Computer Science Education Week kicks off the second week of December every year. With computing jobs as the number one source of new wages and with over 500,000 current job openings, there’s been a national push to integrate coding and other computer science concepts in K-12 classrooms. Regardless of teaching experience or content knowledge, any teacher can integrate coding into their lessons. To get started, check out these free resources. 

1. Claw Control | GASHA GO World

Grades: PreK-3

Claw Control is a new digital game aligned to Georgia’s Computer Science standards for children ages 4-8. The game has six challenges with increasing difficulty. The goal is to assign the gashlings their jobs to make six stuffed animals for the claw machine. In order to make all six stuffed animals successfully, you will need to use your decomposition skills and break the problem into smaller parts.

2. Crash Course: Computer Science

Grades: 9-12 

This collection from Crash Course contains 40 engaging videos that cover a wide range of computer science topics and ideas 

3. How Computers Compute | MIT’s Science Out Loud

Grades: 6-12

Even though we think of computers as super high-tech machines with tiny parts, they can also be huge, wooden, and mechanical. It's what they have in common that makes them computers - switches!

4. ScratchJr

Grades: K-3

Coding is the new literacy! With ScratchJr, young children (ages 5-7) can program their own interactive stories and games. In the process, they learn to solve problems, design projects, and express themselves creatively on the computer.

5. Code.org

Grades: K-12

Code.org is a nonprofit that offers K-12 students and teachers free courses and tutorials on coding. From learning how to make your own app to building real working websites, code.org provides a range of resources that don’t require any coding experience. 

6. CodeMonkey

Grades: PreK-5

CodeMonkey is a fun and educational game-based environment where kids learn to code without any prior experience. After completing CodeMonkey's award-winning coding courses, kids will be able to navigate through the programming world with a sense of confidence and accomplishment.

7. Educational Media to Advance Computer Science

Grades: 9-12

Educational Media to Advance Computer Science (EMACS) is an initiative to develop lesson modules and companion videos for grades 9-12.  The collection includes lesson materials aligned with the Computer Science Principles framework and lesson topics which are relevant for high school students.

How do you incorporate computer science into your classroom? Let us know on Twitter and Facebook!

*GPB Education is proud to offer all Georgia educators free accounts to Discovery Education. Email education@gpb.org to get started.