St. Perpetua Computer Science 2022–23
Link to this page: bit.ly/db-spjh
Go to the latest lesson.
Previous Years: 21–22, 20–21, 19–20, 18–19
Classroom Resources
- Google Classroom
- Student Progress Report
- Mr. Briccetti’s YouTube Channel with many programming lessons for you to explore on your own
- Block-based Programming Environments
- MakeCode for micro:bit
- MakeCode for Circuit Playground Express
- MicroBlocks
- Snap!
- Run Snap!
- Snap! Reference Manual
- Snap! Crash Course
- “Why Do We Have to Learn This Baby Language?” from Brian Harvey, Teaching Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley
- New micro:bit Python webapp
- Tinkercad Circuits lets you try out your electronics circuits in a simulator before assembling them with real components.
- Beauty and Joy of Computing Curricula
- BJC Sparks for Middle School and Early High School
- BJC for High School (you are free to explore this if you run out of things to do in the middle school curriculum)
First Day, 2022-08-17
Welcome to Computer Science
Computing in the News
The Next Big Jailbreak in Tech: John Deere Tractors
Join Your Class in Google Classroom
Make Something with a micro:bit
MakeCode
MicroBlocks
Google Classroom
Please write about your accomplishments today in Google Classroom.
2022-08-19
Computing in the News
Join Your Class in Google Classroom
Finish Wednesday’s Google Classroom assignment if you haven’t
Radio “Beacon Hunt”
Create a beacon detector
If you have trouble making it, use Mr. Briccetti’s.
Beacon Code
Here’s how the beacons work, if you’re curious:
Go Search!
Hook up a battery, take it outside, and find the beacons.
Where They Were
Make Something with a micro:bit, perhaps using a tutorial
MakeCode
MicroBlocks
Google Classroom
See the question there, which is due today.
2022-08-24
Computing in the News
Top Programming Languages 2022
micro:bit Radio Feature
- Explanation of the radio code from last Friday
- Practice with radio code
BJC Sparks Hardware Unit and Making/Crafting
You will document your plan, and when it’s approved you’ll be given access to materials. We want to avoid having students make things that aren’t tied to computer science learning.
Finish outstanding Google Classroom assignments
2022-08-26
Computing in the News
Senator Slams Amazon’s ‘Ring Nation’ As Surveillance-State TV
What’s Mr. Briccetti Doing for Fun Lately?
Beauty and Joy of Computing
This year, we will study computer science using the Beauty and Joy of Computing curriculum, first developed at U.C. Berkeley, later adapted for high school, and recently, adapted for middle school.
BJC Introduction from U.C. Berkeley Professor Dan Garcia
Submit a Student Progress Report
2022-08-31
Computing in the “News”
Local Computer Science Teacher Fooled by Fake Iain Armitage YouTube Channel
by Dave Briccetti
Local computer science teacher Dave Briccetti thought he was chatting with the real Young Sheldon actor, Iain Armitage, on a YouTube channel called “Iain Armitage”, and on Mr. Briccetti’s own channel when the imposter subscribed to it.
Briccetti showed his students at one of his schools that “Iain Armitage” had subscribed to his YouTube channel, and they were quite excited. Briccetti tweeted about how excited the classes were, and @mentioned the real Iain’s Twitter account.
Iain’s representative, who manages the account for him, saw this, and very kindly contacted Briccetti via Twitter private message to let him know that he had not, in fact, been communicating with the real Iain, and that the only YouTube channel belonging to Iain is Iain Armitage: Iain Loves Theatre.
Mr. Briccetti was very annoyed that he had been tricked, and set out to expose the impostor and get the YouTube channel shut down. He wrote the following as a reply to a recent posting on the fake channel:
“Don’t be fooled. Iain has nothing to do with this channel. It’s fake. Ian doesn’t do social media, according to his people.”
Iain’s lovely but credulous fans would not believe Mr. Briccetti. You can read much of the conversation.
