Learn to Code by Solving Problems

Learn to Code by Solving Problems

Author: Daniel Zingaro

Publisher: No Starch Press

Published: 2021-06-29

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 1718501331

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Learn to Code by Solving Problems is a practical introduction to programming using Python. It uses coding-competition challenges to teach you the mechanics of coding and how to think like a savvy programmer. Computers are capable of solving almost any problem when given the right instructions. That’s where programming comes in. This beginner’s book will have you writing Python programs right away. You’ll solve interesting problems drawn from real coding competitions and build your programming skills as you go. Every chapter presents problems from coding challenge websites, where online judges test your solutions and provide targeted feedback. As you practice using core Python features, functions, and techniques, you’ll develop a clear understanding of data structures, algorithms, and other programming basics. Bonus exercises invite you to explore new concepts on your own, and multiple-choice questions encourage you to think about how each piece of code works. You’ll learn how to: Run Python code, work with strings, and use variables Write programs that make decisions Make code more efficient with while and for loops Use Python sets, lists, and dictionaries to organize, sort, and search data Design programs using functions and top-down design Create complete-search algorithms and use Big O notation to design more efficient code By the end of the book, you’ll not only be proficient in Python, but you’ll also understand how to think through problems and tackle them with code. Programming languages come and go, but this book gives you the lasting foundation you need to start thinking like a programmer.


Learn to Program with Scratch

Learn to Program with Scratch

Author: Majed Marji

Publisher: No Starch Press

Published: 2014-02-14

Total Pages: 291

ISBN-13: 1593275781

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Scratch is a fun, free, beginner-friendly programming environment where you connect blocks of code to build programs. While most famously used to introduce kids to programming, Scratch can make computer science approachable for people of any age. Rather than type countless lines of code in a cryptic programming language, why not use colorful command blocks and cartoon sprites to create powerful scripts? In Learn to Program with Scratch, author Majed Marji uses Scratch to explain the concepts essential to solving real-world programming problems. The labeled, color-coded blocks plainly show each logical step in a given script, and with a single click, you can even test any part of your script to check your logic. You'll learn how to: –Harness the power of repeat loops and recursion –Use if/else statements and logical operators to make decisions –Store data in variables and lists to use later in your program –Read, store, and manipulate user input –Implement key computer science algorithms like a linear search and bubble sort Hands-on projects will challenge you to create an Ohm's law simulator, draw intricate patterns, program sprites to mimic line-following robots, create arcade-style games, and more! Each chapter is packed with detailed explanations, annotated illustrations, guided examples, lots of color, and plenty of exercises to help the lessons stick. Learn to Program with Scratch is the perfect place to start your computer science journey, painlessly. Uses Scratch 2


The Official ScratchJr Book

The Official ScratchJr Book

Author: Marina Umaschi Bers

Publisher: No Starch Press

Published: 2015-10-01

Total Pages: 162

ISBN-13: 1593276710

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ScratchJr is a free, introductory computer programming language that runs on iPads, Android tablets, Amazon tablets, and Chromebooks. Inspired by Scratch, the wildly popular programming language used by millions of children worldwide, ScratchJr helps even younger kids create their own playful animations, interactive stories, and dynamic games. The Official ScratchJr Book is the perfect companion to this free app and makes coding easy and fun for all. Kids learn to program by connecting blocks of code to make characters move, jump, dance, and sing. Each chapter includes several activities that build on one another, culminating in a fun final project. These hands-on activities help kids develop computational-thinking, problem-solving, and design skills. In each activity, you’ll find: –Step-by-step, easy-to-follow directions –Ways to connect the activity with literacy and math concepts –Tips for grown-ups and teachers –Creative challenges to take the learning further By the end of the book, kids will be ready for all sorts of new programming adventures! The ScratchJr app now supports English, Spanish, Catalan, Dutch, French, Italian, and Thai.


The Everything Kids' Scratch Coding Book

The Everything Kids' Scratch Coding Book

Author: Jason Rukman

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2018-12-04

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 1507207980

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Teach kids the concepts of coding in easy-to-understand language and help them develop games of their own with The Everything Kids’ Scratch Coding Book! Understanding computer science is becoming a necessity in the modern age. As our world shifts towards becoming increasingly more technical and automated, the ability to code and understand computers has become one of the most valuable skills any child can have on the road to a successful life. More and more schools are recognizing this importance and have started to implement computer science and coding as core elements in their curriculums, right alongside math and history. The Everything Kids’ Scratch Coding Book helps children get a head start on this new essential skill, with Scratch coding—a language designed by MIT specifically to help a younger audience learn to code. In no time, children will learn basic coding concepts, build fun games, and get a competitive edge on their classmates. This book encourages children to think analytically and problem-solve, while helping them develop an essential skill that will last them a lifetime.


