Getting Started (5 minutes)

Setting the Stage

Welcome students to class and very briefly introduce the day’s activity.

Encourage students to share the ways they express creativity, such as with art, dance, music, writing.

Explain that today we're going to be creative with our code. Just like choosing which type of colors of paint to use, or what kinds of words you write with can be express creativity, choosing what code you write and how people interact with it can be an opportunity to express your creativity too!

Get up and dance: Announce to the class that today we're going to see how we can combine coding with dancing in a creative way. Ask your kids to floss, dab, or do a creative dance move of their own for 10 seconds to get them in the mood. You can play a song from this Spotify Playlist (all ages) to help kick things off. Capture your class's moves on video.

Activity (30-45 minutes)

Code Your Own Dance Party

Music Filtering

This tutorial features songs from popular artists. To get a preview of the song list in this tutorial, check out this Spotify Playlist. We are using radio-safe versions of all songs and for students under 13, we limit the music to this filtered list Spotify Playlist (all ages). If you would like to use the filtered list with older students, you can share this link with your classroom.

Level by Level Support

Level 2

• Drag the red make a new block from the toolbox on the left to the workspace on the right. Connect it inside the setup block.
• You have now written your first program. Make sure to press Run to see what happens. You should hear music and see a character start to move in the display area.

Level 4

• Levels 4-5 are about making the dance interactive.
• The green blocks are event blocks. These blocks start a new sequence of code and do not need to be connected inside the setup block.
• Connecting the purple block under the green event block allows you to make the character perform a dance by pressing the orange arrow buttons or keys on your keyboard.
• Make sure to press the arrow buttons after pressing Run or the dancer(s) won’t move.

Level 5

• Make sure to bring out a second purple do once block. You should have a bears do once block and a cats do once block in your workspace. Both should be connected to a green when pressed event block.
• Make sure to press the arrow buttons after pressing Run or the dancers won’t move.

Level 7

• Levels 7-8 are about synchronizing the dance to the music.
• The after measures event blocks also start a new sequence of code and should not be connected inside the setup block.
• Connecting the purple do forever block under the green after measures event block should make the character perform a dance move after the number of measures you indicate.
• The do forever block works differently from the do once blocks seen in the previous levels.

Level 8

• Make sure to bring out a second green event block. You should have a after 4 measures block and a after 6 measures block in your workspace. Both should have purple block connected underneath.

Level 9

• Level 9 is about creating groups of dancers quickly.
• Use the new block provided into the toolbox to create a set of smaller dancers. *You should also use the normal make a new block to create a larger “lead” dancer.
• Many students will be familiar with the idea that you can make something seem to be further away by drawing it a smaller scale. In the next level you’ll be able to fine tune this effect.

Level 11

• Levels 11-13 are about adjusting the properties (e.g. size, color) of the dancers.
• It is important to make sure that the teal set block is placed somewhere in the program after the dancers have been created. To solve this puzzle, place a set size block anywhere in your program and use it to change the size of some of your dancers.
• Dancers created as a group have a default size of 30. Other dancers have a default size of 100.

Level 12

• As with the previous level, make sure to only use the set tint to (color) block after you have made the dancers in your program. For example, placing it as the first step in the setup area of your program will have no effect.

Level 13

• With the right code, you should see the dancer cycle through different colors, sizes, or dance moves.
• Make sure there is a teal change, a teal randomize block, or a purple do forever block connected inside the every 2 measures block.
• Make sure do forever blocks are set to either (Next), (Previous), or (Random). Otherwise, the dancer will just perform the set move repeatedly.
• Note that the code students write in this level is not checked for correctness. This means they will always pass the level, even if they do not change the program. Students should feel free to experiment with their code in ways that are interesting to them. Click the “Finish” button to move on.
• Making new dancers inside the every 2 measures block will cause your program to create multiple identical dancers at the same location(s) and may lead to unintended consequences!

Level 15

• This last level is very open-ended. The tutorial itself is designed to give students ample time to keep working on their own dance.
• Encourage Sharing: If students have cell phones with a data plan they can quickly text a link to their projects to their own phone or a friend's. If your school policy allows it, encourage them to do so here.
• Encourage Creativity: Creativity is important throughout this lesson, but this is true here more than anywhere else!

Wrap Up (5 minutes)

Debrief

• Pose a prompt that has multiple answers such as “What is something you enjoyed about today's activity?” or “What is the connection between creativity and computer science?"

Assessment (2 minutes)

Ask students to add their “Whip Around” sticky notes or note cards to your "Computer Science" mind map on their way out the door. Try to populate the board with lots of great ideas about what CS is and why it matters.