Before long, Mr. Briccetti had the evidence he needed to convince the fake account subscribers that they were interacting with an imposter. Iain himself made a video which Briccetti shared with those subscribers. Only then did they start believing.
Many of the subscribers then reported the channel to YouTube. Iain’s representative told me it had already been reported to YouTube, but no action had been taken.
Less than a day later, this is what appeared when visitors attempted to return to the fake Iain Armitage account on YouTube:
How to Use a Servo Motor
Some of you will use a servo motor in your interactive pet, Hot Wheels track, or other projects. Mr. Briccetti shows you how to program it.
Reporting Progress on Your Projects
Each time class meets:
- If you’re working on a multi-day project (Hot Wheels track, interactive pet, etc.), update a Computer Science Project Status report. To create the document (once for each project), go to Google Drive and create a document using the template Computer Science Project Status [your name]
- Submit a Student Progress Report.
2022-09-02
Computing in the News
The Making of Smalltalk Event at the Computer History Museum
Dave Briccetti (left) with Adele Goldberg (center) and the
Agile Mind Team in 2006
Using Tilt to Move a Servo
Using map to Convert Values
Please mention in your Student Progress Report today whether you were successful.
Remote Control
Can you think of a way to use two micro:bits, one as a remote control, and the other connected to a servo?
Work on Projects
If you’re doing an interactive pet or Hot Wheels track–related project, you may have time to work on it today. There are more ideas for projects in the BJC Sparks curriculum (links in Resources section above). Be sure to update your Computer Science Project Status document.
Procedure Change
Please submit a Student Progress Report every day we have class.
2022-09-07
Grades 6 and 7 only, today.
Multi-Day Projects Planning
Find the Shared Project Status Reports Folder
From Google Classroom, go to Classwork, then Class Drive Folder. On the left choose Shared with me. You should see the Project Status Reports folder there.
Create a Shortcut to the Projects Status Reports Folder
Right-click on the Project Status Reports folder and choose Add shortcut to Drive. Choose My Drive, then ADD SHORTCUT.
Move project status reports to new shared folder
To move a status report you have already created to this folder, choose My Drive, locate your document, right-click it, and choose Move To. Choose Project Status Reports, then push MOVE.
2022-09-09
Computing in the News
Rights Groups to FTC’s Lina Khan: Please Kill Amazon’s iRobot Acquisition
Wi-Fi is not the Internet
The Internet is a worldwide network of computer networks. Many Internet users connect to the Internet via a cable modem, which is connected to a Wi-Fi router. Individual devices connect to the router via cables or via Wi-Fi. If accessing the Internet is slow, you may not know whether it’s Wi-Fi or your connection to the Internet that’s the problem.
How to Save and Load Your MakeCode Projects
Hi, all. If you’re finding that your MakeCode projects aren’t being automatically saved to your computer’s web browser, or you want the ability to work on different computers over time, you can create a sharable link that you can use later to resume work on the project. Look for the share icon (next to the house icon) at the top right of the MakeCode web page. When you get the link to your project, save it somewhere, perhaps in a document or spreadsheet in your Google Drive.
RoomHelper3000
Run RoomHelper3000.
We’ll use this for quizzes, asking for help, and getting instructions.
Find out the RoomHelper3000 row and column where you’re sitting:
(Ignore the “not secure” warning from the browser. Things are secure from the public,
because this program is only running at the school.)
Multi-Day Projects Planning
Grade 8: Go to Google Classroom, Classwork, and look in Action Required for Move project status reports to this folder. Please move or create your reports here.
Work on Projects
If you have a completed project status report, and it’s located in the shared Project Status Reports folder, and it says how you will use a micro:bit, come get what supplies you need, and work on your project.
2022-09-14
Computing in the News
Ingenious Underwater Drone Can Transition to Flight in Less Than a Second
Project Status Reports
Here’s an example of how to create your progress updates:
Progress details
2022-09-07: Decided what the interactive pet will do
2022-09-09: Made the pet from felt and googly eyes
2022-09-14: Programmed the pet to beep when it’s hungry
Remote Control of a Servo
Here’s an example program. You could download it to both the gate controller (the micro:bit connected to the gate) and to the remote control.
