Pope Francis is backing a new project called “Code with Pope,” which aims to teach kids aged 11-15 how to code. The project is led by a tech entrepreneur named Miron Mironiuk and offers free online coding classes in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. The goal is to teach kids the basics of Python, a popular coding language, in 60 hours.

In today’s world, knowing how to code is really important, especially since jobs in technology are expected to grow quickly. But there aren’t enough people with tech skills, which means lots of jobs might go unfilled by 2030. This is a big problem, especially for countries with lots of Catholic people and not a lot of money.

Mironiuk, who is 33 years old and from Poland, wants to help his country’s tech industry grow. He also wants to make sure that kids in less wealthy countries have the chance to learn how to code. The “Code with Pope” program will be available in different languages and will reach kids in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.

This isn’t the first time Pope Francis has shown interest in getting kids into coding. In 2019, he helped write a line of code for a UN project. Mironiuk will meet the Pope at the Vatican and hopes that the Pope’s support will get more kids involved in the program. While the Pope might not become a coding expert, he will likely get a certificate for supporting the initiative.

Original news source: Pope Francis encourages more children to code, especially in Catholic countries (BBC)

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Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions: Students will work individually to summarize the article in their own words, focusing on the who, what, where, when, why, and how. They will then share their summaries in small groups, discussing any differences in what they thought was most important.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., coding, technology, initiative, entrepreneur, Python). Divide the class into two teams. Members take turns drawing the words on the board without speaking or writing letters, while their team guesses the word. Set a time limit for each turn to keep the game moving quickly.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a set of statements based on the article, such as “Coding is an essential skill for future jobs” or “Projects like ‘Code with Pope’ can significantly reduce the global digital divide.” Students will walk around the classroom and poll their classmates on whether they agree or disagree with each statement, then discuss the results as a class.

– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have students work in pairs to discuss and write down predictions about the impact of the “Code with Pope” project on the global tech industry and education. They should consider the long-term effects and how it might influence the job market and tech skills gap. Pairs will then share their predictions with the class.

– Mind Map
Instructions: In small groups, students will create a mind map on a large piece of paper, starting with the “Code with Pope” project at the center. They will branch out to include related ideas, consequences, challenges, and benefits mentioned in the article. After completing the mind maps, each group will present theirs to the class and explain their thought process.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What is the name of the new project that Pope Francis is supporting?
2. Who is leading the “Code with Pope” project and what is his background?
3. What age group is the “Code with Pope” project designed for?
4. What coding language will the kids learn in the “Code with Pope” program?
5. How many hours of coding instruction are provided in the “Code with Pope” course?
6. Why is it important for kids to learn how to code, according to the article?
7. In which regions of the world will the “Code with Pope” program be available?
8. What previous experience does Pope Francis have with supporting coding for kids?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Pope Francis is backing a new (1)______ called “Code with Pope,” which aims to teach kids aged 11-15 how to code. The project is led by a tech (2)______ named (3)______ Mironiuk and offers free online (4)______ classes in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. The goal is to teach kids the basics of Python, a popular coding language, in 60 hours.

In today’s (5)______, (6)______ how to code is really important, especially since jobs in technology are expected to grow quickly. But there aren’t enough people with tech skills, which (7)______ lots of jobs might go unfilled by 2030. This is a big problem, especially for countries with lots of (8)______ people and not a lot of money.

Mironiuk, who is 33 years old and from Poland, wants to help his country’s tech industry grow. He also wants to make sure that kids in less wealthy countries have the chance to (9)______ how to code. The “Code with Pope” program will be (10)______ in different languages and will reach kids in South (11)______, (12)______, and Southeast Asia.

