Select Lesson
JR course library
JR course interface
JR teaching order and strategies
Computational Thinking - JR track
Data Representation - JR track
Programming - JR track
Code Avengers Course Information
JR course library
JR course interface
JR teaching order and strategies
Computational Thinking - JR track
Data Representation - JR track
Programming - JR track
Junior platform
JR course library
The junior courses are for students aged 5 to 14.
The benefits of using Code Avengers with a younger audience are:
- The junior courses are visually interesting interactive stories.
- They are all closely aligned to the curricula we support.
- They have strong cross-curricular links to Mathematics, Science, and Social Sciences.
- Programming concepts are introduced using Blockly, a visual block based language and later transition to text-based code.
- The courses are supported on iPads, Chrome devices, laptops and desktops.
- All level 1 and 2 courses and projects have audio to support low literacy students.
On the profile page you can access the junior library.
The library consists of two types of courses. The free content courses tiles are clearly labeled DEMO. The other course tiles are the premium content 10 lesson courses.
Course tiles are color coded to show what track they belong to. A track is a specialist area of study.
Examples of tracks you’ll see on the junior platform include
- Data Representation
- Computational Thinking
- Programming
New content is added to the library over time to support a range of different curricula and subjects.
Course tiles can be filtered by track to show the progression over a number of levels in the chosen area of study.
Watch this video on the JR library
JR course interface
The junior courses are visually interesting interactive stories. They are closely aligned to a range of international curricula and each course has strong cross-curricular links to Mathematics, Science, English and Social Sciences.
Each JR course is made up of ten lessons. Using a variety of interactive activities, each lesson teaches one core concept across 5 tasks. Students can jump lessons, but not tasks.
Students can see their points and name displayed, send a message to their teacher or CA support, or change their settings.
In settings they can turn the audio on or off, full screen the browser, change the theme, or log out, especially useful on shared chrome books.
In every scene they can go back, use a hint or solution if available, and move onto the next scene when the interactive task is correctly completed.
Watch this video on the JR course interface
JR teaching order and strategies
Curricula
Code Avengers has a curriculum guide to show you how our courses align with various Computing and Digital Technologies curricula. You can find it from the profile page by clicking on the TEACHERS TAB, and then CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT. You’ll then see sections for each country with an alignment available.
Courses
To find courses, head to the COURSE LIBRARY. You can filter by track to see all courses on a given topic. Code Avengers courses are divided into levels based on age groups and year/grade levels. The JR platform caters to learners aged 5 to 14.
- At level 1 we recommend the following order for courses.
- Data Representation 1, which covers foundational numeracy.
- Computational thinking 1, which introduces writing sequential instructions using real-life examples.
- Programming 1, where students learn to write instructions in computerised contexts.
- The suggested order for level 2 courses is Computational Thinking, followed by Programming, then Data Representation, although any course can be done as a standalone course.
- After level 2 students are able to complete the courses in any order.
If older students are starting out, they do not need to complete the level 1 content first. Level 1 is aimed at very young students so the themes and tone may not appeal to older students. Each level recaps the basic skills acquired at the previous level.
Many of the courses have cross-curricular contexts and you may wish to schedule courses to fit in with your current learning program.
Video of the JR teaching order recommendations
Strategies for teaching Digital Technologies with Code Avengers
It can be intimidating to get a whole class started on a project. Below are some tips on how to use the junior courses effectively with a range of students.
- Understand the work - Do the course yourself first and get familiar with the lesson plan.
- Buddy up - If someone is having trouble logging in or other computer issues, buddy them up with a neighbour. Explicitly teach a strategy like pair programming for such an occasion.
- Levels - Not everyone has to do the same work. If a student is working a lower or higher level, just give them the next level up or down.
- Get on with it - Students do not need to work on each lesson at the same time, once they are logged in let them race ahead if they can.
- Story time - For younger students, it is a good idea to start doing level 1 courses as story time activities together on the mat.
- Pair programming - At level 2, explicitly teach students how to work in pairs and groups, in pair programming one person is the navigator, who does the reading and thinking and the other is the driver who writes the code and uses the computer. Switch the roles regularly.
- At level 3 and above students typically have the computer skills to work independently.
1: JR course topics
The junior courses are visually interesting interactive stories for students aged 5 to 14. They are closely aligned to a range of international curricula and each course has strong cross-curricular links to Mathematics, Science, English and Social Sciences. Here is some information on the course topics. New content is added to the library over time to support a range of different curricula and subjects.
1.1: Computational Thinking - JR track
Computational Thinking is sometimes referred to as algorithmic thinking, but computational thinking is the more comprehensive term. A simple definition is that computational thinking is a set of problem-solving methods that involve expressing problems and their solutions in ways that a computer (or a person) could effectively carry out.
Learn more about Computational Thinking
1.2: Data Representation - JR track
Many teachers ask us, "What is 'data representation' and why is it important?" They wonder whether it's part of mathematics - perhaps something to do with statistics and graphing? While understanding how number systems work is very important, the application of data representation falls under digital curricula.
A digital device stores all data; audio, text, images and more as numbers. Data representation is about understanding how each type of data is processed, stored and displayed within a device, and what impacts this has on how types of data are used. It contributes to our understanding of what computers are able to do and what they can't do ... yet.
Learn more about Data Representation
1.3: Programming - JR track
In our Code Avengers junior courses we use a visual programming resource called Blockly, which is very similar to 'Scratch'. The blocks are a concrete visual representation and are able to show the links between elements within the code so that students can become familiar with coding concepts, rather than the structure and conventions of a particular language. Most child focused or introductory robotic devices such as Blue-bots, Spheros etc., use similar interfaces.
Learn more about Programming with Blocks
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