LEARN. EMPOWER. INSPIRE.

Welcome to the West Michigan Tech Talent Hour of Code!

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The Hour of Code is a global movement to introduce tens of millions of students to computer science.

“Every student should have the opportunity to learn computer science. It helps nurture

problem-solving skills, logic and creativity.”

Inspire and Empower Your Students

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Hour of Code is a great opportunity for kids to learn about coding and why it is important for the world we live in. Your students will gain hands-on experience with basic coding though a fun, interactive game.

 Follow our step-by-step lesson plan starting with this inspirational video featuring technologists from local companies right here in West Michigan.

HOUR OF CODE LESSON PLAN

Ready to get started? Follow the steps outlined below and enjoy the Hour of Code experience!

If you haven’t done Hour of Code before or need a refresher, please watch the tutorial video below to prepare. The video will walk you through the activity so you’ll feel confident leading your learners.

STEP ONE:

• Setting the stage: briefly introduce the day’s activity. Example: “Today, we’re going to spend one hour learning to code. Has anyone heard the term “code” before? What does it mean?”

STEP TWO:

• Show your students the introduction video provided by code.org.

• Show your students West Michigan Tech Talent's sizzler video here (also available above) before starting the exercise.

STEP THREE:

• Start the students on the Minecraft – Adventurer exercise.

• The “Minecraft – Hour of Code: Intro” video will automatically pop up. Play this video for your learners.

• Choose your character.

• Walk your students through stages 1 and 2.

STEP FOUR:

Instruct your learners to:

• Open the activity on their own device: https://studio.code.org/s/mc/stage/1/puzzle/1

• Click the “X” to close out the “Minecraft – Hour of Code: Intro” video.

• Choose their character.

• Repeat stages 1 and 2 to get used to moving around the workspace and its components.

STEP THREE:

• Let your learners work through the stages at their own pace.

• Help them troubleshoot tricky stages as needed.

• Refer to the answer key to help them navigate through stages if they get stuck.

• HAVE FUN!

DID YOU HAVE FUN?

Please complete our survey about your Hour of Code experience. Your feedback is important to us and will help us improve the program!

Looking for more fun? Check out these resources to keep coding!

Code.org

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Be Internet Awesome

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Code Combat

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Hour of Code

Crunchzilla (Code Monster)

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Khan Academy

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Scratch (MIT)