Week 4 STEM Summer Camp 2021 Recap

This week, from Monday, August 9th to Friday, August 13th focused on the technology and math aspect of STEM. The students were able to recieve a glimpse of coding at their level and how much it impacts today's world.

Grades 3-4

The third and fourth graders used a beginner level block-based programming website called Code.org. Here, they were able to see each piece of coding block and experiment with it using small characters called sprites. The learned how to move the sprites around and help get them through mazes and puzzles. Loops are a major part of cutting down the amount of code you write, so this fundemental part of coding was also learnt through videos and class demonstrations.

Grades 5-6

The fifth and sixth graders stepped it up a notch and used a programming website/app called Scratch. Most of them had some experience with block-based coding so luckily Scratch involved high-level block-based coding which they were able to catch on quickly. We worked together and created a calculator that could perform basic mathematical functions like adding and multiplying and also added a challenge which involved asking the user for a set of numbers and finding the average of them. We let them go at their own pace for this project as it involves creativity and patience to understand and take this simple calculator to the next level.

Grades 7-8

The middle-schoolers took the simple calculator to a level of even more possibilities. For this, they used Python, a beginner programming language known for its easy-to-read syntax. We went through simple commands including 'print()' and 'input()' and also reviewed Python's many operators. After a quick demo, we used an online python shell to complete the calculator. We asked the students to also come up with a way to ask the user how many numbers you want to add so that you aren't limited to operating two numbers.

With the science fair next week, we also spent some time helping out and reviewing projects so that we can present with ease and play some fun games!