Ready, Set, Code!: Coding Activities for Kids

Description

Age range 9 to 12 Are you ready to learn about real technology and make it yourself? Ready, Set, Code! explains how cutting-edge digital technology works and its surprising uses now and in the future. Filled with interesting examples, each chapter explores a different topic, such as artificial intelligence, sensors and data, and applies it with a fun, hands-on coding project. You will learn how to create your own chatbot, translate messages into different languages, construct a burglar alarm, make digital art and music, and launch a citizen science project. Plus, you'll learn how to protect yourself online and much more. Suitable for beginners, this book provides illustrated step-by-step instructions to teach kids to code with the highly acclaimed Scratch programming language, popular micro:bit mini computers and simple app building tools. 'Ready, Set, Code! teaches computer programming skills to kids aged 8-12 using the open source Scratch language created by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology...Kids are encouraged to create their own versions of real-world technology by building a chatbot, making digital art, creating music and mapping locations...fun projects are presented alongside facts about technology that will engage inquisitive minds. Teachers will find Ready, Set, Code! useful because it connects to the Australian curriculum and can be used in conjunction with other children's books focused on Scratch programming.' - Books+Publishing

Nicola O'Brien is the founder of Code Rangers, a start-up that teaches kids to code and helps teachers to bring coding to their schools. She currently works at the Australian Computing Academy, University of Sydney. She is a computing education specialist tasked with creating and delivering engaging curriculum-aligned content on digital technologies. Heather Catchpole is a children's author and founder of the phenomenally successful Careers with Code magazines. Produced in partnership with Google, over 1.5 million copies of these magazines have been distributed in the USA, New Zealand and Australia. Heather is a passionate advocate for science, technology, engineering and maths and an entrepreneur and co-founder of Refraction Media. Her goal is to create a digital future with humanity and creativity.

"Coding is awesome. It is the language of now and definitely the language of the future. But how does coding work? Is it just one language? And how do you possibly learn to code? Well this brilliant book will get you there. Take your marks ... It's time to Ready, Set, Code!" -- Adam Spencer * Comedian, Maths Geek *