I Can Be a Cool Coder

By Thomas Canavan and Katie Kear

Do you have what it takes to be a cool coder? Yes, of course you do - and this action-packed book will prove it! From algorithms to sequences, loops, variables, Boolean logic and everything inbetween, this book breaks down the basics of coding into bite-sized pieces! Each spread covers a different topic, and has a fun activity to reinforce the learning objective. While you're drawing, making, and playing, you'll be learning all kinds of exciting facts and ideas about the world of S.T. E.M - science, technology, engineering, and maths. An awesome book for both boys and girls, aged 7+.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcturus Publishing
• Release date: Aug 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781398800694

Thomas Canavan

Thomas Canavan has written more than 50 books for children and young adults. He specialises in science writing, but has also written books about history, maths, art, and even kids' joke books. Under his real name, Sean Connolly, he has won awards for a well-known series of humorous children's science experiments books, and has regularly toured North America to promote them. He lives in rural Wiltshire with his wife and their three children.

Book preview

Can You Crack the Code?

Coders are amazing! Their work has transformed countless parts of our lives. Computer code helps us to stay in touch with friends, makes difficult tasks quick and easy, and puts information at our fingertips.

Thanks to coders, we can access knowledge and entertainment from almost anywhere.

Coding has made many professions easier, safer, and more creative.

This book is full of fun activities that will show you what it is like to be a coder!

Some people think virtual reality is the future of coding. If you were a coder, what would you create?

Project: Program a Robot

Here’s a chance to program a robot (one of your friends) to obey your commands in order to stack some plastic cups. It sounds simple enough, but remember that the robot must follow each command exactly.

You will need:

• Friend (to become the robot)

• 6 identical plastic cups

• Table

1. Ask one of your friends to become the robot.

2. Set the cups side by side on the table.

3. Explain that they have to do exactly what you say. They mustn’t move at all if you don’t tell them to!

4. You may give the robot four commands. None of them may be more than four words long.

5. Now try again—this time, with a stack of 6 cups! How many four-word commands do you need?

ANSWER

Begin with Binary

Computers use a number system known as binary, which is made up of just two numbers—0 and I. This is because a computer can only understand if an electric signal is being sent, or not.

We normally use 10 digits to count: 1 to 9, and 0. This way of counting is called base 10.

Computers can count to any number using binary. Even complex programs use this system!

Binary is all about doubling. Each digit in a long number is worth double the digit to its right.

Binary may sound tricky, but it’s easy to learn. You just have to think about numbers a little differently.

Project: Number Puzzle

Multiply the numbers in the white boxes by the numbers in the orange boxes at the top of each column. Then add up all the numbers in each row. The first one has been done for you.

The strings of 1s and 0s above are binary numbers. So, for example, 01001 means 9.

ANSWER

Gathering Information

In coding, information is called data. Computers