*** This is a Google Slides digital download. Please make sure you have some sort of Google Account and Drive to download this Google Slide Deck to before purchasing. You'll also want/need a printer to print out slides to create life size coding maze pieces. ***

As users of code.org may be familiar with, code.org has a lot of levels themed around Ice Age where it’s the goal for students to put coding blocks in sequential order to program Scrat (the squirrel) to land on the Acorn (because according to the movies, Scrat is always in search of the Acorn) while avoiding the other obstacles along the way. These are wonderful coding challenges by code.org, but I’ve found my students are much more independent, successful, and confident on their code.org levels if we engage in unplugged (without devices) versions of these Ice Age themed code.org levels first. That's where my resource "Unplugged Ice Age Coding, Code.org Supplement" comes in--to provide you and your class with life sized mazes where students get to help code/direct a fellow student (playing as our Scrat) to get the Acorn without accidentally running into obstacles! Even if you’re not using code.org with your students but just want an engaging and easy to set up introduction or reinforcer of coding concepts, this resource is for you!

Below is a very summarized explanation of how I use this resource in my classroom:

• print out (and for longevity laminate) maze pieces I want my students to use
• teach my students directional coding terms I want them to use during this activity
• explain characters, obstacles, and goal (get Scrat to Acorn) to students
• assign students maze pieces to be in charge of setting up
• display maze on Smartboard/projector, students set up maze
• assign a student to be Scrat and the rest of the class uses taught directional coding terms to code the student who is Scrat to the Acorn
• celebrate successful coding!
• students collect maze pieces, I display a new maze on the board, assign a new student to be Scrat, and we repeat the steps above to code Scrat to the Acorn while learning and practicing directional coding terms along the way!

Phew! What a succinct explanation! Get ready for one more, what's all included in this resource:

• Ideas for Use
• K-1st Direction Coding Blocks
• 2nd-5th Direction Coding Blocks
• Printer Friendly Maze Key
• Printer Friendly Maze Pieces
• Printer Friendly Maze Setup
• Less Printer Friendly Maze Key
• Less Printer Friendly Maze Pieces
• Less Printer Friendly Maze Setup

Whether you do follow up this activity or not with code.org, participation in this activity is great for introducing/reinforcing to students directions (such as North, South, West, East, or Forward, Backward, Turn Left, Turn Right), computational thinking (breaking down the larger problem of getting to the Acorn into smaller more manageable steps), sequential thinking (putting directions in order), teamwork, revision (if they make a mistake/”bug” in their provided coding directions), and so much more!