Coding with Diverse Picture Books

I just love it when multiple ideas/concepts come together.  Our coding experience was an example of that this year.

We have been celebrating the Hour of Code for the last 7 years.  I love the problem solving and teamwork I see when students code.  However, I have been struggling with where and how this fits into our library program.  It was feeling like an isolated unit that didn't authentically fit.  I was inspired at #AASL19 by Ashley Cooksey's work and how she integrated picture books and coding.  I decided this was the year for change.  I used the month of December to read diverse picture books and problem solve (code).

Diverse picture books for coding

Wendy Garland's favorite books »

Why?

One of my goals for the year was to audit books chosen to read aloud to students for diverse gender, ethnicity, disability, socioeconomic, sexual orientation, and immigration status.  50% of read-alouds were to represent diverse main characters to reflect the population of our school.  Not just any book would do for this journey.  (See a previous post about the work I did last spring to include diverse poetry books in our collection).

Planning

As I planned for three weeks of activities, I identified essential elements:

• The coding activity must lead with a picture book.
• The picture book must be a diverse title.
• When possible, the activity should involve student choice.  (This was more realistic by the end of the unit when students were more self-sufficient).

Here are some highlights of some of our coding activities:  

How Do You Dance? - Using Commands (1st grade)

Last year, one of the favorite coding activities was the Dance Party activity.  Students connected with the music and movement.  The dancer in me wanted to bring back the dancing and put the learning into our own bodies to connect coding and choreography.  

First, we read.  

Next, we pulled up the suggested Spotify playlist, and went unplugged.  Dance steps were projected on the board.  Once we were well versed with all of the steps, it was time for the students to take over.

This was the "controller" students took turns operating.  Each button commanded a different dance step.

Students took turns pressing the "controller" buttons and changing the dance steps.  We danced, laughed, (and, by the way, we coded)!  After the fact, I realized I had NO photos.  Sorry - I was too busy dancing!

Snowy Day - Whole group sequencing (2nd grade)

Most 2nd graders were familiar with The Snowy Day.  We read the story in its entirety before collecting supplies for the activity.  (I found this printout and many fantastic inspirations from JDaniel4's Mom here).

We did a picture walk through the book, stopping to draw arrows and navigate through the grid.

We stopped to compare grids and see how we could arrive at the same destination, but do it in different ways.

Little Red Fort - Whole group sequencing (3rd grade)

I attended Ashley Cooksey's Picture Books and Problem Solving session at AASL19 and used her work to introduce coding (sequencing) with our 3rd graders.

We read The Little Red Fort as a class.

Students held a "stop" hand up when they saw a page that matched one on their map.  We stopped so students could draw the appropriate arrows to travel to this image from the last image we stopped for.

Princess Hair/Crown: Ode to the Fresh Cut - Independent sequencing (3rd graders)

The following week, 3rd graders repeated the Red Fort activity independently (with a new book).  I took Ashley Cooksey's format and created my own.  Students chose which book they wanted to sequence, Princess Hair or Crown.

Our theme - hair!

I recorded myself reading the books so students could read with their ears.

I left out only 6 devices to reduce the volume and encourage small groups.

I left copies of the book out for those who wanted to read it themselves.

Students successfully completed the activity.  Having used the same format the week before, they were well prepared to work independently.  Leaving only 6 devices out reduced noise AND required them to work together.

Salt in His Shoes - Coding loops (4th and 5th grade)

Before I read, students collected a clipboard, coloring/doodle page with the reflection space on the back, and 3 colored pencils.  I told students that I would read the story to them and they could choose how they would best listen.  Most students colored and doodled while I read, but in each class there was at least 1 child who locked eyes on the book and never once looked at their paper.  We read.

Next we coded Michael Jordan's success plan using a repeat block.

Students then decided what they wanted to be better at or improve and wrote a repeat loop:

My takeaways

I was concerned mostly with the upper grades and the pushback I met get by taking our coding offline.  For years these students have been using Kodable, LightBot, Scratch Jr, and the code.org coding activities.  I was pleasantly surprised to see students embracing new activities and working together.  Now the question I have for myself is where can I integrate these coding concepts within units so they are extensions of what we are doing?

Coding choices

Our final week of coding including coding choices.  Students selected a topic, read the book (I digitized these so all students could access these), and completed the unplugged coding activity.

Color

Students chose a book.

Coders completed mazes.

Home

This book was our inspiration.

Students drew a home following the algorithm.  (Great algorithms available here).

Nutcracker

I offered a variety of Nutcracker books & videos featuring non-traditional productions in addition to the traditional productions.

Students used an algorithm to draw a Nutcracker.

I love that this algorithm even had options for pre-readers!

What Can a Citizen Do

I just love the message in this book!

Students coded their way to eggs where they would find prompts make the world a better place.  At the end of the game they had to choose one to do this week.

Movement

Students used hopscotch cards and took over the rug.  (I truly intended to create my own, but time was not on my side and I surrendered to Teachers Pay Teachers.  My apologies).

Resources

Coding Challenges and Successes (December 2021)