Meskauskas jeroo

Using objects, procedures and loops with visual programming exercises

How to Use Jeroofor Java in your CS classroom
Here are the island files zipped up (put them on a shared drive for students to use)

Each section of Jeroo is introduced with a PowerPoint presentation that has accompanying notes for students to fill in during the presentation followed by one or more hands-on labs and activities using Jeroo.

0- Know the Environment
PowerPoint with notes	Additional Student Handouts	Labs for Students to do	Additional Activities	Warm-ups
Introduction to Jeroo ppt notes Vocabulary and intro to concepts ppt (mini-quiz on last slide)	none	Lab 0 - design your original letter island	Demo 0: Watch an Island being designed Vocabulary jumble puzzle	An introduction

1- Create a Working Program
PowerPoint with notes	Additional Student Handouts	Labs for Students to do	Additional Activities	Warm-ups
01-Jeroo Code ppt notes	Programming preparation paper for Lab 1.	Lab 1: Pick a Flower. Challenge: Lab 1b: Walk Across	Explore: What-if #1 Demo 1: Watch a program running	where?, Jeff

2- Use the IDE and language to solve problems
PowerPoint with notes	Additional Student Handouts	Labs for Students to do	Additional Activities	Warm-ups
02-OOP features of the Jeroo language ppt notes	Lab 2a: Island N warmup blank graph paper	Lab 2a: Island N	What-if #2 A crossword of terms, with a cryptogram review of the same terms and a wordlist to fill in for study notes	swap (test each other's answers to see if they work!), OOP syntax
	Prepare for using the features of OOP	Lab 2b exercises: Letter J, Lake Island, The Relay	Find the Errors	what letter?, syntax errors, shortest path

3 – Divide programs into sections
PowerPoint with notes	Additional Student Handouts	Labs for Students to do	Additional Activities	Warm-ups
03-Using Methods ppt notes		Lab 3a: Rewrite the code as methods	Choose other programs to break into logical section with methods.	what if#3, what if #4 (use this puzzle to enter your answers to what if#4)
		Lab 3b: Spelling Bee		syntax errors
		Lab 3c: Island N Using Methods, Skinny Island,	Twisted island ( under construction)

4 – Control program flow with loops and conditionals
PowerPoint with notes	Additional Student Handouts	Labs for Students to do	Additional Activities	Warm-ups
04- Loops and Conditions ppt notes		Lab 4a. Loops: Pick a row, Find Water, Circle Ring	Obstacle Course	if warmup Find the jeroo
04 part 2 – More Loops and Conditions ppt notes		Lab 4b Challenge: Line Up, Loop Labs, Twisted island	crossword on loops and conditions with another review	when do you stop?

5 - Writing complex programs
PowerPoint with notes	Additional Student Handouts	Labs for Students to do	Additional Activities
05 - developing algorithms ppt notes	Design algorithms on paper using stepwise refinement	Lab 5a: Garden planting , discuss some strategies	Labyrinth Islands, Navigate problem	pickARow
06 - Using good style, comments and indentation ppt notes	Team Planting problem solving (under construction)	Lab 5b: Complex Programs Lab 5c: Two Friends Meet		complex conditions

6 – Intermediate Activities
There are a variety of challenging problems in the Jeroo labs including: Hurdle Race, ZigZag Lakes , Pick All Flowers, The Maze, Walk the Lake . (These are from jeroo.org, D Sanders and B Dorn and E. Eddy)

7 - Very Advanced Activities
Clear the rooms (with a preparation exercise to do beforehand) The Rescue Mission, a cooperative venture using multiple Jeroos Rescue the Princess, DonkeyKong level 1, level 2 and level 3

Notes:

All files required for students and demonstrations are on the CD in the JerooFiles folder and should be transferred to the pickup drive for students to copy to their drives.
- Jeroo code files end with .jsc (Jeroo Source Code) and the islands end with .jev (Jeroo Environment)
It is a good idea to make copies of the page Summary of the Jeroo language for each student in the classroom to use as a reference.
At jeroo.org Please read:
- Overview of Jeroo
- Benefits of Jeroo
Resources:
- You can download Jeroo for free at http://www.jeroo.org . Complete instructions are online. You need to have Java 1.4 or later installed to use Jeroo.
- There is complete documentation for all features of the Jeroo language and environment under the DOWNLOAD section of the Jeroo website.
- if you want use Visual Basic, here are the exercises and powerpoints, and to compare VB syntax to Java syntax in Jeroo, here is a summary.
Using Jeroo in an introductory programming class:
- Option 1: Start early. Use Jeroo as a first exposure to programming. It's fun and easy!
- Option 2: Integrate: Use Jeroo to introduce the concepts of conditions, loops, objects and methods early in the year, switch back to Java and then return to Jeroo for challenging problems later in the year.
- Option 2: Use Jeroo to introduce the concept of objects, methods and constructors at the end