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Programmer's Paradise

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(based on 22 reviews)

Computer Science resources for KS3-4, with a focus on programming. Programming resources include Scratch, Microbit, Small Basic and Visual Basic for now, with other languages potentially in the future, such as C#. I have worked with the AQA specification throughout my teaching career and so these resources will be suitable for anyone teaching the new AQA spec. Please review any resources, suggestions are welcome for improvements etc.

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Computer Science resources for KS3-4, with a focus on programming. Programming resources include Scratch, Microbit, Small Basic and Visual Basic for now, with other languages potentially in the future, such as C#. I have worked with the AQA specification throughout my teaching career and so these resources will be suitable for anyone teaching the new AQA spec. Please review any resources, suggestions are welcome for improvements etc.
KS2 / KS3 Scratch Scrolling Maze Tutorial
MrHawes8MrHawes8

KS2 / KS3 Scratch Scrolling Maze Tutorial

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This resource is for students who have completed an introductory unit of Scratch or who are older and more experienced in programming. The lesson is based around creating a scrolling maze, which is more advanced than a normal maze game, and introduces variables. It includes a tutorial, Powerpoint to introduce variables, the full game code and starter code for the students to begin programming with.
KS2 Introduction to Scratch and algorithms
MrHawes8MrHawes8

KS2 Introduction to Scratch and algorithms

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Included in this resource is a PowerPoint presentation on Scratch, with an accompanying worksheet (can be used on the computers or printed). The lesson focuses on using Scratch and ends with introducing algorithms which is a key word that can be used going forward.
Small Basic Programming lesson bundle
MrHawes8MrHawes8

Small Basic Programming lesson bundle

3 Resources
Three separate lessons, covering variables, selection and iteration in Small Basic. Included are PowerPoints, programming tasks with full code, and links to bespoke Kahoot quizzes as well. Presentations include theory as well as code challenges. Help sheets and code snippets are also included to help students who might struggle with the programming tasks. 20% saving on price of all three lessons separately.
AQA GCSE Exam Style VB.NET Question and Powerpoint 1
MrHawes8MrHawes8

AQA GCSE Exam Style VB.NET Question and Powerpoint 1

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This is the first in a series of eight VB.NET programming lessons/revision (based on AQA specification) that have helped my GCSE classes improve their long answer programming question technique. The lessons built up towards working with 2D arrays and functions in time for the exams. Included is the exam-style question, mark scheme and the powerpoint used to help deliver a lesson building up towards answering the longer code question. The powerpoint includes information about the specific code features as well as some warm up code questions. Some of the powerpoints include theory as well, for example arrays or string handling if necessary to answer the longer code question.
KS3 Endless scrolling game scratch tutorial
MrHawes8MrHawes8

KS3 Endless scrolling game scratch tutorial

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This resource is a tutorial to help students understand how variables and iteration are used to create a simple scrolling game. The tutorial includes screenshots of code snippets and instructions on how and why the code works to create the finished version of the game. The resource also includes the finished version of the game, which I use to demonstrate the game before showing the first few steps in making it. The tutorial can be used as a help sheet for students who push on further with the game before the rest of the class, or who might need help in getting their game to work as intended.
KS3 Scratch Game Project
MrHawes8MrHawes8

KS3 Scratch Game Project

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This resource is a set of instructions for KS3 students to create their own game. Ideally they will be at or near to finishing with Scratch before moving on to more complex programming languages. This is intended for the end of my KS3 Scratch Unit of work. Included is the Word document which details what they will need to include in their game (and what they might want to include), as well as an example game evaluation written in Powerpoint to make it easy for them to write about. There is also a skeleton evaluation which describes what they need to include in their evaluation. As the students can create their own game and need to write about how they have made it, this is likely to take a minimum of three lessons.
Exam Style VB.NET Questions (AQA GCSE)
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Exam Style VB.NET Questions (AQA GCSE)

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These questions are used to help students practice longer coding questions that they will encounter in GCSE exams. Where pseudocode is used, the style is based on AQA, and each question comes with a mark scheme showing where marks are scored. This set contains 8 pseudocode questions and mark schemes for each. In separate uploads I have the powerpoint used in lessons to help deliver specific lessons which build up towards answering the longer pseudocode questions in this set. The order I used them (with the intent of increasing difficulty as we went along): 1 - Phone Bill Calculator 2 - Note Changer 3 - Swimming Pool 4 - Guessing Game 5 - Substring and Functions 6 - Sports Day Function 7 - Linear Search Array 8 - Inverting Image (2D array)
KS2 / KS3 Scratch intermediate bundle
MrHawes8MrHawes8

KS2 / KS3 Scratch intermediate bundle

7 Resources
This unit is designed to be used after the initial Scratch unit, and contains lessons on flowcharts, sequencing, selection, iteration, variables and subroutines. The games that will be made through this unit include: A chatbot A scrolling maze Falling Fruit game Breakout Rock, paper, scissors Following the flowcharts lesson, the students will complete the other lessons to create the above programs, and then finish with an assessment. The assessment says Y6 at the top as this was the year group I have used it with, but that is because my Y5s completed the introductory unit and so moved onto this in Y6. However, this could be used for KS2 or KS3, depending on programming and Scratch experience.
KS2 / KS3 Scratch Expert Bundle
MrHawes8MrHawes8

