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This video also discusses coding in the Social Studies classroom.

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Using Coding in a Social Studies Classroom | That Canadian Teacher

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This video discusses using Scratch in the Social Studies Classroom.

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TeacherCast: EDU Productivity & EdTech Strategies

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Coding with SCRATCH in the Social Studies Classroom

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This is a more detailed article that goes more specifically into Twine and using that to help educate students.

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This website compiles a list of resources that could help any classroom that wishes to teach coding.

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Elementary School

These sites and apps can be used independently by upper elementary students, and kids as young as kindergarten may have fun working one-on-one or in small groups with the teacher.

ScratchJr: ScratchJr is an app version of the popular Scratch site (below) that's aimed at beginners. It's a drag-and-drop coding language, meaning that users snap together colorful blocks on the screen to make their own programs that can do complex tasks, like tell an interactive story about something they're learning. It's a great way for kids to get interested in programming without needing to navigate programming terms like bool. (iOS, Android)

Scratch: Once kids are comfortable with the interface in ScratchJr, they can move online to a fuller version. The best part about Scratch is that kids share the games and animations they create on the site, so other kids can see their code and learn from it. MIT, which developed Scratch, provides resources for teachers, including tutorials and lesson plans. Consider having students build an animation in Scratch for their next book report-a modern, digital update for the shoebox diorama. (web-based)

Tynker: There are many ways to use Tynker in the classroom, some paid and some free. On the paid end, Tynker has a program for classroom use that teaches basic coding concepts without a lot of teacher input. Online lessons cover a wide range of subjects, like using coding to create a map of Pangea splitting apart for geography or an animation to quiz peers on types of government systems in social studies. And Tynker has pulled together some free games and activities for Hour of Code that can be used throughout the year. (web-based)

Middle School

Many of the tools here can be used by a variety of age groups. Scratch is very versatile that way-while elementary students get a lot out of it, it's also used by middle and high school students to build projects with increased complexity. Similarly, while the apps and sites in this section are great for middle schoolers, students in upper elementary school may want to try their hand at Hopscotch or Blockly.

Hopscotch: Another drag-and-drop coding app that's great for the classroom. Hopscotch specifically helps bridge the gap between ScratchJr and more complex drag-and-drop programs by providing a transition guide. Students can use this tool to add creativity to class projects-for example, by building an explorable map for world studies or making a quiz for a fellow math student to prep for a test. (iPad, iPhone)

Blockly Games: These web-based coding games go hand-in-hand with the main Blockly site, Google's response to Scratch. Blockly is a great bridge between Scratch and more advanced coding languages because it still uses colorful blocks but introduces proper terminology. The 52 Blockly Games are arranged in seven categories that teach core coding concepts to get students familiar with computer language basics. The games are great for independent work time in a math class. (web-based)

Swift Playgrounds: Swift is Apple's coding language, and this app is a great transition for middle schoolers who are moving from drag-and-drop to word-based programming. There are still blocks that can be tapped to create a program, but these blocks have the words of the command written on them-students can tap a block or type the command. These lessons-structured like coding puzzles-can be tucked into open time at the end of math class. (iPad)

High School

If your students are ready to move into word-based programming, try the tools below. While these may be enjoyed by someone comfortable enough with programming to sign up for an AP computer science course, they're also for students who are just learning how to write a program or want to learn programming so they can utilize it for projects in a wide range of classes.

Code.org: JavaScript, HTML, and CSS are great language starting points, and Code.org has tutorials for students so they can learn how to build apps, design games, and build a web page. These self-guided units are perfect for students who learn best at their own pace and can be tucked into any science or math classroom. (web-based)

Twine: Ever wanted to walk around inside a story? With interactive fiction, you can. Twine is a simple-to-learn language that incorporates many facets of JavaScript and is perfect for new coders. Students can create web-based choose-your-own-adventure stories or use text to create a setting and then allow for directional exploration. For instance, students can build 19th-century London with words, and then allow the user to explore the nooks and crannies of Clerkenwell, maybe even running into characters like Oliver Twist and the Artful Dodger. This is the perfect language for learning core coding concepts such as loops, variables, and arrays, and it can be worked into any humanities course. You'll find more ideas in my book on using Twine in the classroom. (web-based)

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With these apps and games, you can work coding lessons into any subject and any grade from early elementary through 12th.

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This website has some examples of how to integrate coding into a social studies classroom.

