Hour of Code: Emoticon Madness Lesson Plan

Overview

In this code activity, students are introduced to programming and computational thinking using the programming language Python. The activity includes reading input from the user, printing output to the screen, using mathematical operators with different types of data, and manipulating strings.

The activity is based around the theme of Emoji, and ties in with other language-themed programming activities.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• learn to use Python to print data to the screen
• get input from the user
• use variables to store data
• perform mathematical calculations with integers
• manipulate strings
• use logic and problem solving skills to answer simple questions

Extended Activities

Emoji in the dictionary

Have students read about Oxford Dictionary naming the ‘Face with Tears of Joy’ emoji as its Word of the Year for 2015.

Discussion questions:

• What do you think about an emoji being named Word of the Year?
• How do you use emoticons or emoji to communicate? Do you think that they are a new form of communication or that they have changed the way we communicate?
• Sometimes the same emoji can be used in many different ways, to mean different things. Can you think of any examples? How do you determine what an emoji means in a particular context?

Write your own emoji dictionary

Have students come up with their own emoji dictionaries to help someone new to emoji decipher what they might mean. They should think about the different meanings emoji might have in different contexts and provide examples.

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