A ten-lesson sequence progressing from the basics of Scratch through to creating simple games. It includes:

• drawing shapes and using repeats
• accepting keyboard input to control the movement of sprites
• planning algorithms using flow diagrams and executing them in Scratch
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This Barefoot Computing resource builds on the ‘Maths quiz with selection’ learning activities which should be undertaken first.

It involves improving an existing Scratch maths quiz and adding score-keeping using...

This interactive online self-driving challenge from Siemens can supplement robotics education in computing. It enables pupils to programme a car to drive around a circuit without a driver, the circuits getting more complex as the challenge progresses.

Self-...

The joy and challenge of building ‘cheap and cheerful’ sensors has a wide appeal to adults as well as children. It also opens a wide number of links to aspects of the mathematics, science, computing, design and technology, and engineering curricula, supporting scientific investigation and discovery. These...

This resource contains seventeen instant maths ideas requiring students to construct sequences from a variety of situations such as drawing stick animals, from formulae, and drawing patterns leading to linear, quadratic and cubic sequences. Other tasks include finding the number of dots in a rectangle, finding...

This SMILE resource contains three packs of games, investigations, worksheets and practical activities supporting the teaching and learning of sequences, from finding the next two terms of a simple linear sequence to exploring the limits of sequences.

Sequences pack one contains thirteen...

In this, the final activity of a sequence of eight, children are asked to use their knowledge to create a challenge using Rapid Router, solvable using Python. It will ask their partner to use procedures, increment variables and apply different methods of control flow.

The resource includes an overview of...

This activity makes the leap from Blockly to Python programming. The 'grocery van driving challenge' is reduced from previous lessons to allow students to concentrate on syntax and correct coding using a limited set of instructions. Matching of Blockly and Python code is encouraged to assist the transition.

This activity in the Rapid Router series takes children further in their transition to text-based programming in Python.

By creating Blockly programs and comparing them to the automatically-generated Python code, children are encouraged to identify code which matches. The complexity of the problems is...

This activity follows-on from previous exercises using the Blockly editor on the Rapid Router website. It reviews what the children have learned before they proceed to using text-based programming.

The exercise looks at the most advanced ideas used with the Blockly-based phase of the Rapid Router scheme,...

This activity goes further into Python programming by expanding the range of repetition and selection commands used. Students also practice debugging of code.

Variables are explained before making use of incremented variables to solve challenges in Python.

Other programming practices, including...

This lesson activity further develops Python programming ability by introducing additional commands such as WHILE, IF, ELSE and ELIF. Debugging of programs is featured, and extension activities lead to the writing of functions that use COUNT IN RANGE() to control repetition. Students are also encouraged to mark-up...

In this Rapid Router activity, children progress from block-based programming to the textual environment of Python. In doing so they learn about the nature of text-based coding, including the need for precise syntax and how it is structured.

The progression is handled gently, with code compared in both...

This activity explores the concepts of pattern recognition and problem decomposition. It illustrates these ideas using a popular children's book, "We're going on a bear hunt" by Michael Rosen.

Children are asked to apply their understanding by then creating functions using the Blockly editor on the Rapid...

Four equilateral triangles are presented with different patterns shaded. The challenge is to find the triangle which is most fully shaded. To arrive at a solution requires both spatial awareness and use of fractions. This resource is suitable for Key Stages 2 and 3.

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