Teach coding concepts on iPad with animated Memoji

Learn about key concepts in coding using Memoji stickers and animation with Keynote for iPad.

Memoji Coding: 1. Commands and Functions. Right hand side of the image contains various robot Memoji stickers.

Learning Objectives for this lesson:

Demonstrate understanding of commands, functions and loops
Create Animated Memoji GIFs as examples of commands, functions and loops
Use computational thinking to complete Keynote animation tasks

Animated GIF of Memoji Stickers, with pseudocode commands matching each sticker.

Animated Memoji GIF

This activity allows students to show their understanding of coding concepts that they learned through Swift Playgrounds in a more creative way.

Students could personalise and customise their Memoji and tell simple stories by creating Animated Memoji GIFs with Keynote for iPad.

Animated Memoji GIFs

With each of the the three main coding concepts — commands, functions and loops — students created Animated Memoji GIFs. They then typed these in Keynote as commands grouped in functions and loops.

Some tasks included Motion Path animations and required students to use computational thinking to set the correct animation build order for the Keynote slide.

They documented their work in an interactive Keynote journal.

Screenshot of an instructional page from Memoji Coding 2 on While Loops. Based on a musical statues activity.

While Loops, from Memoji Coding 2

Download the attached interactive Keynote guides to get started coding and creating animated GIFs with Memoji stickers:

1. Commands and Functions

2. Loops

This lesson formed part of my Apple Teacher Portfolio as an ‘Apply’ lesson, but could be easily adapted and used as an ‘Explore’ lesson depending on the age, skill level, positioning and depth of the activity, and has lots of opportunities to be simplified (i.e. leave out the voiceover part) or for extension activities.

I used this lesson with my 1st Year Coding class (12-13 years old), but it could easily be used in different contexts with other age groups too!

Attachments

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12 replies

October 19, 2022

Very cool application of Memoji reactions that relate to coding concepts. I see this also working well for conditional code:

if isHappy {
print("😁")
} else {
print("🤓")
}

October 20, 2022

Thank you, Nelson! 😊

Yes! It works great with conditional code. We do this with using links in Keynote!

Some great digital storytelling opportunities through this too!

October 31, 2022

Can't wait to give this a try.

November 01, 2022

That’s great to hear! I’d love to hear how it goes! Enjoy! 😊

November 09, 2022

Eoin this is gold! Amazing and makes total sense, thanks so much for sharing! I'll be using these next week as we move from Swift Issuing Commands to Functions.

November 10, 2022

Thank you so much, Jockscot! 😊

I’m delighted to hear that you’ll be able to make use of it with your students. Hope it goes well!

January 11, 2023

This looks so fun and I love the simplicity of using an emoji!

January 13, 2023

Thanks so much, Tamara! 😊

I’m really proud of this activity and how I’ve been been able to use it in both Coding classes and in my other subject areas!

Animated Memoji GIFs and Memoji Coding FTW! 🙌

February 10, 2023

Thank you!

February 13, 2023

No problem. Thank you, Ginette!

April 14, 2023

Thanks for sharing Eion. Makes coding classes more fun.

April 24, 2023

Thank you, Manjula! 😊 Glad you found it useful!

Teach coding concepts on iPad with animated Memoji

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