Another Project IDEA from BJC Sparks
Unit 3 Lab 7: Collaborative Chain Reaction, Activity 1
Work on Projects
2022-09-16
Computing in the News
Review Project Status Reports
Who Filed a Student Progress Report Wednesday (and Who Didn’t)
Lesson: Using a Loop with a Servo Motor
Work on Projects
Grade 6: Root Beer Floats at 2:40
2022-09-21
Computing in the News
Morgan Stanley Discarded Old Hard Drives Without Deleting Customer Data First
Who Filed a Student Progress Report Last Time (and Who Didn’t)
Programming the micro:bit using the Python Language
Plotting Points in a Loop
while True:
for y in range(5):
for x in range(5):
led.plot(x, y)
basic.pause(30)
basic.clear_screen()
Move a Point with Tilting
x = 2
y = 2
while True:
basic.clear_screen()
led.plot(x, y)
ax = input.acceleration(Dimension.X)
ay = input.acceleration(Dimension.Y)
if ax > 100 and x < 4:
x += 1
elif ax < -100 and x > 0:
x -= 1
if ay > 100 and y < 4:
y += 1
elif ay < -100 and y > 0:
y -= 1
pause(100)
2022-09-28
Computing in the News
Move a Point with Tilting
Try adjusting the four constants at the top of the code to make the program work better.
PAUSE_MS = 10
SPEED_DIVISOR = 20
FRICTION_MULTIPLIER = 0.5
TILT_IGNORE_THRESHOLD = 10 # In milligravity units
x = 0.0 # world unit coordinates (from -1 to 1)
y = 0.0
speed_x = 0.0
speed_y = 0.0
def world_to_led(coordinate: float):
'Convert a coordinate in world units (-1 to 1) to LED units (0 to 4)'
return Math.round(pins.map(coordinate, -1, 1, 0, 4))
def adjusted_acceleration(dimension: float):
acceleration = input.acceleration(dimension)
enough_tilt = abs(acceleration) > TILT_IGNORE_THRESHOLD
return acceleration / 1000 / SPEED_DIVISOR if enough_tilt else 0.0
while True:
basic.clear_screen()
led.plot(world_to_led(x), world_to_led(y))
speed_x += adjusted_acceleration(Dimension.X)
x = Math.constrain(x + speed_x, -1, 1)
if abs(x) == 1:
speed_x = 0
speed_x *= FRICTION_MULTIPLIER
speed_y += adjusted_acceleration(Dimension.Y)
y = Math.constrain(y + speed_y, -1, 1)
if abs(y) == 1:
speed_y = 0
speed_y *= FRICTION_MULTIPLIER
pause(PAUSE_MS)
Work on Projects
Let’s finish our projects this week and start on something new next week.
2022-09-30
Review Project and Student Status Reports
Final Work Time
Project Demonstrations
Silently Grade Yourself
1: disagree, …, 5: agree
- Project is interesting, fun, and creative
- Project involves a micro:bit
- Everyone on team understands code
- Project status reports were updated each workday
- The team made good use of time
How many points total?
What to do with your project
- One of you take it home (except for electronics parts like micro:bits and servo motors)
- Take off and return reusable materials and discard the rest
2022-10-05
Grades 7 and 8 only.
Power was out. Some groups described their projects.
We played with Hot Wheels, ping pong balls and balloons.
2022-10-07
Grades 7 and 8 only.
What’s Mr. Briccetti Programming for Fun Lately?
A webapp to help with laser cutting name cards
Laser Cutting Video
See Photos and Video of your micro:bit Projects
See the link in Google Classroom.
New Webapp for micro:bit and Python
Let’s try it.
python.microbit.org
2022-10-12
Computing in the News
Take a ride around San Francisco in a driverless taxi
Grade 6: Introduction to BJC Sparks and Snap!
