Cover of Coder, Level 2
Level 2Real codeAges 11 to 14 with a grown-up

Coder

Your first programs: blink it, time it, make it listen.

In Spark the board was only a battery. In Coder it runs code your kid types into the free Arduino IDE, one line at a time, and the book explains what every line does. It starts with Mission 0, where the board sends "Hello!" to the computer, and every mission builds on the code from the one before. Then come the challenges: fill in the missing code, and find the bugs we hid on purpose.

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Starting from scratch? Get Spark and Coder together for $24.

Format
44-page PDF, US Letter. Read on a screen or print at home.
Missions
6 (Mission 0 to 5), about 10 to 30 minutes each
You need
An UNO R3 starter kit (not included) and a Windows, Mac or Linux computer
Before you start
Set up the computer once with the free Start Here guide (about 20 to 30 minutes)

The six missions

  1. Hello, board

    10 min

    No wires yet. The board sends a message to the computer, so you can see setup() and loop() at work.

  2. Blink

    20 min

    Write your first program and make an LED blink.

  3. Traffic Light

    30 min

    A traffic light that changes by itself: green, yellow, red, and again.

  4. Smart Button

    25 min

    The board checks a button. Pressed? LED on. Not pressed? LED off.

  5. Night Light

    30 min

    The board measures the light. When it gets dark, the LED turns on by itself.

  6. Color Fader

    30 min

    First one color fades in, then one RGB LED glides through all the colors.

Every mission has

  • Build and type: the full code, plus the wiring picture and table (Mission 0 needs no wires)
  • Messages on the Serial Monitor, so you can see what the board is doing
  • "What does the code say?", line by line
  • Fill the gaps: a new challenge with missing code
  • Bug hunt: code with mistakes hidden on purpose
  • A lab notes page

Also inside: "How code works", "Your first code words", "Code grammar", "Type it like a pro", answers for every challenge, a Bug Hunter Log, a star page, and "For grown-ups: how to help".

What you need

The same UNO R3 starter kit as Spark. Compared with Spark, Coder also uses a green LED and a 10 kΩ resistor, and doesn't need the knob or the extra buttons. The ELEGOO UNO R3 Super Starter Kit lists every part below, and most other UNO R3 kits do too.

A computer with a free USB port: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), a Mac with macOS 10.15 or newer, or 64-bit Linux. Chromebooks, tablets and phones aren't covered.

PartWhat to look forQty
UNO R3 boardUNO R3 compatible (ATmega328P)1
USB cableUSB-A to USB-B (the square plug)1
BreadboardSolderless, 830 holes (400 also works)1
Jumper wiresMale-to-male, mixed colors8
LEDs5 mm, red, yellow and green1 each
RGB LED5 mm, 4 legs, common cathode (most kits)1
Resistors220 Ω (red, red, brown stripes)3
Resistor10 kΩ (brown, black, orange stripes)1
Push buttonSmall, 4 legs1
Light sensorPhotoresistor (LDR), 5 mm1
The covers of Spark and Coder

Spark and Coder together

Start with circuits in Level 1, then add code in Level 2: 11 missions, 75 pages.

$24$30 Buy the bundle, $24

Questions about kits, ages or printing? See questions parents ask.