Small Basic Curriculum

Small Basic is, in my opinion, one of the really cool platforms for introducing programming to younger students. A simple IDE, a simple subset of BASIC, and built in turtle graphics all resonate with me. And a number of teachers around the world seem to agree. One thing we have been lacking though was some real curriculum support. Well that has changed. A set of 21 PowerPoint presentation with imbedded notes for teachers is now available. There are other resources available on the Small Basic page of the Beginning Developer Learning Center as well. If you use this curriculum or anything else associated with Small Basic would you let me know please? Also any feedback about what we can do better or differently. Thanks

Small Basic Curriculum (beta)

• Lesson 1.1: Introduction to Small Basic
• Lesson 1.2: Statements, Properties, and Operations
• Lesson 1.3: Variables
• Lesson 1.4: Conditions and Loops
• Lesson 1.5: Branching and Subroutines
• Lesson 2.1: Graphics Window
• Lesson 2.2: Turtle Graphics
• Lesson 2.3: Exploring Shapes
• Lesson 2.4: Sound, Program, and Text Objects
• Lesson 2.5: Clock, Desktop, and Dictionary Objects
• Lesson 2.6: Flickr, ImageList, and Network Objects
• Lesson 3.1: File Input and Output
• Lesson 3.2: Stacks and Arrays
• Lesson 3.3: The Math Object
• Lesson 3.4: Events and Interactivity
• Lesson 3.5: The Controls Object
• Lesson 3.6: Debugging Aids
• Lesson 4.1: Playing with Shapes
• Lesson 4.2: Responding to Events
• Lesson 4.3: Collision Detection
• Lesson 4.4: Advanced Games
• Lesson 5.1: Sharing Code
• Lesson 6: Graduating to Visual Basic
• Get all lessons

Comments

• Anonymous
  October 11, 2010
  We will give this a whirl with our Programming I course at about the beginning of November.  Right now the kids are working in Scratch with good results.  For most this will be their one and only programming course.  The scheme is to have the kids critique the PowerPoint slides and the curriculum overall.  Of course that means they will have to learn the SB along with writing comments about the curriculum.  Boy am I clever.

• Anonymous
  October 20, 2010
  Computer Science For Kids offers several more advanced  Small Basic Programming  Tutorials  for kids.  Our Small Basic Tutorials pick up and build on the Free Microsoft Small Basic Powerpoint Curriculum shown above.  Our tutorials allow a student to go a lot more in depth into the Small Basic language and they even learn Small Basic Game Design.   All of our tutorials allow for self-study or instructor led training.  Several of the Computer Science for Kids Tutorials have been recently  recommended by Vijaye Raji, creator of Microsott Small Basic.  More information on these advanced Small Basic Programming Tutorials can be found at: computerscienceforkids.com/MicrosoftSmallBasicTutorials.aspx