St. Perpetua 2023–24 Computer Science Grade 4
Go to the latest lesson. See all classes.
Classroom and Self-Directed Learning Resources
- Mr. Briccetti’s YouTube Channel with many programming lessons for you to explore on your own
- MakeCode
- Block-based Programming Environments
- MicroBlocks
- EduBlocks
- Blockly Games
- 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
- micro:bit Python editor
- Visualizing your Python program with Python Tutor Visualizer
- p5.js
- Tinkercad
- 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)
- code.org
- Zooniverse
- Teachable Machine
- Music
First Day, 2023-11-28
Welcome to Computer Science
Join Your Class in Google Classroom
Computing in the News
What does a sustainable smartphone look like?
MakeCode for micro:bit
Self-Directed Learning
2023-12-05
Computing in the News
Low Budget Should Not Mean High Risk: Kids’ Tablet Came Preloaded with Sketchyware
Advent of Code
MakeCode for micro:bit
2023-12-12
Computing in the News
Symbols used in computer science (Symbols badge)
- Brackets
{}: Curly Brackets (braces)[]: Square Brackets<>: Angle Brackets(): Parentheses (if just one, it’s a “Parenthesis”)
#: Hash (also Pound Sign, Number Sign, or Octothorp, but never Hashtag)/: Slash\: Backslash!: Exclamation Point (bang)@: At Sign*: Asterisk (splat)_: Underscore- -: Hyphen
- –: En-Dash
- —: Em-Dash
<: Less Than>: Greater Than;: Semicolon:: Colon': Single Quote or Apostrophe": Double Quote
Learn the symbols with this program.
MakeCode for micro:bit
Who’s ready to earn their micro:bit badge?
2023-12-19
Computing in the News
HeRo delivery robot is braving the cold winter streets of Helsinki
Symbols used in computer science (Symbols badge)
Learn the symbols with this program.
Introduction to Tinkercad (3D Badge)
Follow the link in Google Classroom.
Self-Directed Learning
2024-01-09
Computing in the News
Symbols used in computer science (Symbols badge)
Learn the symbols with this program.
Servo Motor with micro:bit
Self-Directed Learning
2024-01-16
Computing in the News
Robots key to new ways of farming as labor shortage looms
Symbols used in computer science (Symbols badge)
More micro:bit and Tinkercad (3D badge)
2024-01-23
Computing in the News
Your Tablet’s Light Sensor Can Spy On You
Symbols used in computer science (Symbols badge)
Preparing for the micro:bit treasure hunt
Beacon
Beacon Finder
2024-01-30
Symbols badges are being printed
Self-Directed Learning
Need to solve problems with file sharing.
2024-02-06
Symbols badges
Introduction to Snap!
2024-02-13
Computing in the News
More Snap!
2024-02-20
Computing in the News
Go language hits top 10 in the Tiobe index
p5.js
From the p5.js website:
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! p5.js is free and open-source because we believe software, and the tools to learn it, should be accessible to everyone.
Using the metaphor of a sketch, p5.js has a full set of drawing functionality. However, you’re not limited to your drawing canvas. You can think of your whole browser page as your sketch, including HTML5 objects for text, input, video, webcam, and sound.
Here’s the program we made in class:
function setup() {
createCanvas(400, 400);
background('lightblue');
}
function draw() {
ellipse(mouseX, mouseY, 20, 10)
}
2024-02-27
Computing in the News
GoWyze camera security issue showed 13,000 users other owners’ homes
Symbols test
More p5.js
Here’s a program that shows video after a delay.
2024-03-05
Computing in the News
Women in Computer Science: Adele Goldberg
Dave Briccetti (left) with Adele Goldberg (center) and the
Agile Mind Team in 2006
Story of How Mr. Briccetti Came to Work for Adele Goldberg
Snap!
Self-Directed Learning
2024-03-12
Computing in the News
micro:bit game
Self-Directed Learning
2024-03-19
Computing in the News: Grace Hopper
Questions
- When did she live?
- Where did she get her math and physics degrees?
- Where did the term “debugging” come from?
- What programming language did she help develop?
- What computers did she work on at Harvard?
- What did she say is her greatest accomplishment?
Programming the micro:bit in Python
Explore examples in the Ideas tab.
Self-Directed Learning
2024-03-26
Computing in the News
U.S. hits Apple with landmark antitrust suit, accusing tech giant of stifling competition
2024-04-09
Computing in the News
Google to destroy billions of data records to settle “incognito” lawsuit
Tinkercad Circuits
Self-Directed Learning
2024-04-16
Computing in the News
35-gram Hopcopter revolutionizes robotics with its hops and flight
Snap!
Self-Directed Learning
2024-04-23
Computing in the News
“The Impossible Statue” Uses AI To Blend The Styles Of Five Master Sculptors
Snap! Clones
Self-Directed Learning
2024-04-30
Computing in the News
How TikTok’s algorithm personalizes what you see
Self-Directed Learning
Student Progress Report
2024-05-07
Computing in the News: A project from Adafruit Show and Tell
EarSketch
Let’s make music with Python!
Self-Directed Learning
Student Progress Report
2024-05-14
Computing in the News
Scientists find 57,000 cells and 150m neural connections in tiny sample of human brain
Self-Directed Learning
Student Progress Report
2024-05-21
Computing in the News
Robotic palm mimics human touch
code.org Music Lab
New Badges
Self-Directed Learning
Student Progress Report
2024-05-28
Computing in the News: GPT-4o - How to Use ChatGPT Mac Desktop App
Badges
Self-Directed Learning
Make something interesting, and write about it in detail near the end of class in your progress report.
Student Progress Report
2024-06-04
Computing in the News: Mr. Briccetti Tries the Apple Vision Pro
Badges
Radio “Beacon Hunt”
Create a beacon detector
Make it quickly yourself, or use Mr. Briccetti’s.