Super Scratch Programming Adventure! (Scratch 3)

Super Scratch Programming Adventure! (Scratch 3)

Author: The LEAD Project

Publisher: No Starch Press

Published: 2019-08-27

Total Pages: 160

ISBN-13: 1718500130

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Comics! Games! Programming! Now updated to cover Scratch 3. Scratch is the wildly popular educational programming language used by millions of first-time learners in classrooms and homes worldwide. By dragging together colorful blocks of code, kids can learn computer programming concepts and make cool games and animations. The latest version, Scratch 3, features an updated interface, new sprites and programming blocks, and extensions that let you program things like the micro:bit. In Super Scratch Programming Adventure!, kids learn programming fundamentals as they make their very own playable video games. They'll create projects inspired by classic arcade games that can be programmed (and played!) in an afternoon. Patient, step-by-step explanations of the code and fun programming challenges will have kids creating their own games in no time. This full-color comic book makes programming concepts like variables, flow control, and subroutines effortless to absorb. Packed with ideas for games that kids will be proud to show off, Super Scratch Programming Adventure! is the perfect first step for the budding programmer. Covers Scratch 3


Coding Games in Scratch

Coding Games in Scratch

Author: Jon Woodcock

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2019-08-06

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1465495029

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Scratch 3.0 has landed! Stay ahead of the curve with this fully updated guide for beginner coders. Coding is not only a highly sought-after skill in our digital world, but it also teaches kids valuable skills for life after school. This book teaches important strategies for solving problems, designing projects, and communicating ideas, all while creating games to play with their friends. Children will enjoy the step-by-step visual approach that makes even the most difficult coding concepts easy to master. They will discover the fundamentals of computer programming and learn to code through a blend of coding theory and the practical task of building computer games themselves. The reason coding theory is taught through practical tasks is so that young programmers don't just learn how computer code works - they learn why it's done that way. With Coding Games in Scratch, kids can build single and multiplayer platform games, create puzzles and memory games, race through mazes, add animation, and more. It also supports STEM education initiatives and the maker movement. Follow Simple Steps – Improve Your Skills – Share Your Games! If you like playing computer games, why not create your own? Essential coding concepts are explained using eight build-along game projects. Coding Games In Scratch guides young coders step-by-step, using visual samples, easy-to-follow instructions, and fun pixel art. This coding book for kids has everything you need to build amazing Scratch 3.0 games, including thrilling racing challenges, zany platform games, and fiendish puzzles. Follow the simple steps to become an expert coder using the latest version of the popular programming language Scratch 3.0 in this new edition. Improve your coding skills and create your own games before remixing and customizing them. Share your games online and challenge friends and family to beat each other's scores! In this book, you will: - Learn about setting the scene, what makes a good game and playability - Discover objects, rules, and goals - Explore hacks and tweaks, camera angles, fine-tuning and controls - And much more Computer coding teaches kids how to think creatively, work collaboratively, and reason systematically, and is quickly becoming a necessary and sought-after skill. DK's computer coding books for kids are full of fun exercises with step-by-step guidance, making them the perfect introductory tools for building vital skills in computer programming. Add Coding Projects in Scratch and Coding Projects in Python to your collection.


Beyond Coding

Beyond Coding

Author: Marina Umaschi Bers

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2022-03-22

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 026254332X

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Why children should be taught coding not as a technical skill but as a new literacy—a way to express themselves and engage with the world. Today, schools are introducing STEM education and robotics to children in ever-lower grades. In Beyond Coding, Marina Umaschi Bers lays out a pedagogical roadmap for teaching code that encompasses the cultivation of character along with technical knowledge and skills. Presenting code as a universal language, she shows how children discover new ways of thinking, relating, and behaving through creative coding activities. Today’s children will undoubtedly have the technical knowledge to change the world. But cultivating strength of character, socioeconomic maturity, and a moral compass alongside that knowledge, says Bers, is crucial. Bers, a leading proponent of teaching computational thinking and coding as early as preschool and kindergarten, presents examples of children and teachers using the Scratch Jr. and Kibo robotics platforms to make explicit some of the positive values implicit in the process of learning computer science. If we are to do right by our children, our approach to coding must incorporate the elements of a moral education: the use of narrative to explore identity and values, the development of logical thinking to think critically and solve technical and ethical problems, and experiences in the community to enable personal relationships. Through learning the language of programming, says Bers, it is possible for diverse cultural and religious groups to find points of connection, put assumptions and stereotypes behind them, and work together toward a common goal.


