VA STEM 1: Intro to Coding EL

In the first year of STEM-10, students take lessons starting from square zero and then advance step-by-step through the fundamentals of coding. In the first half of the year, the course builds a baseline understanding of the concepts needed to learn coding.In the second half of the year, the students are introduced to Cellus Bot, a teaching robot which is equipped with lights, motor, and sensors, all of which are controlled by block coding modules included as part of the course. As an additional touch, the Bot sports a laser which draws shapes and circles as the robot dances. The built-in accelerometer supports program-controlled responses to movements and positioning of the Bot. Students first learn how to control the robot in the most simplistic manner, but the lessons develop in complexity as the course progresses.