Suggestions for a Processing demo to 4th and 5th grade students

datguy

I think I'm in over my head.

I volunteered to help at the local elementary school during Computer Science Education Week. The first thing that came to mind was Processing, but it's been a year since I've done anything with it. So now I need to prepare a 10-15 minute demo that will appeal to 200 kids ages 9-10 (roughly).

I'd like to show them the basics, including how easy it is to get started with a very simple sketch. But I would also like to show them something that will impress them - something that a talented student could learn if they stick with it. If you were in my shoes, what would you show them?

TechWiz777

Make a visual of their school. Take lots of photos, and you can make that into something.

GoToLoop

http://hello.processing.org/
https://www.khanacademy.org/computing/computer-programming

tlecoz

(message removed by myself)

PhiLho

The suggestion of TechWiz777 is good: show them something simple, that can appeal to them. Can be related to their environment (the school, their city...) or to something they like (anime, movies, celebrities, etc.).

Not sure what the links posted for GoToLoop were for: teach you Processing (I assumed you know the bases already) or show how to teach.

GoToLoop

... teach you Processing (I assumed you know the bases already) or show how to teach.

2nd option! Examples on how to expose a vast subject as programing as short and fast as possible! *-:)

Chrisir

there's great stuff in openprocessing.org

see collections

and there e.g.

http://openprocessing.org/collection/3067

datguy

In case anyone's interested, I decided to use Processing.js with sketchpad.cc. This had the advantage of not requiring a download, and I was able to save the sketches online for easy access. I had a few issues with the school's computer and their internet proxy, but other than that it went well. I posted links to the sketches that I demonstrated on my blog: http://blog.datguy.net/2014/12/08/processing-demo/.

KevinWorkman

Very cool.

Shameless self-promotion: I also put together my own Processing Hour of Code available here: http://staticvoidgames.com/tutorials/hourOfCode/index

My audience is probably older than 4th and 5th graders, but it goes through the basics and gets to Pong in about an hour.

asimes

I used to work with someone who taught children programming, he alternated between Processing and Scratch: http://scratch.mit.edu/

Scratch is definitely more aimed at children, but porting some of their examples to Processing should be fairly simple

KevinWorkman

Scratch is definitely more aimed at children, but porting some of their examples to Processing should be fairly simple

You might be interested to hear that Processing is looking for people to do exactly that: https://www.facebook.com/page.processing/posts/10152463636347651

TechWiz777

Thank you PhilHo