Programming will be one of the most useful skills in the future. In this camp we introduce learners to the world of Scratch programming. The goal of the camp is NOT to just build a bunch of programs - but to teach learners the fundamentals of programming so they understand why programs work. In the second week we will build a variety of different programs to show learners programming from different angels and allow them to ignite their creativity and imagination to build their own Scratch programs.

As a follow up to this class I recommend Advanced Programming in Snap!

Class Structure:
Week 1
Day 1: What is programming? We will log into Scratch and create our own accounts. We will look at some example programs created by others to let learners get a feel of what can be done with Scratch.

(PARENTAL NOTICE: Please provider your learner with an email address they can use to create an account with Scratch. Scratch is managed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a private research university in Cambridge, MA who will not share or sell email addresses).

Day 2: Today is all about "variables", maybe the most important component of any programming language. We will learn about Scratch variables and lists and create simple programs to show how to use variables.

Day 3: Today is all about "loops", a critical concept to create anything from games to artificial intelligence. Learners will create simple programs combining variables and loops to understand the concept.

Day 4: Decision making day. Every program needs to make decisions. We will use blocks like IF-THEN, IF-THEN-ELSE and REPEAT UNTIL to learn about the importance of creating decisions.

Day 5: Programs should be able to sense what is going on on the screen or in the real world. Today we will learn about what Scratch offers in sensing and create simple program.

Week 2:
In this week we will create 5 different programs (one per day). The goal is to use what we learned in the first week and practice those skills. Each day will offer a completely different type of program to allow learners to see programming from different perspectives. The exact programs will depend on the group of learners. I will do my best to align week 2 with the progress we make in week 1.