Kindergarten Students Learn About Algorithms Through Art During ‘Hour of Code’ Week

St. Margaret’s kindergarten students are learning coding concepts this week in an interactive unit that combines technology and art to introduce the basics of computer algorithms.

 

Algorithms are ordered steps computers follow to perform a task or solve a problem. To help kindergarten students understand the concept, students are following directions in class to make an art project that’s created in a certain order like a line of code.

 

In the project, the young Tartans act as the “computers” and listen to the steps inputted by Lower School art teacher Mary Mayer-Grubb and ICE Lab teacher Angela Mackenzie. Using coding terminology like “run” and “end,” the students follow the step-by-step instructions, which create art using tools like paintbrushes and rollers.

 

“Each kindergarten class adds to the artwork so at the end of the week we have a large collaborative piece,” Mrs. Mackenzie said. “The students physically experience coding principles and terminology, and understand that computers need humans to program them and tell them what to do. It is a meaningful way to introduce computer science principles and is something they remember.”

 

The algorithm lesson is one of a number of computer science activities that took place at St. Margaret’s during the fifth annual “Hour of Code” week, a nationwide initiative to broaden global participation in computer science held during Computer Science Education Week. The Hour of Code added to St. Margaret’s already extensive year-long coding curriculum in place.

 

In addition to the kindergarten “arts and algorithms” project, Grades 1 and 2 at St. Margaret’s worked on coding through the Scratch Jr. program, while grades 3 and 4 worked in Code.org. Grade 5 worked on coding skills in Scratch.