Coding through Storytelling
To get started children are given a list of instructions - we’ve created some examples. They then follow the algorithm step-by moving the characters as instructed.
They can watch back their film and compare it with the original, checking for mistakes and correcting as required (debugging).
Then they can create their own new film, recording each step to create a new algorithm. This can then be exchanged with another group for them to decode into a film.
The animations can be enhanced with sounds effects, music, speech bubbles, titles and credits to turn a simple film into a compelling story. With older children instructions for these enhancements could even be written into the algorithms.
This is fun easy way of getting children to both write and interpret algorithms, acting as both the programmer and processor giving children a deeper understanding of what it’s all about.