Essential Coding to Learn Teacher's Manual
The following list of activities are from PASCO's Essential Coding to Learn Teacher's Manual, which is designed for use with the //code.Node. You may preview and download editable student handouts, as well as the complete Teacher Manual. Teacher files, including answer keys, can be accessed by signing in to or creating a PASCO account.
Grade Level: Middle School
Subject: STEM
Teacher Collection Files
Sign In to your PASCO account to access teacher files and sample data.
Activities
01) Magnetic Polarity
Students create a program, using the //code.Node magnetic field sensor, that will determine the polarity of a bar magnet.
02) Random Number Cube
Students will create a program, using the //code.Node motion sensor, to mimic a number cube. Additionally, students will use basic probability concepts to determine the probability of events related to the number cube.
03) Automatic Nightlight
Students apply their understanding of light behavior to create a program that functions like a nightlight as well as investigating brightness (amplitude) and color (frequency).
04) Light Bulb Efficiency
Students apply their understanding of energy transfer and transformation to investigate and compare the efficiencies of two different light bulbs.
05) Clap On
Students are introduced to an invention from the 1980's that allows you to turn lights on and off by clapping your hands. Student then use Blockly to program their //code.Node to behave in the same way.
06) What's the Origin?
Students take their previous knowledge of plotting ordered pairs and apply it to the layout of the //code.Node 5X5 LED array.
07) Investigating Sound Levels
Students use the //code.Node sound sensor to investigate various sound levels and create a program to alert the user when the music from their earbuds is too loud.
08) Step Counter
Students will use either the acceleration-y or acceleration-x //code.Node sensor and knowledge of their own gait to create a program that mimics a step counter.
09) Intruder Alarm
Students use their previous knowledge of coding to create a unique program that will alert them to an intruder. The process will include submitting their algorithm to a partner to review, test, and comment on.
10) Digital Thermometer
Students use a //code.Node and a wireless temperature sensor to create a device that alerts the user to a fever.
