In the first of two sequential lessons, students create mobile apps that collect data from an Android device's accelerometer and then store that data to a database. This lesson provides practice with MIT's App Inventor software and culminates with students writing their own apps for measuring acceleration. In the second lesson, students are given an app for an Android device, which measures acceleration. They investigate acceleration by collecting acceleration vs. time data using the accelerometer of a sliding Android device. Then they use the data to create velocity vs. time graphs and approximate the maximum velocity of the device.

This set of cards can be used in a workshop or a "Maker Faire" type of event. They give quick tidbits of code for building mini-apps with App Inventor. Use them in exhibits, parent nights, STEM fairs, after-school clubs, or anywhere that you need to get people jump-started using App Inventor.

 In a series of lessons, students will build a functional app. The students will build upon the previous lesson using the materials and information given towards completion of the app. In this lesson, students will learn about building an app in four stages: 1. Planning 2. Designing 3. Building (Code.Org) 4. Sharing.   

Students provide details about a character who is missing a school assignment and use code to describe the character's actions, thoughts, and words.

Students will build a project about an idea, activity, item, or cause they feel strongly about.

Dash and Dot are robots that can sense, act and think! Coding with robots is great fun!! Students use block coding iPad apps to control their robots. Students will have a ball designing, testing theories and refining their code to create paths for the robots to follow.

Students put their STEAM knowledge and skills to the test by creating indoor light fixture “clouds” that mimic current weather conditions or provide other colorful lighting schemes they program and control with smartphones. Groups fabricate the clouds from paper lanterns and pillow stuffing, adding LEDs to enable the simulation of different lighting conditions. They code the controls and connect the clouds to smart devices and the Internet cloud to bring their floating clouds to life as they change color based on the weather outside.

How does Google design their logo? You will become the creator and code your way to a new Google Logo using Scratch.

What apps do you use, how often do you use them, and why? This resource was created as a criterion for a professional development activity where the author created an app using the Code.org platform. The app focus is on the Red Tailed Boa as an invasive species in the U.S. Virgin Islands. That app can be viewed here or via the following link link: https://studio.code.org/projects/applab/ffbcpEOiEX-f0qZevO31O3sIQ-RxEQBG8esxHkfVbIs. Feel free to modify and/or use this lesson resource as a foundation for profesional development and growth and/or as an instructional within your classrooms. It can be used by instructors to introduce students to the exciting world of app development, specifically the development of apps using the app lab on Code.org. The lesson was designed to target students at the 9th - 12th grade levels for a duration of 5 to 8 hours, split into multiple session if needed. The duration can and should be adapted based on the needs of the students. Thank you for your interest. Have fun!

Students apply sound-activated light-up EL wire to create personalized light-up clothing outfits. During the project, students become familiar with the components, code and logic to complete circuits and employ their imaginations to real-world applications of technology. Acting as if they are engineers, students are challenged to incorporate electroluminescent wire to regular clothing to make attention-getting safety clothing for joggers and cyclists. Luminescent EL wire stays cool, making it ideal to sew into wearable projects. They use the SparkFun sound detector and the EL sequencer circuit board to flash the EL wire to the rhythm of ambient sound, such as music, clapping, talking—or roadway traffic sounds! The combination of sensors, microcontrollers and EL wire enables a wide range of feedback and control options.

Based on their experience exploring the Mars rover Curiosity and learning about what engineers must go through to develop a vehicle like Curiosity, students create Android apps that can control LEGO MINDSTORMS(TM) NXT robots, simulating the difficulties the Curiosity rover could encounter. The activity goal is to teach students programming design and programming skills using MIT's App Inventor software as the vehicle for the learning. The (free to download) App Inventor program enables Android apps to be created using building blocks without having to actually know a programming language. At activity end, students are ready to apply what they learn to write other applications for Android devices.

In this culminating activity of the unit, students bring together everything they've learned in order to write the code to solve the Grand Challenge. The code solution takes two images captured by robots and combines them to create an image that can be focused at different distances, similar to the way that humans can focus either near or far. They write in a derivative of C++ called QT; all code is listed in this activity.

Students write Arduino code and use a “digital sandbox” to create new colors out of the three programming primary colors: green, red and blue. They develop their own functions, use them to make disco light shows, and vary the pattern and colors of their shows. The digital sandbox is a hardware and software learning platform powered by a microcontroller that can interact with real-world inputs like light, while at the same time controlling LEDs and other outputs.

Students work as if they are electrical engineers to program a keyboard to play different audible tones depending on where a sensor is pressed. They construct the keyboard from a soft potentiometer, an Arduino capable board, and a small speaker. The soft potentiometer “keyboard” responds to the pressure of touch on its eight “keys” (C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C) and feeds an input signal to the Arduino-capable board. Each group programs a board to take the input and send an output signal to the speaker to produce a tone that is dependent on the input signal—that is, which “key” is pressed. After the keyboard is working, students play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" and (if time allows) modify the code so that different keys or a different number of notes can be played.