Learning kitGrades 2-3

Computer science: coding

Code a dancing sprite

Write an algorithm for a quilt pattern, then code in Snap!, a free block language: make a sprite dance with a loop, move it with the arrow keys and make it talk when clicked, learn about Grace Hopper, and make your own dance block that a key press runs. Ages 7 to 9 or grades 2 to 3.

Time
About 90 minutes, in two or three sittings
Steps
5 steps, 3 of them in Snap!
You need
A computer or Chromebook with a mouse or trackpad and a keyboard, and a friend or grown-up for step 1. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed.
Unlock the kit, $5 I have a code

$5 for one learner: every step, the Snap! activities that check the work, the printable lesson, and the certificate with a page of the learner's own work.

A sprite on the Snap! stage after its looping dance drew a five-point star whose lines change color.

The 5 steps

  1. 1Create algorithms that follow a sequenceQuilt algorithmAn algorithm is a list of steps in order. Computers follow algorithms exactly. Make a quilt pattern, then write the algorithm someone else follows to copy it.
  2. 2Use loops to improve your algorithmIn Snap!A loop repeats steps, so you do not have to write them again and again. Make your sprite dance, then use a loop to repeat the dance.
  3. 3Use events to make things happenIn Snap!An event is something that happens, like a key press or a click. Events start scripts. Make the arrow keys move your sprite, and make it talk when you click it.
  4. 4Learn about women in computer scienceRead and quizGrace Hopper was a computer scientist and a rear admiral in the United States Navy. She helped make computers easier for everyone to program.
  5. 5Create your own set of commands that use eventsIn Snap!Programmers make their own commands. In Snap! you can make your own block. Make a dance block, then make a key press run it.

Work on a computer. The apps need a keyboard and a bigger screen than a phone: a laptop, desktop or Chromebook. You can pay here and open the emailed link on the computer.

One learner

Unlock the kit, $5

  • All 5 steps, worked on screen, with a lesson you can print if you like paper
  • Snap! activities that check the work as it is done
  • A numbered certificate with a page of the learner's own work: your quilt algorithm, your notes and your Snap! program

We email a link that opens the kit on any computer. No account needed. We keep the email only to send the kit and certificate links: privacy.

Have a discount code?
Co-ops and classes: unlock it for a group

One payment and one code. Each learner types the code to unlock the kit on their own computer, and gets their own certificate at the end. Your pack page shows who has started and finished.

See a sample certificate (PDF) · Already paid? Find your link

Questions

What does the learner do in Code a dancing sprite?

It has 5 steps: 1. Create algorithms that follow a sequence; 2. Use loops to improve your algorithm; 3. Use events to make things happen; 4. Learn about women in computer science; 5. Create your own set of commands that use events. Write an algorithm for a quilt pattern, then code in Snap!, a free block language: make a sprite dance with a loop, move it with the arrow keys and make it talk when clicked, learn about Grace Hopper, and make your own dance block that a key press runs. Ages 7 to 9 or grades 2 to 3.

What age is it for?

Grades 2-3. About 90 minutes, in two or three sittings.

What is needed?

A computer or Chromebook with a mouse or trackpad and a keyboard, and a friend or grown-up for step 1. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed.

Is there a certificate?

Yes. A numbered certificate with a page of the learner's own work, for your records or a portfolio. It is not course credit.

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