BJC Sparks for Middle School and Early High School
Grades 7–8: More with the micro:bit
In this program, you must feed the pet before it runs out of energy.
Here’s a program where you have to pet the pet within five seconds after the pet rings a bell, or the pet goes to sleep.
Do these programs give you ideas?
Maybe some of you will try writing a similar program with the new python.microbit.org.
2022-10-14
RoomHelper3000
Run RoomHelper3000. We’ll use this for quizzes, asking for help, and getting instructions. (Ignore the “not secure” warning from the browser. Things are secure from the public, because this program is only running at the school.)
Grade 6: Continuing with BJC Sparks and Snap!
Super short story
BJC Sparks for Middle School and Early High School
Grades 7–8: More with the micro:bit
New Webapp for micro:bit and Python
Let’s spend some more time with it together.
python.microbit.org
Simulating rolling two six-sided dice.
2022-10-19
Starting Our Sessions
Have our class web page (this page) open in one browser tab, and RoomHelper3000 in another tab, and keep both tabs open.
Behavior
Privacy with Photos and Videos
RoomHelper3000
More on Dice Throws
Show and Tell: Temperature Collection with Raspberry Pi Pico W
Grade 6
Snap!
- Making a little game
Grades 7–8
- Free learning time with any of
- micro:bit
- Circuit Playground Express
- Snap!
- BJC Sparks
2022-10-21
Computing in the News
How a [White Hat] Hacker Cracked a CNN Correspondent’s Password
Grade 6
Snap!
- Making a little game, continued
Grades 7–8
p5.js
“p5.js is a JavaScript library for creative coding, with a focus on making coding accessible and inclusive for artists, designers, educators, beginners, and anyone else.”
Mr. Briccetti’s Software Page, with several interesting p5.js projects.
Before You Leave
- submit a Student Progress Report to report your behavior, productivity and accomplishments.
2022-10-26
Computing in the News
Grade 6
Halloween-themed games in Snap!
Grades 7–8
p5.js
2022-10-28
Computing in the News
Google execs knew ‘Incognito mode’ failed to protect privacy, suit claims
Numbered Chromebooks
You no longer need to use only the Chromebook with your classroom student number.
Who Completed Wednesday’s Student Progress Report?
12:30 (not 12:32) Period 5 Dismissal
Halloween-Themed Games with Snap! and/or p5.js
- Moving pumpkin p5.js project
- Pumpkin Patch
- Bear gets candy
Where to Find Images
2022-11-04
Computing in the News
Elon Musk and Twitter Layoffs
Grade 6
More with Snap!. Explore the Snap! Crash Course.
Stuffing and turkey project:
Grades 7–8
More with p5.js. Intro to 3D. Examples.
2022-11-09
Who is Completing Student Progress Reports?
Grade 6
Beauty and Joy of Computing Unit 1 Lab 3: Dealing with Data
Grades 7–8
2022-11-16
Computing in the News
Programming languages: C++ overtakes PHP, but JavaScript, Python and Java still rule
Grade 6
Beauty and Joy of Computing Unit 1 Lab 3: Dealing with Data
A more commonly used way to chart the same type of data:
BJC Unit 1 Lab 4: Image Manipulation
Grades 7–8
p5.js Lessons
Explanation of the line program. Challenges 1 and 2.
2022-11-18
No grade 7 today.
Computing in the News
Intel’s new deepfake detector can spot a real or fake video based on blood flow in video pixels
Pictures from 2018
Free Learning Time Activities
- MakeCode
- p5.js
- Tinkercad Circuits
- Snap!
- Beauty and Joy of Computing for Middle School
- Mr. Briccetti’s YouTube Channel with many programming lessons for you to explore on your own
- Chat politely in RoomHelper3000
- Something else computer science related that you want to do? Ask Mr. Briccetti.
RoomHelper3000
Run RoomHelper3000 if Mr. Briccetti so requests.
Before You Leave
Submit a Student Progress Report.