We have provided three detailed lesson plans, each designed as a starting point for a series of lessons. Children new to coding, whether at year 1 or year 2, will need to work through the basics, starting with lesson 1. Year 2 children should be able to move through the first two lessons much more quickly.
At the end of each lesson plan there are suggestions for further activities. It will help the children's learning experience if they are given plenty of time for consolidation before moving on to the next lesson plan. J2Code is designed to be open ended rather than prescriptive in order to encourage children's creativity.
The videos are a quick and convenient way for the teacher to learn how the software works. These may be shared with the children if desired. The pupil examples are designed to motivate the children and inspire them to code. The templates are an easy way for the children to begin their tasks.
The computing programmes of study introduce a lot of new technical vocabulary that the children need to become familiar with. We have included a glossary for your reference. There is also a link to this in each lesson plan.
There are additional resources accessible from the J2Code landing page.
Learning objectives
- To know that an algorithm is a set of instructions. - To create simple algorithms to make a rocket move.
Learning outcomes
All children: will make the rocket move to a planet. Most children: will make the rocket move to each planet. Some children: will move 2 or more rockets simultaneously.
Learning objectives
- To create an algorithm in advanced mode. - To debug code.
Learning outcomes
All children: will make a sprite move using advanced mode. Most children: debug an algorithm by moving the code around. Some children: create an algorithm for making multiple sharks chase a rowing boat.
Learning objectives
- To understand how block coding works. - To program a simple algorithm.
Learning outcomes
All children: move the rocket around the screen using move and turn blocks. Most children: move the rocket to the moon and back to the starting point, using move and turn blocks. Some children: make the rocket repeat its actions using the repeat block.