Level 2 - I learn programming with blocks of code
My first steps in the world of visual programming is the entry level for our youngest programmers. It is the first meeting of children aged 6 and 7 years with the world of programming. During Level 1, children learn basic computer system features, get to know concepts such as software and hardware and the difference between them, and which of these parts they will study in the course. Kids are also introduced to the concepts of program, instructions, priority, programming environment as well as algorithm. They learn all of the above as they program the behaviour of robots and create interesting animations. At this level, children aged 6 and 7 years are introduced to recurring actions and program branching as well as events while creating interesting games in various programming environments. The purpose of this level is to familiarise children with basic concepts of the programming world as well as to lay the foundations for children to start building up additional knowledge in the next levels. Tools used by the children are fully tailored to their age; they are not even expected to be able to read and write. At this level, we start working with instructions in the form of images which children arrange in order to propel the characters. To achieve better results in the level, we use various tools such as programming robots, special software and hardware tools, various programming environments in order to keep children’s attention and to enable them to understand their concepts while working with various tools and programming enironments.
Certificate
The student will receive certificate for each completed level.
Bonus points
500 points
Each completed module is bringing you 100 points and the full level 500 points.
Tools
Some of the instruments and programming environments used by the students in this level.
100 POINTS
Module 1 - Repeated iterations
In this module students expand their knowledge on loops by making their programs more complex, including repeated iterations. Students learn that a full cycle of the inner loop corresponds to an iteration of the outer loops. In this module students learn about loops and conditionals in programming and they build complex algorithms that then used on robots and game sprites. Students consolidate all that they’ve learnt so far and apply it to more complex programs. By building more complex algorithms that include various loops and conditionals, students learn about priorities in a program and how to fix errors in the code.
Topics
- What is an iteration?
- Mixing different loop types
- Priority in complex iterations
- Preparing a project 5 (6-7)
100 POINTS
Module 2 - Complex conditionals in programming
In this module students practice what they have learnt so far by creating games and programming robot behavior with more than one conditional in the program. Students learn how the key word ‘else’ can add a branch to the program.
Topics
- Complex conditional – if-then-else. When to use it?
- Instruction division – when are instructions inserted in ‘else’?
- Working with more than one conditional
- Preparing a project 6 (6-7)
100 POINTS
Module 3 - Conditional within a conditional – nested conditionals
In this module students will build upon what they have learnt so far by learning that one conditional could contain another conditional within itself. The practice in this module will help students appreciate the practical meaning of conditional instructions.
Topics
- Optimizing and testing of conditionals
- Using more than one conditional in a program
- Conditional priority
- Preparing a project 7 (6-7)
100 POINTS
Module 4 - Introducing variables
In this module students learn what variables are and also how to acquire value to the variable. They find out about the various types of variables and the way they can be applied to programming.
Topics
- What is a variable?
- Variables as part of the program
- Variable types
- Project preparation 8 (6-7)