SmarterSTEM Coding is a hands-on class in STEM education for kids starting in 3rd-5th grades. We use a series of engaging and fun Electronics & JavaScript lessons in a fun and entertaining comic-book series with project assembly labs. The curriculum also uses a series of comprehensive videos to fully illustrate each lesson and lab session. Course Modules continue with content through 12th grade.
What Specific Problems does it solve?
In today’s world, exploring, coding, and the ability to solve problems are key elements to our kids’ future success. Learning and innovation are fueled by curiosity and the desire to explore and discover. Today’s education and other programs focus on specific topics and tasks with predefined tests and outcomes leaving little room for innovation.
SmarterSTEM Coding provides a unique environment conductive to curiosity and discovery while learning real 21th century skills that can be put to use. The student market for this new educational resource is targeted at grades 3rd-12th.
Module 1: Jumpstart: Introduction to Arduino “The Journey to PodPi”
Unit A: About this Course
Unit B: Arduino description and Overview
Educational Goals:
Introduction to Coding
- Build confidence in approaching programming and hands-on activities with light electronics
- Engage students early on with an educational format that is related to computer coding
- Introduce students to the most popular electronic components
- Introduce students to JavaScript and its interactions with the physical world
- Set up the computer environment for the lessons and future volumes
Summary
In this Module, the students will start by setting up their environment and computer to be ready for the adventures in learning. There are 8 main lessons and 1 challenge. Lessons range from single LED blink to RGB LEDs, button, potentiometer, light sensing, temperature sensing and servo motors.
Module 1 provides a step by step process to install and configure the software necessary for the lessons (one time only per computer), followed by an overview of basic electronic components.
Each Module includes an Instructor Guide, comprehensive Instructional Videos, 20 copies of the curriculum comic-book “textbook”, 20 lab kits with the hardware wiring and an example of the JavaScript code. Students will learn how to build circuits and control them using JavaScript.
Watch a recent workshop:
Instructor Training is available for this course.