Аннотация

In our increasingly digital world, technology f l uency is essential.
Computer programming ranks among the most in-demand skill sets for employers today. Computer science instruction is attractive to parents looking to prepare their elementary-aged children for the futureandappealstomanychildrenwhoarenaturallycuriousabout technology. In some ways, teaching coding to elementary students is a perfect f i t.
Writing a computer program, however, is a complex task which re-lies on many prerequisite skills. In particular, math concepts such as variable expressions, the order of operations, negative numbers and coordinate systems are essential to developing even the most basic computer programs or video games. Since these concepts are not included in state or national mathematics standards for ele-mentary students, they are not taught in many elementary schools.
This curriculum is an attempt to bridge that gap: the math concepts included here have been selected for their importance to computer programming and video game development. While these concepts are typically presented to older students, they are made accessi-ble to a younger audience through visual models and project-based learning,anapproachaimedtowardfacilitatingthemeaningfullearn-ing necessary for students to craft original work.
Each chapter of this book culminates in a coding project, written in the widely-used Python programming language, which utilizes pre-ceding math concepts. Challenge exercises follow these projects, of f ering students an opportunity to extend and apply their learn-ing. It is through grappling with these challenges that students will earn the greatest rewards.