The first Lego* Mindstorms sets were released in the early 1990s. Since then, Lego's line of buildable, programmable robots has become a sensation with budding coders all over the world. More than just toy building blocks, these sets allow users to familiarize themselves with manipulating and customizing computer hardware and software. In this volume, readers will learn what it takes to be a Mindstorms builder and programmer. The manageable text is...

Introduced in 2009, Minecraft* has become an enormous success with gaming kids and adults. Users love exploring and building within Minecraft's mind-bogglingly large environments. This game allows users to practice STEM skills while having fun. One of its greatest strengths is its ability to teach coding principles with "redstone" blocks. These blocks can be used to make exciting machines and devices in Minecraft's virtual world. With this volume,...

No, it is not dessert, it's a tiny single-board computer for budding computer scientists to experiment with. This versatile product can be paired with simple coding software, such as Python and Ruby, enabling young scientists to create fun and useful computer devices. Readers will learn the history of Raspberry Pi* and gain a basic understanding of computer programming through clear photographs and manageable text. Sidebars, captions, and a graphic...

Coding was once an inaccessible activity for elementary students, but not any more. Scratch is an exciting and easy-to-learn coding program for people of all ages. Instead of lines of text, users code by dragging and dropping colorful, stackable blocks to create animations. With this colorful, intuitive, and simple application, even new Scratch users will begin to understand the logic behind coding in just minutes! Coding examples and photographs...

Do programmers think differently than non-programmers? How do programmers approach problems and create solutions? This book explores several attributes of thinking used by programmers. Important STEM concepts are incorporated into the text to give readers an understanding of how STEM fits into the everyday work of a programmer. Readers will enjoy a glimpse inside the minds of some of the most creative minds in the computer world. Photographs and sidebars...

Simulations help people understand large, complex problems using smaller, simpler models. This book delves into the history and thinking behind simulations. Readers will learn about Georg Leopold von Reiswitz's development of a Kriegsspiel for military training, and other major developments. This volume also gives examples of ways that simulations can be useful, and discusses data sources. A concluding simple simulation will round out the learning...

Why is having a choice important when it comes to both life and coding? How can coders include choices for the user? This book explains the concept of conditionals and introduces readers to the If/Then/Else concept-a way to allow choices in computer programming. The book also explores several conditional statements from programming languages and talks about how we use conditional statements every day. Photographs and sidebars allow readers to deepen...