This is cross-posted on the Webmaker blog.

We’re joining a global Hour of Code!

Starting Monday, Dec. 9, we’re celebrating Computer Science Education Week by joining forces with Code.org and other top technology and education advocates as a partner on the first-ever “Hour of Code.” The goal: demystify code and show that anyone can learn the basics.

As part of the effort, we’ve compiled some great Webmaker resources that only take about an hour to complete — and can help get you started on a path towards becoming a maker and innovator on the Web.

Why is this important?

Technology is embedded in our daily lives, but only a tiny fraction of us are learning how to create it. Computer science is not taught in most schools, but we know that learning basic programming goes beyond technology and helps people with critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, persistence and other essential 21st century skills.

The Hour of Code is a great opportunity to help millions of other people see what we’ve been seeing through Webmaker and Hive. At Maker Parties, in classrooms and informal learning spaces, it’s that “a-ha” moment when someone young or old realizes they’ve just made something on the web. Maybe they remixed their school’s website, created an original webpage, designed their own online game or created their first app. It starts somewhere, but the possibilities for where it leads are endless.

How to get involved

You can host an event at your local school or community center. Get a group of friends and family together. Spend an hour yourself to level up your skills.

More than 4 million people have already signed up to participate. Below are a few great Webmaker projects to get you started. Select an activity, and then spend an hour or so learning some HTML, CSS and Javascript. And be sure to share your final makes using the #hourofcode and #webmaker hashtags.

1. Make an Animated Poem — by the National Writing Project. Write your own poem or remix someone else’s. Then make it come to life with Javascript animations.
2. Hack a Holiday Card — by Kim Wilkens. Remix a holiday postcard online, then build an interactive, magic snow predictor using new Javascript skills. Educators can also use this helpful teaching kit.
3. Rainy Day — by Cynthia Ng. Thunderstorm or sunshower? Customize your own drizzly scene.
4. Make a To-Do List Web App — by Pomax. Book flight. Ship presents. Bake a pie. Make an HTML5 To-Do List Web App!
5. Make a Map App — by David Humphrey. Where in the world is Webmaker? Make an interactive web map app using the Leaflet.js JavaScript library.
6. Cory Doctorow’s Mood Room — by Alan Levine. Use Photoshop and a jQuery plugin to create your own web-based mood ring. Read more about this project.
7. Create a simple game — by William Duyck. Build a web version of TicTacToe using HTML, CSS and Javascript. Your move!

Visit Webmaker.org for more starter makes or find more Hour of Code tutorials.

Find Local Hour of Code Events

Whether you’re looking for a local Hour of Code event to attend, or want some inspiration for hosting your own event, here are some sample events:

• Monday, December 9th: Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy will introduce middle school students to activities and tutorials led by high school computer science students.

• Tuesday, December 10th: ScriptED NYC is co-hosting an “Hour of Code Pedagogy” event with the Academy for Software Engineering and CSNYC Meet-Up.

• Wednesday, December 11th:ScriptEd NYC is hosting an event at Harlem Village Academies High School–high school students will be mentoring middle school students. Sign up if you’re interested in volunteering or can lend laptops.

• Thursday, December 12th: After School Matters and IIT in Chicago are co-hosting an Hour of Code professional development workshop where educators/instructors/principals/librarians/etc will tinker with open source software and work directly with Raspberry Pis and Arduinos

• Friday, December 13th: Digital Youth Network at the DePaul Center in Chicago is hosting afterschool coding sessions all week, featuring hands-on activities like remixing Angry Birds and building mobile apps!

• Saturday, December 14th: BlackGirlsCODE is hosting an Android AppInventor workshop at Google New York. Girls ages 10-17 will learn how to write music apps, apps that tell your fortune, and more.

These events are being held in conjunction with members and partners of Mozilla Hive Learning Networks in NYC, Chicago and Pittsburgh.

More Resources

• This is why kids need to learn to code — by Doug Belshaw on DMLCentral
• Coding is just one part of web literacy. Visit the Web Literacy Standard for the complete framework and details on other important skills and competencies
• Learning Through Programming — research for teachers from ScratchED
• 5 Reasons to Teach Kids to Code — infographic from Kodable