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You might think coding is a novel trend that doesn't have other applications beyond programming, but coding offers many connections to multiple subjects, with the added benefit of reinforcing essential 21st-century skills. In coding, students use computational thinking and critical thinking to solve problems. This involves mastering the skill of perseverance, as they must be willing to fail, troubleshoot, and try again in order to have the code execute what was intended. Through this process, students are recognizing errors and determining how to fix them.

Here are a few ways teachers can integrate coding into the core subjects, while also fostering important 21st-century skills.

Math
Coding can help students visualize abstract concepts through concrete examples. They make sense of problems and persevere on a task. They can break down a problem into smaller parts to achieve the goal of solving the challenge.

Students apply logic, determine and understand variables, and develop algorithmic functions to solve coding challenges. It encourages them to think how they can create an algorithm of a series of steps to create a solution. Connections are then made to basic algebraic concepts.
Sample math applications:

Calculate the wait time needed in the program for the robot to travel a specific distance.

Determine the set score counters by evaluating how many times a loop will repeat.

Program a robot to specific coordinates on a grid and plot those points on a graph.

Code a robot to make different geometric shapes and patterns.

Science
With coding, students can make hypotheses about how they expect their program to perform. They can plan an experiment and use trial and error to get their program correct. Students will also analyze data from different experiments and recognize patterns as they form.

Students should code with purpose and have a plan and explanation for what they have coded. A great first step is to ask students to write out a series of the steps to solve the challenge-without coding it yet. This thought process helps students better understand the purpose of their activity.
Sample science applications:

Identify the coding challenge and use problem solving to find the solution.

Write and conduct experiments following the scientific method while coding the robot.

Calculate the speed of the robot by measuring its distance and time traveled to its endpoint.

Determine the force of the robot by calculating its acceleration and measuring its mass.

English language arts (ELA)
There are a lot of ways to include coding in reading, writing, and communication. Students can practice speaking and listening skills when they work together on coding projects to create a solution. You can have students present their solutions and explain the coding steps and the purposes they serve.

Students can practice writing skills by writing the steps they will code to solve the challenge or by writing a story connecting the solution to a real-life scenario. For example, coding a robot to travel the shortest distance along roads to a destination would be the same for a mail carrier delivering a package.

You could have students read different stories and pick out the steps followed by the main character. The students could code their robot to perform actions that simulate steps followed by the main character. For instance, the robot could represent a goat trying to cross a bridge and avoid a troll.
Sample ELA applications:

Code a robot to travel in or draw the shape of a letter.

Code the robot to spell a word or name.

Create a letter map that the robot can travel from letter to letter for letter recognition or spelling of words.

Write a story about your robot and then code the robot to perform actions based on the different pages or scenes in the book.

Create a treasure map for the robot that it has to collect different clues to get the treasure. Write a story about the robot's journey.

Social studies
Social studies involves different areas of subjects including geography, history, and citizenship. Many civic issues are multidisciplinary in nature, so you can provide real-world scenarios that the students can simulate coding solutions.

If students have a robot that they can code movements to, you can have the robots navigate a wide variety of maps. You can take existing maps and overlay a clear shower curtain with black grid lines on it that the students could code the robot to travel to different locations. If you don't have a map, have the students create one!
Sample social studies applications:

Code the robot to travel to different countries, continents, and oceans on a world map.

Explore different parts of U.S. history on a map, such as Lewis and Clark's route, the Oregon Trail, or where people traveled for the Gold Rush.

Code the robot to travel to different states and state capitals.

Explore different parts of the community and community helpers on a city map.

Additional coding resources
As a curriculum specialist and former educator, I have used many great resources that integrate coding across curricula. Here are a few that can help you get a jump start on being a maker and innovator in your classroom.

For digital resources: Code.org is a wonderful online resource full of free computer science courses and activities for educators interested in teaching their students coding without needing a robot.

For early learning, hands-on solutions: A physical, hands-on coding solution is a great way to introduce early learners to the basics of coding. Pitsco Education 's KUBO is a fun screen-free, puzzle-like robotics coding solution for grades K-2 to learn the basics of coding.

For project-based learning environments: Encouraging students to join a robotics team outside of what they learn in the classroom gives learners an opportunity to take their coding skills to the next level. The FIRST non-profit organization hosts yearly robotics competitions at which student teams program an autonomous robot, develop a solution to a real-world problem, and compete with other teams.

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20 ideas for teaching coding in math, science, social studies, and ELA

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Technology News & Innovation in K-12 Education