I second the Lego Robotics aka Mindstorms approach. It builds on skills and experience the kids already have and adds the extra dimension of movement and control. There are existing kits and educational supplies and as a very experienced teacher friend of mine once told me. "it was the only time in my teaching experience that he had the whole class continually and completely engaged". There is something for all interests, from the mathematically inclined to the hands on concrete learners, the abstract thinkers as well as the artists and writers.
Once the students have reached an advanced level they can naturally move into more advanced programming languages and onto other platforms such as Arduino's and Raspberry Pi. There are also international Robotics competitions to really get things moving. Best approach I personally saw was when I took my son to an introductory day and they built a battle bot with the task of pushing another battlebot outside a square marked in tape on the floor. Oh yes an there were girls there too just as much into it as the boys. Best moment was when my son elbowed me out of the way and said "I got this Dad!"
Slashdot Mirror
I second the Lego Robotics aka Mindstorms approach. It builds on skills and experience the kids already have and adds the extra dimension of movement and control. There are existing kits and educational supplies and as a very experienced teacher friend of mine once told me. "it was the only time in my teaching experience that he had the whole class continually and completely engaged". There is something for all interests, from the mathematically inclined to the hands on concrete learners, the abstract thinkers as well as the artists and writers. Once the students have reached an advanced level they can naturally move into more advanced programming languages and onto other platforms such as Arduino's and Raspberry Pi. There are also international Robotics competitions to really get things moving. Best approach I personally saw was when I took my son to an introductory day and they built a battle bot with the task of pushing another battlebot outside a square marked in tape on the floor. Oh yes an there were girls there too just as much into it as the boys. Best moment was when my son elbowed me out of the way and said "I got this Dad!"