Coding - Creative Coding Club: Puzzles and Projects (Ongoing) - 1X Weekly (Ages 8-12)

In this weekly ongoing, interactive class, students will learn and develop their coding skills through a variety of options on the coding education website Code.org. The puzzles and creative project options for ages 9-12 feature fun, colorful characters who need code directions to perform game-like tasks, find their way through a maze, or draw a picture. Learners will drag and drop various command blocks (ex: move forward, turn left, turn right, repeat, collect, start, stop, set background, set size, if/else, while/when, etc.) to guide the characters through each puzzle or to design a project.

During each class session, the teacher will coach each learner on the puzzle set or project they choose to work on and help build their understanding of code concepts such as sequencing, loops (repeats), sprites, events, conditionals, and functions.

**CODING ACTIVITY CHOICES (Note: This list is subject to change based on changes and additions to Code.org’s activity options.)
- Express Course lesson puzzles (work through a sequence of lessons to learn a variety of coding skills)
- Sprite Lab projects (create a game or animated scene with a variety of character, background, and action code command options)
- Play Lab projects (**similar to Sprite Lab, but easier to use and with fewer options)
- Minecraft projects (create a game or animated scene with Minecraft-themed code commands)
- Artist projects (draw a picture using code)
- Dance Party projects (code a scene with colorful characters dancing in time to music)
- Various other simple game and artist design projects (Star Wars, sports-themed, Frozen, Bad Guys, Ice Age, and more!)

**NOTE: Everyone learns to code at their own unique pace and speed. Learners are encouraged to work on the Code.org puzzle sets and/or projects at the pace that feels comfortable to them. By nature of an ongoing class, all learners will likely be working on different and individualized coding activities in each class.

**WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS CLASS?:
- Students with previous coding experience who want to develop their skills and learn more creative ways to design with code
- Students with no coding experience (or very little) who want to learn the basics and continue practicing each week. (**NOTE: If you have no coding experience at all, we do recommend that you take a 4-day coding intro class with Apples2Zippers to get a kick-start on basic coding skills before jumping into this ongoing class with learners at a variety of levels. You can enroll in our intro class here: https://outschool.com/classes/learn-to-code-intro-to-block-coding-puzzles-and-projects-for-ages-9-12-SKAu3PXs . It is NOT REQUIRED to take this intro class first since you can still start learning code in the ongoing format, but you may have a better experience after taking the intro course first.)

**REQUIRED SKILLS:
- Able to use a computer mouse/trackpad fluently
- Able to read and follow written directions on the screen (audio directions also available)

In each class session, the teacher will focus on a specific coding skill or project type and start by demonstrating with example puzzles or projects. Learners may choose to work on the puzzle skills or project type in the teacher’s focus lesson OR choose to work on coding activities of their choice from a set of options provided by the teacher through Code.org. The teacher will guide students through logging in to Code.org each day and navigating to their desired activities.

**CLASS SESSION FOCUS TOPICS:
- Topic / Lesson 1: Coding with Loops/Repeats -  1st Week of Each Month 
- Topic / Lesson 2: Sprite Lab Projects -                 2nd Week of Each Month
- Topic / Lesson 3: Coding with Conditionals -     3rd Week of Each Month 
- Topic / Lesson 4: Minecraft Projects Code.org   4th Week of Each Month  

**TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS:
- A laptop or desktop computer is REQUIRED for coding in this class. (No tablets, please! Some Code.org puzzles do not work properly on tablets.)
- The teacher will create Code.org accounts for the learners after enrolling and provide login information that will apply to this class ONLY. (**Note: If you enrolled in a previous coding class with Apples2Zippers, you will continue using the same Code.org account.)