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Key points:
As each year passes, it becomes more clear that the skills students build through STEM activities like coding can contribute to their professional success–even if they don’t enter a STEM field.
Each year, Computer Science Education Week (this year, it’s Dec. 9-15) aims to inspire K-12 students and teachers to learn about computer science, promote equity and access to computer science education, and bring awareness to the field.
As part of Computer Science Education Week, the Hour of Code serves as a perfect opportunity to introduce students and educators to coding through hour-long activities. The event, which can happen at any time during Computer Science Education Week, is intended to “demystify coding and show that anyone can learn the basics, inspiring future interest in computer science,” according to HourOfCode.com.
Here are 5 Hour of Code resources to try (and here is a full list for all grades and abilities):
1. Music Lab: Jam Session (Amazon): Make music and learn to code with Music Lab: Jam Session! In this self-guided, one-hour activity, students remix tracks from artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Lady Gaga, and Shakira while mastering coding basics such as sequencing, functions, and exploring AI-driven beat creation. This hands-on interactive experience sparks creativity and boosts confidence–leaving students proud of their custom track and the coding skills they’ve gained.
2. Hello World (Code.org): Learn the basics of computer science by programming in Sprite Lab. You will create and animate sprites, and make your own interactive scenes.
3. The Show Must Go On (Minecraft Education): Welcome to The Show Must Go On, where your creativity and coding skills take center stage! The big show is in chaos–the Agent has vanished! Use problem-solving and computational thinking to code through fun challenges, unlock surprises, and bring the show to life. Compose a song, choreograph a dance, craft a costume and save the show–all while learning key coding skills in blocks or Python.
4. Code Farm: Plant a Garden (CoderZ): Program a robot to plant a garden, and learn how robots help farmers in the real world.
5. Spreading Kindness with Scratch and Gitanjali Rao (Scratch Foundation): Remix our starter project to develop and share a message of kindness, inspired by Gitanjali’s innovative approach to anti-bullying efforts for young people around the world.
