Coding Fun & Learning Club: Puzzles and Projects (Ongoing) - 1X Weekly (Ages 5-8)

Develop your code skills by solving puzzles and creating projects in Code.org’s drag-and-drop block coding system, along with socializing with classmates and sharing your creative code work!

In this weekly ongoing, interactive class students will learn and develop their coding skills through 3 age-appropriate options on the coding education website Code.org.The puzzles and creative projects for ages 5-8 feature fun, cartoon characters who need to be given code directions to find their way through a maze, draw a picture, or design a simple game. Learners will drag and drop up, down, left, and right arrows, along with other various commands, to guide the characters through each puzzle or to design a simple drawing or game 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), and events.

**POSSIBLE 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)
- Play Lab projects (create a game or animated scene with a variety of character, background, and action code command options)
- Artist projects (draw a picture using code)

**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.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 comfortably (point with cursor, click, drag, hold, drop)
- Being able to read is helpful, but not required. If students are still learning to read, they can still easily navigate the Code.org program through colored buttons and symbols

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:
-1st Week of the Month -  Week 1 / Lesson 1: Coding with Sequences - 1st Week of the Month
- 2nd Week of the Month - Week 2 / Lesson 2: Play Lab Projects - 2nd Week of the Month
- 3rd Week of the Month - Week 3 / Lesson 3: Coding with Loops/Repeats - 3rd Week of the Month
- 4th Week of the Month - Week 4 / Lesson 4: Artist Projects - 4th Week of the 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.)

**PARENTAL HELP REQUIRED: Students at this young age very often need adult assistance using a computer. Since this is a virtual, online class, the teacher is obviously not present in the same room as the learner. The parent/guardian MUST be available during the entire class time to partner with the teacher and assist the learner as needed - setting up devices, logging in to Code.org, finding the correct activities in the Code.org menu, and occasionally assisting learners with solving code puzzles or creating projects. Please expect to be at your learner’s side (off-camera) for the first 5-10 minutes of class to make sure they understand how to get started. If you see the learner is able to work independently with the teacher’s instructions, feel free to leave the room after 5-10 minutes. Please continue to be available in your home in case the learner needs to ask questions. PDF instructions will be sent to parents after enrolling explaining how to set up devices for the learner.