We’re thrilled to be partnering with Hour of Code for the third year in a row. Hour of Code aims to introduce computer science to students around the globe, designed to show that anybody can learn the basics of code. This is the largest learning event in history (175,000 events and counting), and we’re excited to contribute! In addition to the rich offering of hour-long activities found on Code.org, we also hope teach.mozilla.org serves as a useful resource for educators to find free activities, tools and lesson plans to help teach their learners how to read, write, and participate on the web.
Participate in Hour of Code (or just warm up) with these two fun activities:
1. Thimble’s Homework Excuse Generator
Mozilla’s online code editor, Thimble, is a big part of our Hour of Code offerings – and it’s big fun, as well. With Thimble you can make or remix a web project like the Homework Excuse Generator with helpful cues from the program itself. Thimble ‘reads’ your code as you type it and offers suggestions about how to complete each line. Serious, silly, and in-between, Thimble projects and web literacy lessons created by Mozilla and the #teachtheweb community offer something for everyone, from remixing memes to making art online.
Here are a few fun Homework Generator remixes from the community:
2. HTML Puzzle Box Activity (No-Fi)
Even when connectivity is limited, it’s still possible to teach the web and participate in Hour of Code! This activity teaches the basics of HTML using nothing but paper (papercraft pattern available), scissors, and glue. After assembling the boxes, students use them to build HTML tag structure in the correct order. Timing them and creating competitive teams boosts the excitement level!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=39&v=0lj_nkmwMF4
More Ways to Get Involved
- Try some of these teaching activities available at teach.mozilla.org, ranging from beginner to intermediate skill levels, and covering Javascript, HTML, and CSS.
- Download Webmaker and learn how to create original web content using your Android device.
- Code.org also offers a list of Teacher Led Hour of Code lesson plans (listed by age group) or Student Led Hour of Code lesson plans (listed by category: low/no tech, JAVA, K-8, and more).
Global Web Literacy: Looking Beyond Hour of Code
Global web literacy isn’t just a pie-in-the-sky goal for us, but rather a practical, get-your-hands-dirty daily effort. There are countless individuals and teams that are working towards that goal, getting one step closer every day. Will you help us take more steps towards achieving global web literacy? If you’re interested in helping us translate Web Literacy Basics I so we can reach schools where students or teachers don’t speak English, click here.
Looking to get plugged into an Hour of Code event in your community? You can find a robust list of global events here. You can also share your #teachtheweb experiences during Hour of Code on our forum.