St. Perpetua 2024–25 Computer Science Grade 5
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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, 2024-08-20
Welcome to Computer Science
Join Your Class in Google Classroom
micro:bits and Smart Cutebot Cars
Let’s learn how to control them using the micro:bit by programming using blocks or Python.
2024-08-27
Computing in the News
The Top Programming Languages 2024
Programming Cutebot Cars
The manual for the Smart Cutebot Cars shows you how to assemble and program them. Try some of the projects in the manual, in any order, then add your own ideas.
2024-09-03
Computing in the News
A South African vineyard is dropping predatory wasps from drones to keep its grapes free from bugs
Critical Thinking
Programming Cutebot Cars, Continued
The manual for the Smart Cutebot Cars shows you how to assemble and program them. Try some of the projects in the manual, in any order, then add your own ideas.
2024-09-10
Computing in the News
How Self-Driving Cars Get Help From Humans Hundreds of Miles Away
Mr. Briccetti’s former student and teaching assistant Chris Gibson works at that company.
Programming Cutebot Cars, Continued
Check out this Menacing Cutebot Video.
2024-09-17
Computing in the News
How artificial intelligence sharpens blurry thermal vision images
Line following with Cutebot cars
Video of a Cutebot following a line
Self-Directed Learning
2024-09-24
Computing in the News
Pushbutton Gear Shift for Bicycle
Code.org Music Lab
Cutebots
We have black tape if you want to make your own line-following course.
Self-Directed Learning
2024-10-01
Computing in the News
Smart TVs Spying on You: Up to Several Snapshots Per Second
Teachable Machine
Self-Directed Learning
2024-10-08
Computing in the News
The discovery of tools key to machine learning wins the 2024 physics Nobel
Perplexity.ai created an explanation:
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics was recently awarded to two scientists, John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton, for their important work in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). What did they do? These scientists used ideas from physics to create new ways for computers to learn and solve problems, kind of like how our brains work. They developed something called “artificial neural networks,” which are special computer systems that can recognize patterns and learn from data. Why is this important?
Their work has helped make computers much smarter and able to do amazing things like:
- Understand and translate languages
- Recognize faces and objects in pictures
- Help doctors diagnose diseases
- Drive cars without human drivers
These discoveries have changed many areas of science and our everyday lives.
Who are the winners?
- John Hopfield: He’s a professor at Princeton University in the United States.
- Geoffrey Hinton: He’s a professor at the University of Toronto in Canada. Both scientists will share the prize money of about $1 million. This Nobel Prize shows how important artificial intelligence and machine learning have become in our world. The work of Hopfield and Hinton has opened up new ways for computers to help us solve complex problems and make exciting discoveries in the future.
Blockly Games
Self-Directed Learning
2024-10-15
Computing in the News
More than a dozen states sue TikTok, alleging it harms kids and is designed to addict them
MakeCode for Circuit Playground Express
The Circuit Playground Express is a small, round board with many sensors and lights. You can program it with MakeCode.
Self-Directed Learning
2024-10-22
Computing in the News
Dresden: Robo-conductor takes the baton
p5.js
From the p5js website:
“p5.js is a friendly tool for learning to code and make art. It is a free and open-source JavaScript library built by an inclusive, nurturing community. p5.js welcomes artists, designers, beginners, educators, and anyone else!”
Self-Directed Learning
2024-10-29
Computing in the News
What does a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack look like?
Snap!
Let’s make some Halloween projects with Snap!
Self-Directed Learning
2024-11-05
Computing in the News: “Apple Intelligence”
A quick look at Lego Spike
Self-Directed Learning
2024-11-12
Computing in the News
Chinese Air Fryers May Be Spying on Consumers
Mr. B. Works on a Foursquare line fault detector
p5.js
function setup() {
createCanvas(400, 400);
}
function draw() {
background('pink');
stroke('green')
fill('lightblue')
rect(mouseX, mouseY, 30, 60)
}
Self-Directed Learning
2024-11-19
Computing in the News
Pong Creator Al Alcorn is a Computer History Museum Fellow
p5.js