KS2 / KS3 Scratch Expert Bundle

5 Resources
This bundle is the third in a series of Scratch units, intended for KS3 or possibly high ability KS2 students. The first two lessons include looking at flowcharts and creating an algorithm using a flowchart, which then feeds into creating the game in Scratch. The third lesson involves creating a slug trail maze, which draws on what they might have done previously in creating mazes and drawing with the pen tool. The fourth lesson is more in depth with a look at variables and iteration, creating an endless scrolling flying game. The fifth lesson involves debugging and coding a Space Invaders-style game using starter code. This task includes subroutines and is the hardest of the unit. The unit ends with a project (3+ lessons) where the students create their own game based on some loose instructions. They then write about how they have made their game using a template in Powerpoint.
KS2 Scratch Maze game - selection and iteration
MrHawes8MrHawes8

KS2 Scratch Maze game - selection and iteration

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This resource includes a short PowerPoint presentation including a brief starter, a finished maze game with two levels and a tutorial. I usually show them the finished game, then begin a new program and show them how to create the maze sprite using the line tool, and moving the sprites (they should have covered this by now). I also show them how to get the program to know if they are touching the other sprites (maze or end of the level). Once they start to make their mazes I give them the tutorial (on computers or can be printed) so they have step-by-step instructions for making their game and help if they are stuck. This usually takes at least two lessons for them to have a finished maze game with two levels. Some students will customise the game further with added features suggested at the bottom of the tutorial.
KS2 / KS3 Scratch chatbot lesson
MrHawes8MrHawes8

KS2 / KS3 Scratch chatbot lesson

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This resource is for students who have already completed an introductory unit of Scratch, or are older students who might be more familiar with programming. They will create a program on Scratch using sequencing and selection.
Microbit DIRT Reflection lesson
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Microbit DIRT Reflection lesson

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Included is a DIRT lesson following a microbit unit of work. Includes a fake Kahoot leaderboard to display top scores, and questions used to reinforce knowledge of the topic.
GCSE Brute Force Malware Programming Lesson
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GCSE Brute Force Malware Programming Lesson

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A programming lesson designed to help the students improve their programming skills, as well as learning about brute force attacks. The lesson begins with a research task and ends with a step-by-step activity to create a program that will guess a password that the user has entered. Included is the PowerPoint presentation, programming instructions for students, and the final code in a text file for the teacher.
GCSE Bitmap Image File Size Calculator Programming Lesson
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GCSE Bitmap Image File Size Calculator Programming Lesson

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This lesson is based around programming skills and knowledge, as the students work through the worksheet (on the computers is best a they can copy and paste code snippets into the other document). Once they have answered the questions on the worksheet they should also have the Bitmap Calculator Code document containing the code snippets required to create the program. Then they can go onto Visual Basic to write the program, and test it to see if it is working correctly. There are also a couple of extension tasks at the bottom of the worksheet. I have also included the final code that I used to demonstrate the program working at the start of the lesson, and the PowerPoint which I used to outline the task and give them instructions on how to complete the tasks.
Storage KS3 Lesson
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Storage KS3 Lesson

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This resource contains a PowerPoint presentation to introduce different types of storage, another containing questions for the main activity (each will need to be printed for each team), and information sheets for the students to research the answers to the questions. It is best to keep these on the computer, rather than print them for each student. For the main activity, students team up in 3s, and take the first question from the teacher. They use the information sheets to find out the answer, write it down and then bring it up to check with the teacher. If correct, they hand back the first question and take the second. If incorrect, they go back to find the correct answer. The winning team is the first to answer all 10 questions. Questions and answers are also included in a text file for easy access for the teacher. This is the eighth lesson in the topic 'How a Computer Works'.
Hardware Components Lesson KS3
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Hardware Components Lesson KS3

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This PowerPoint can be used to show students the components that go inside a computer. I used a laptop disassembly to go along with this, but have left in slides including images of the different components so it can be used without. Following this the students go online to look at important features of each component, and how they work to make the computer as a whole work. This is the second lesson in the 'How a Computer Works' topic.
CPU Lesson KS3
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CPU Lesson KS3

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This resource consists of a PowerPoint presentation giving information about the CPU. It also has links to youtube and revision games to play at the end. This is the fourth lesson in the 'How a Computer Works' topic.
Microbit Offline Programming Homework
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Microbit Offline Programming Homework

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This homework is intended for students to complete without having to use a computer (useful if they don't have one at home). The instructions are given on the left hand side of the sheet, and they can cut and stick the code blocks onto the right hand side. If students wish to complete on the computer then they can, and this also allows them to test their code to see if it works. Answers also included in the form of an image.
KS2-KS3 Scale Enlargement activity
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KS2-KS3 Scale Enlargement activity

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This worksheet is for students who have been working on scale enlargement. I have used this as a homework for high ability Year 6 students, who have worked on scale factors and centre of enlargement during lesson time. The PDF contains two pages - the final shape (Answers) is on the second page.