Coding with Mythical Creatures
From the Set Adventures in Unplugged Coding
Learning coding skills without a computer isn't just a myth! This unplugged coding title teaches readers important skills such as critical thinking and optimization through fun activities like guiding the Minotaur through the labyrinth and teaching Cerberus fetch, all without a computer! Short paragraphs explain and clarify each coding concept and how it applies to the activity. Follow-ups ask readers to think critically about how it went or what could be done better, while bonus challenges give readers more opportunities to test the concept. This engaging title can help young students gain coding skills that could become legendary!
Adventures in Unplugged Coding - School Library Journal
Coding and storytelling collide in this fun educational series. Burns defines coding as “…communicating with computers so they can perform tasks,” so the unplugged coding activities suggested in each book use problem-solving coding concepts, such as sequences and debugging sans computer. Different types of coding ideas help kids draw cool creations like a value-variable gnome in Coding with Mythical Creatures and a loop sequence stegosaurus in Coding with Dinosaurs. Coding with Video Games includes an imaginative story activity that uses hieroglyphics and hidden messages to help readers problem solve their way out of the mummy’s tomb. The writing is inviting and engaging, offering an interesting method of teaching coding literacy concepts without the need for any tech. For each experiment, essential equipment is listed on the first page, most of which is readily available to many readers, like paper, pencils, and rubber bands. VERDICT A welcome addition to most libraries.