Join Microsoft in celebrating CSEdWeek 2024 and inspire students to learn computer science with interactive activities and curriculum.
Computer Science Education Week (CSEdWeek), December 9-15, 2024, and Hour of Code are designed to inspire students across the world to learn computer science (CS) and celebrate others’ contributions to the field. During CSEdWeek and Hour of Code, students and educators dive into everything from coding basics to advanced tech concepts, while showcasing technology’s impact on our world, today and in the future. Microsoft is excited to share curriculum and resources you can use to celebrate CSEdWeek 2024 in your classroom and boost your own professional learning.
Discover tools and resources to bring CS to life in your classroom. Explore interactive activities, coding platforms, and digital lessons that encourage students to think critically and creatively.
Minecraft Hour of Code 2024
Introduce your students to coding or have them hone their skills with Minecraft’s latest Hour of Code: The Show Must Go On! In this fun and bustling lesson, students step into the theater to save the day while solving coding puzzles, unlocking hidden gags, and customizing the show. For the grand finale, they’ll personalize the stage performance with their creative ideas and see their coding abilities come to life! Hour of Code is a great on-ramp to teaching CS, easy and fun to implement, and available free for educators and families.
This is the tenth year of Minecraft’s partnership with Code.org, which has led to more than 300 million Minecraft Hour of Code sessions since 2015. Join the movement and help bring CS to even more learners this year! New to Minecraft Hour of Code? Learn how to facilitate a Minecraft Hour of Code experience with a quick Microsoft Learn training module, geared toward K-12 educators and school leaders.
Minecraft Computer Science Progression
Explore the Minecraft Computer Science Progression for standards-aligned lessons that build CS skills at every level. From introductory block coding to advanced Python, these resources help you create a comprehensive learning path for your students. Integrate Minecraft Education into your curriculum to spark interest in CS.
Microsoft MakeCode
MakeCode has partnered with three incredible organizations to bring you fun, self-paced Hour of Code activities for elementary and middle school students:
- Bubble Popping with Joy: Students create a bubble-popping game featuring Joy, Envy, and other emotion characters from the popular Disney and Pixar movie, Inside Out 2.
- Mission to Hubble: Developed by Code Ninjas, this space-themed tutorial challenges students to pilot the Space Shuttle Discovery to the Hubble Telescope with guidance from astronaut Scott Kelly.
- Snack Chase: Perfect for younger coders, this tutorial based on the PBS KIDS’ show Lyla in the Loop allows students to code a multiplayer game with characters from the show. Discover coding with Lyla and friends in this engaging activity for beginners.
Visual Studio (VS) Code for Education
VS Code for Education is a free, web-based platform that offers an integrated curriculum and a sandbox coding environment. Introduce students to web development with the Memory Matrix lesson where they create a memory card matching game using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This lesson combines game design with foundational coding skills to inspire your students with hands-on coding experience.
GitHub Education
GitHub Education equips students and educators worldwide with free tools to learn, build, and collaborate. Verified educators and students aged 13 and above can access GitHub Copilot for free, enabling real-time code suggestions and explanations directly in their editor. With GitHub Codespaces, students can code from any device without requiring powerful hardware, and the GitHub Student Developer Pack provides free access to dozens of professional-grade tools to build real-world projects. Educators can integrate coding into their classrooms with resources from GitHub Education for schools, while the Campus Experts program supports student leaders in creating and growing tech communities.
Race into STEM, powered by Microsoft
Race into STEM helps break down barriers for women in motorsports, promoting inclusion, and opening doors to STEM careers within the industry. Students will investigate STEM concepts that women at BWT Alpine F1 Team use every day to create the fastest car possible for race weekend. Help students work their way around the track as they develop and practice their skills with activities and hands on learning—all while discovering more about the compelling world of motorsport.
Explore professional learning for CSEdWeek 2024
Want to build up your CS teaching confidence? Grow your skills with Microsoft’s professional learning resources. Designed to support educators at all levels, these opportunities will help you build skills to facilitate engaging, high-quality CS experiences for your students.
Training in Minecraft Education
Any educator can learn to integrate Minecraft into your teaching practice with Minecraft Teacher Academy. Discover free, on-demand content, a lively online community of educators, and training cohorts. Learn how to use Minecraft Education’s coding features and explore CS and STEM curriculum alongside your peers.
Continue your adventure by joining the Minecraft Teachers’ Lounge, a moderated Facebook community with more than 10,000 members. Connect with Minecraft educators and experts from across the globe, explore lesson ideas and learn classroom management tips, and get inspired by the amazing ways teachers are using Minecraft across the curriculum.
Free AI tools training
Check out “Embark on Your AI Journey,” a training module that introduces K-12 educators and school leaders to free AI tools that enhance teaching and learning. Learn to leverage Microsoft Copilot, Microsoft Teams, Minecraft Education’s AI Foundations, and GitHub Copilot to develop students’ coding skills and support future-ready competencies.
Microsoft Learn for Educators AI Bootcamps
Designed for educators at higher education institutions and technical colleges, the Microsoft Learn for Educators (MSLE) AI Bootcamps provide institutions knowledge and skills to include AI-related training in their courses and programs of study. Covering everything from best practices for teaching AI courses to exam preparation resources, this instructor-led bootcamp helps educators empower students with the tech skills needed to succeed in an AI-powered job market.
Search Progress and Search Coach training module
Empowering learners to seek, evaluate, and use online sources responsibly is crucial. Two of our Learning Accelerators, Search Progress and Search Coach, help you track the development of your students’ information literacy skills and teach them how to search online effectively. Take this short training module on Search Progress and Search Coach to empower learners to build information literacy skills.
Discover resources from our partners
Microsoft is a proud partner of Code.org, Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), TeachAI, and numerous CS curriculum providers. Check out the following events and free activities carefully curated to help you plan and host an inspiring and engaging CSEdWeek for your class:
- Code.org: Join millions worldwide for the global Hour of Code movement. Register your Hour of Code event and discover how-to guides and free resources.
- TeachAI and CSTA: Explore critical questions and insights related to AI’s role in CS education with “Guidance on the Future of Computer Science Education in an Age of AI.”
- CodeHS: Celebrate CSEdWeek with on-demand Hour of Code Workshop Recordings, K-12 Hour of Code lessons, and free webinars to learn how to run an Hour of Code with your students.
- Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) CS Academy: Designed for late elementary and middle school students, this Hour of Code module introduces learners to text-based programming in Python.
Inspire your students to discover the power of CS and its impact on their futures during CSEdWeek 2024. Along with Hour of Code, this week is the ideal time to introduce engaging CS learning into your classroom while enhancing your own professional skills using Microsoft’s curriculum and resources. Join the movement and equip your students for success in CS!