Hey there! Did you know that at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, there’s a special room where engineers control the Curiosity rover on Mars? This rover is like a super-smart robot exploring the red planet. It moves around using a computer program, kind of like the puzzles you’ve been solving. The code you wrote gives instructions to guide robots through tricky paths, just like the rover on Mars. Isn’t it cool that your code could help a robot reach its destination?
Guess what? You’ve learned a lot in just one hour of coding! The basic ideas you’ve covered are super important for creating any program or app. You’ve worked with things like repeat loops, repeat-until statements, if statements, and if-else blocks. These are the building blocks of coding, and there’s so much more to discover!
Don’t stop now—there’s a whole world of coding waiting for you! You can visit Code.org to continue your coding journey. If you complete their 20-hour course, you’ll be a pro at the basics of programming. Then, you can start creating phone apps, games, or even instructions for robots—anything you can imagine!
Technology is changing everything around us, and coding is a big part of that change. It doesn’t matter how old you are; programming is fun and exciting. The best part is that anyone can learn to code! So, keep exploring, keep learning, and who knows what amazing things you’ll create in the future!
Imagine you’re an engineer at NASA! Create a simple map of Mars and design a path for a rover to explore. Use arrows to show the directions the rover should take. Then, write a short code using repeat loops and if statements to guide your rover through the path. Share your map and code with your classmates!
Use a platform like Scratch to create a simple game. Start with a basic idea, like a character collecting stars. Use the coding blocks you’ve learned, such as if-else statements and loops, to make your game interactive. Once you’re done, play each other’s games and give feedback!
Visit Code.org and choose a new challenge or lesson to complete. Try to use different coding concepts like loops and conditionals. After finishing, discuss with a friend what you learned and how you solved the challenge. This will help reinforce your understanding of coding basics.
Research how technology has evolved over the years and create a timeline. Include key inventions and breakthroughs in coding and robotics. Present your timeline to the class and explain how each development has impacted the world. This will help you appreciate the role of coding in technological advancements.
Write a short story about a young coder who uses their skills to solve a problem in their community. Include elements of coding you’ve learned, like creating an app or programming a robot. Share your story with the class and discuss how coding can be used for positive change.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
(Bobak – NASA Engineer)
Hello everyone! We’re at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the room where we control the Curiosity rover, which is currently exploring Mars. The rover navigates the planet using a computer program that functions similarly to the last puzzle you just solved. The code you created provides instructions that can guide any robot through a non-branching maze or tunnel of any complexity or length. This could apply to a variety of robots, including a Mars rover. The code you wrote can help it reach its destination.
(Tess – Google Engineer)
You might not realize how much you’ve learned in your first hour of coding. However, the basic concepts you’ve just covered are fundamental to every program or app you’ll ever create. We’ve discussed repeat loops, repeat-until statements, if statements, and the if-else block. But there’s more to explore! Don’t stop here—there’s a wealth of information to learn! Visit Code.org to continue your coding education. Once you complete our full 20-hour curriculum, you’ll have mastered the basics of programming and can start learning how to write phone apps, games, or robot instructions—really, anything you can think of. Technology is transforming everything we do, and it doesn’t matter if you’re young or old; programming is enjoyable. And the best part? Anyone can do it!
Code – A set of instructions written in a programming language that a computer can understand and follow. – Example sentence: “I wrote some code to make the computer draw a colorful picture on the screen.”
Coding – The process of writing instructions for a computer to perform specific tasks. – Example sentence: “We are learning coding in school so we can create our own video games.”
Program – A complete set of coded instructions that tells a computer how to perform a task. – Example sentence: “I used a program to edit the photos I took during our vacation.”
Robot – A machine that can be programmed to perform tasks automatically. – Example sentence: “The robot in our class can follow a line drawn on the floor all by itself.”
Mars – The fourth planet from the Sun, often explored using technology like rovers and satellites. – Example sentence: “Scientists use robots to explore Mars and learn more about its surface.”
Technology – The use of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry and everyday life. – Example sentence: “Technology helps us communicate with friends and family who live far away.”
Loops – In programming, a sequence of instructions that repeats until a certain condition is met. – Example sentence: “We used loops in our code to make the character jump up and down continuously.”
Statements – Instructions in a program that tell the computer what to do. – Example sentence: “Each line of code in our project is made up of different statements that perform actions.”
Instructions – Detailed steps that tell a computer how to perform a specific task. – Example sentence: “The instructions in the program helped the robot move forward and turn left.”
Explore – To investigate or study something in order to learn more about it. – Example sentence: “We used a computer simulation to explore the ocean depths and discover new sea creatures.”
