screen and then Jump.

SOLUTION: Students should enter approximately 9 Forwards and then Jump.

Command Solution:

STEP 4: Students are asked to complete Task 3: Complete task 1, and have it repeat 2 times.

SOLUTION: Commands entered should be Loop, Forward, Turn, Grow, Forward, and Play. Solution on student’s screen should look as follows:

LESSON 4

After finishing lesson 3, the teacher will assign students to complete the challenge tasks.

STEP 1: Open the App. On the Main Menu, have students select the Level option.

STEP 2: Students should be asked to complete the Level 1-1 and Level 1-2 challenge levels found under the Challenge option. For more advanced students, the teacher may have them complete all of the available challenge levels whereas beginning students will probably only complete Level 1-1.

Following is a description and solution associated with the various challenges:

o Tommy Moves Challenges - Students must complete 3 challenges.• Help Tommy say hello to Cathy. Walk Forward until close enough to chat.

• Solution: 4 Forwards, Play• Oh No! Tommy passed his friend Cathy! Walk Backwards until close enough to chat.

• Solution: 4 Backwards, Play• Tommy wants to have a face-to-face chat. Move Forward to Dudley and

then Backwards to Cathy.• Solution: 2 Forwards, 6 Backwards, Play• Solution: 3 Forwards, 7 Backwards, Play

o Tommy Works Out Challenges – Students must complete 4 challenges.

• Tommy's friend can fly high. Can you Jump just as high?• Solution: Jump, Play

• Don't get dizzy spinning like your friend! Spin 3 times, again and again!• Solution: Spin, Spin, Spin, Play

• Leo can Jump and Spin, Enter the Contest, can you win?• Solution: Jump, Spin, Play

• Try coding in this order! Grow, Spin, Jump• Solution: Grow, Spin, Jump, Play

o Tommy Does It Again Challenges - Students must complete 2 challenges.• Tommy wants to Grow. Put Grow inside a Loop and see him go.

• Solution: Loop, Grow, Play• Tommy wants a Loop with a Spin and Grow. Use your code and see him go.

• Solution: Loop, Spin, Grow, Play

o Tommy Combines It All Challenges - Students must complete 3 challenges.• Ollie and Cathy can Jump, and Spin! Enter the contest, can you win?

• Solution: Jump, Spin, Play• Join the fun! Stand between Ollie and Cathy and Grow as one!

• Solution: 7-9 Forwards, Grow, then Play• Walk Backwards towards Cathy and show her you can Grow too! Jump for joy after

you do!• Solution: Backward,backward,backward,backward, Grow, Jump, then Play

• Leo can Jump and Spin, Enter the Contest, can you wil?

• Solution: Jump, Spin, Play

o Help Tommy say hello to Eleanor, Walk Forward 2,then Backward 4 Solution: 2 Forwards, 4 Backwards, then Play

o Show Cathy how to Loop with a Spin Solution: Loop, Spin, Play

o Show Dudley how to Loop by making Tommy Jump and Spin. Its fun to do it over and over again.

Solution: Loop, Jump, Spin, Playo Try coding in this order! Loop, forward, Grow, Spin, Jump

Solution: Loop, Forward, Grow, Spin, Jump, Play

LESSON 5

Students must each come up with a task for Tommy the Turtle to complete by programming Tommy in Free Play mode. Afterwards, they will share their tasks with a partner and take turns trying to make Tommy the Turtle complete them.

Solution: Encourage the students to explore all available commands. Require students to use at least 5 different commands, in addition to the loop command. The teacher may provide an example to show students a complex sequence of tasks. An example program is: Forward, Forward, Spin, Jump, Backward, then Play.