Coding Capers: Luci and the Missing Robot

Teach How Computer Science is Used in Our Daily Lives

Join Luci and her friends as they go on an adventure to find a missing robot! In the process they learn the foundational concepts of coding, the increasing capabilities of technology, and the power of persistence.

Was it just a dream?! Luci wakes up after dreaming about robots only to learn that her teacher has a robot emergency at school! The class robot has disappeared, and the students must decipher codes to locate it, reprogram it, and return it.

We huddled together. "Hurry! Read the card!"

"Go to the gym where you'll find a maze,
Up and down and then sideways,
Over and over with your group,
Not a pattern, but a ______."

This STEM-friendly tale takes children on a fun game of hide and seek that teaches coding terminology and how technology and computer science work together to create and manage so many of the things we use in our daily lives.

With a little ingenuity and a lot of perseverance, Luci and her friends follow the clues and end up with a surprise that will allow each of them to help others and inspire the next generation of leaders.

Angela Cleveland, M.S.Ed., M.Ed, MA has 15 years of experience as a school counselor, and she received the "2017 New Jersey School Counselor of the Year" award. Cleveland serves on the New Jersey School Counselor Association (NJSCA) Executive Board and is the NJSCA webmaster. She is currently the Program Director for NCWIT Counselors for Computing. Cleveland founded ReigningIt, a story-sharing platform and support network to champion women in STEM. Learn more about her: AngelaCleveland.com and follow her on Twitter @AngCleveland.

Tamara Zentic is the author of educational books that teach technology lessons, social skills, and executive function, to students of all ages. Zentic is a veteran middle school teacher with more than 20 years of experience. In addition to having a master's degree in youth development, she has written and implemented a computer programming curriculum for her students. Tamara has presented her coding instruction and projects to AMLE, the Nebraska State Administrator's Conference and the 2018 Kansas Counselor's Conference as well as other local groups and conferences. Her students were the Samsung Solve For Tomorrow 2015 State Winners and have won other various prizes with their computer programming skills. She is an active member of CSTA. Tamara is a firm believer that computer coding is the language of the future and a necessary life skill for all youth.