Think Like a Programmer

Think Like a Programmer

Author: V. Anton Spraul

Publisher: No Starch Press

Published: 2012-08-12

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 1593274564

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The real challenge of programming isn't learning a language's syntax—it's learning to creatively solve problems so you can build something great. In this one-of-a-kind text, author V. Anton Spraul breaks down the ways that programmers solve problems and teaches you what other introductory books often ignore: how to Think Like a Programmer. Each chapter tackles a single programming concept, like classes, pointers, and recursion, and open-ended exercises throughout challenge you to apply your knowledge. You'll also learn how to: –Split problems into discrete components to make them easier to solve –Make the most of code reuse with functions, classes, and libraries –Pick the perfect data structure for a particular job –Master more advanced programming tools like recursion and dynamic memory –Organize your thoughts and develop strategies to tackle particular types of problems Although the book's examples are written in C++, the creative problem-solving concepts they illustrate go beyond any particular language; in fact, they often reach outside the realm of computer science. As the most skillful programmers know, writing great code is a creative art—and the first step in creating your masterpiece is learning to Think Like a Programmer.


DK Workbooks: Coding in Scratch: Games Workbook

DK Workbooks: Coding in Scratch: Games Workbook

Author: Jon Woodcock

Publisher: National Geographic Books

Published: 2016-01-05

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 1465444823

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Perfect for children ages 6–9 who are new to coding, this highly visual workbook is a fun introduction to Scratch, a free computer coding programming language, that will take kids from playing games to creating them. With easy-to-follow directions and fun pixel art, DK Workbooks: Coding in Scratch: Games Workbook helps kids understand the basics of programming and how to create games in Scratch through fun, hands-on learning experiences. All learners need is a desktop or laptop with Adobe 10.2 or later, and an internet connection to download Scratch 2.0. Coding can be done without download on https://scratch.mit.edu. Simple and logical instructions help kids make their own Scratch Cat soccer game, design a ghost hunt that features a flying witch, animate a bouncing melon, or build a game to test reaction speeds. Children then can share the finished games with friends to see how they score. Kids can even test their coding knowledge with written vocabulary and programming quizzes at the end of each project. Supporting STEM education initiatives, computer coding teaches kids how to think creatively, work collaboratively, and reason systematically, and is quickly becoming a necessary and sought-after skill. DK's computer coding books are full of fun exercises with step-by-step guidance, making them the perfect introductory tools for building vital skills in computer programming.


Math Adventures with Python

Math Adventures with Python

Author: Peter Farrell

Publisher: No Starch Press

Published: 2019-01-08

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 1593278683

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Learn math by getting creative with code! Use the Python programming language to transform learning high school-level math topics like algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus! Math Adventures with Python will show you how to harness the power of programming to keep math relevant and fun. With the aid of the Python programming language, you'll learn how to visualize solutions to a range of math problems as you use code to explore key mathematical concepts like algebra, trigonometry, matrices, and cellular automata. Once you've learned the programming basics like loops and variables, you'll write your own programs to solve equations quickly, make cool things like an interactive rainbow grid, and automate tedious tasks like factoring numbers and finding square roots. You'll learn how to write functions to draw and manipulate shapes, create oscillating sine waves, and solve equations graphically. You'll also learn how to: - Draw and transform 2D and 3D graphics with matrices - Make colorful designs like the Mandelbrot and Julia sets with complex numbers - Use recursion to create fractals like the Koch snowflake and the Sierpinski triangle - Generate virtual sheep that graze on grass and multiply autonomously - Crack secret codes using genetic algorithms As you work through the book's numerous examples and increasingly challenging exercises, you'll code your own solutions, create beautiful visualizations, and see just how much more fun math can be!