Coding – Programming

updated 6-5-16

Program on computers, iPads, laptops–whatever works, whatever age. I’ll start this list with web-based options, by grade level and then continue with a mash-up. Click for coding apps:

Kindergarten

1. BotLogic–great for Kindergarten and youngers
2. Code.org–learn to code; with teacher accounts, no student emails required (join with Join code)
3. Dash and Dot--hardware robots, must be bought
4. Foos–app or desktop; K-1
5. How to train your robot–a lesson plan from Dr. Techniko
6. Kodable--great for K-2–learn to code before you can read
7. Primo–a wooden game, for ages 4-7
8. Program a human robot (unplugged)
9. ScratchJr

1st Grade

1. Code.org–learn to code; with teacher accounts, no student emails required (join with Join code)
2. Espresso Coding–for youngers
3. Foos–app or desktop; K-1
4. Hopscotch–programming on the iPad
5. Kodable--great for K-2–learn to code before you can read
6. Primo–a wooden game, for ages 4-7
7. Tynker

2nd Grade

1. Code.org—learn to code; with teacher accounts, no student emails required (join with Join code)
2. Espresso Coding–for youngers
3. Google Spreadsheets–decode and fill in color coded pictures
4. Hopscotch–programming on the iPad
5. How do you program a robot–BBC’s version of this topic; includes a video, game, and more
6. Kodable--great for K-2–learn to code before you can read
7. Kodu–build and play games
8. Pivot Stickfigure Animator–free, download, powerful, with a cult following
9. Stickman–draw a stick figure and the site animates it
10. Tynker

3rd Grade

1. Build with Chrome–kind of like Minecraft, more like Google Earth Warehouse; use virtual Lego blocks to build in your browser
2. Kodu–build and play games
3. Minecraft

4th Grade

1. Build with Chrome–kind of like Minecraft, more like Google Earth Warehouse; use virtual Lego blocks to build in your browser
2. Khan Academy Computer Science
3. Minecraft
4. Robotics
5. Scratch
6. Snap!—runs in your browser
7. Squeakland–build etoys with downloaded software
8. WaterBear–web-based simple programming with drag-drop; free

5th Grade

1. Build with Chrome–kind of like Minecraft, more like Google Earth Warehouse; use virtual Lego blocks to build in your browser
2. Google Spreadsheets–code the spreadsheet with color that will reveal a secret picture
3. Khan Academy Computer Science
4. Lego Digital Designer
5. Minecraft
6. Robotics
7. Scratch
8. Snap!—runs in your browser
9. Squeakland–build etoys with downloaded software
10. Tinkercad–3D modeling–fee–perfect for 3D printing
11. Windows Property menu–create a shortkey for any Windows tool through properties. Here’s a how-to.
12. Wolfram Alpha widgets

Middle School

1. Alice
2. Auto Hotkey–free–simple shortkey programming for students; requires download
3. Build with Chrome–kind of like Minecraft, more like Google Earth Warehouse; use virtual Lego blocks to build in your browser
4. Code Avengers
5. Code Monster
6. CodePen
7. Codesters–fun coding for middle school; students code and see the result on side-by-side screens
8. Gamestar Mechanic–design video games
9. Hakitzu–learning through games
10. Khan Academy Computer Science
11. Lego Digital Designer
12. Looking Glass—animated story–offshoot of Alice
13. Minecraft
14. Notepad–coding using the Windows Notepad
15. Python
16. RoboMind–downloaded software
17. Robotics
18. Scratch
19. Snap!—runs in your browser
20. Squeakland–build etoys with downloaded software
21. Tinkercad–3D modeling–fee–perfect for 3D printing
22. Typing.IO–typing code for practice
23. Windows Property menu–create a shortkey for any Windows tool through properties. Here’s a how-to video.
24. Wolfram Alpha widgets

Build a Game

1. GameSalad–no programming knowledge required; drag-drop

Coding Curriculum

1. C-STEM Studio–download to teach computers, science, technology, engineering and math with robotics
2. Everyone Can Code–from Apple
3. Google Computer Science for High School–free workshops (with application) for K-12 teachers

Hour of Code

1. By grade--in one school
2. Code.org
3. the Foos
4. Hour of Code intro
5. Intro video
6. Itch–videos to teach kids how to code
7. Khan Academy Hour of Code
8. K-8 lesson plan bundle
9. LiveBinder collection of links
10. Hour of Code overview, basics, and more
11. Microsoft Hour of Code
12. Resources
13. Scratch tutorial–for Hour of Code
14. Tynker

Scratch

1. Animate a Sprite
2. Animation
3. Backgrounds–change with Broadcast
4. Broadcast basics
5. Broadcast sprite
6. Broadcasting and sensing
7. Create a sprite video
8. Create a sprite video II
9. Import new Sprite
10. Intro
11. Intro–basic skills
12. List of tools
13. Make sprite talk
14. Move a sprite
15. Programming with Scratch–college course with free enrollment from Harvey Mudd
16. Scratch Curriculum from Scratch Ed
17. Scratch Debug Activities
18. Scratch Ed
19. Scratch intro and basics–13 min.–very good
20. Scratch main websites
21. Scratch resources from Scratch Ed
22. Symbaloo collection of Scratch resources

Miscellaneous

1. Animatron–design and publish animated and interactive content that plays everywhere, from desktop computers to mobile devices.
2. BrainPop coding games
3. Build a website–a guide
4. Chrome Experiments–geeky experimentation with programming
5. I like programming video
6. Kodu—game programming
7. Learn to code
8. Minecraft coding mod
9. Pivot Stickfigure Animator–free, download, powerful, with a cult following
10. Robby Leonardi–programmer–a game played about programming in the style of Mario
11. Roboblockly–to teach coding and math, from UCDavis
12. Stencyl–build games without coding with downloaded software
13. Stickman–draw a stick figure and the site animates it
14. Symbaloo collection for coding
15. TED Talk on young programmers

Click for an Hour of Code lesson plan bundle (K-8).

Click for Robotics 101 lesson plan.