This isn’t the first time Pope Francis has shown (13)______ in (14)______ kids into coding. In 2019, he helped write a line of code for a UN project. Mironiuk will meet the Pope at the Vatican and hopes that the Pope’s (15)______ will get more kids involved in the program. While the Pope might not become a coding (16)______, he will likely get a certificate for supporting the initiative.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is coding and why do you think it’s important to learn it?
2. How would you feel if you had the opportunity to learn coding for free?
3. Do you like the idea of religious leaders like the Pope getting involved in technology education? Why or why not?
4. Do you think learning to code is as important as learning another language? Why?
5. What are some jobs that you know of which require coding skills?
6. If you had the chance to learn Python, the coding language mentioned in the article, would you take it? Why or why not?
7. How do you think knowing how to code can help people in less wealthy countries?
8. What do you think about kids your age (11-15) learning to code? Is it too young, just right, or too late?
9. Do you think programs like “Code with Pope” can really make a difference in the tech skills gap by 2030? Why?
10. If you were to create an online class, what subject would you want to teach and why?
11. Have you ever tried coding before? If yes, what was your experience like? If no, would you like to try?
12. Why do you think the Pope is interested in supporting a coding program?
13. Can you think of any other ways to encourage kids to learn technical skills?
14. How important do you think it is for educational programs to be available in multiple languages?
15. Do you think it’s a good idea for celebrities or well-known figures to endorse educational projects? Why or why not?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. project
2. code
3. entrepreneur
4. Python
5. technology
6. industry
7. Vatican
8. certificate

Meanings:
(a) A document that proves something has been achieved
(b) A plan or scheme
(c) The use of scientific knowledge for practical purposes
(d) The headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church
(e) A person who starts a business
(f) Instructions for a computer
(g) A type of computer programming language
(h) All the businesses involved in a particular type of product
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. Who is leading the “Code with Pope” project?
(a) Miron Mironiuk
(b) Pope Francis
(c) Bill Gates
(d) Mark Zuckerberg

2. What age group is the “Code with Pope” project aimed at?
(a) 16-20
(b) 11-15
(c) 6-10
(d) 21-25

3. Which coding language is the project aiming to teach kids?
(a) Java
(b) Python
(c) C++
(d) HTML

4. In which regions will the “Code with Pope” project offer free online coding classes?
(a) North America, Asia, and Australia
(b) Europe, Asia, and Africa
(c) South America, North America, and Europe
(d) Europe, Africa, and Latin America

5. Why is knowing how to code important in today’s world?
(a) Jobs in technology are expected to grow quickly
(b) It’s a fun hobby
(c) It’s not important at all
(d) It’s only important for rich countries

6. What is Miron Mironiuk’s goal for the “Code with Pope” project?
(a) Make a lot of money
(b) Teach kids how to cook
(c) Help his country’s tech industry grow
(d) Become famous

7. In which year did Pope Francis help write a line of code for a UN project?
(a) 2018
(b) 2020
(c) 2019
(d) 2017

8. What does Mironiuk hope to achieve by meeting the Pope at the Vatican?
(a) Teach the Pope how to code
(b) Receive an award
(c) None of the above
(d) Get more kids involved in the program

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. In 2019, Pope Francis refused to help write a line of code for a UN project.
2. The goal of the project is to teach kids the basics of Python, a popular coding language, in 60 hours.
3. Pope Francis is opposing a project called “Code with Pope” to teach kids aged 11-15 how to code.
4. Miron Mironiuk will meet the Pope at the Vatican and hopes that the Pope’s support will get more kids involved in the program.
5. The project is led by a tech entrepreneur named Miron Mironiuk and offers free online coding classes in Europe, Africa, and Latin America.
6. Miron Mironiuk, who is 33 years old and from Poland, wants to hinder his country’s tech industry growth and ensure kids in less wealthy countries do not have the chance to learn how to code.
7. Jobs in technology are expected to decline quickly, and there are enough people with tech skills.
8. The “Code with Pope” program will be available in different languages and will reach kids in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia.
Go to answers ⇩

Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. What is the name of the new project that Pope Francis is supporting, and what is its main goal?
2. Who is leading the “Code with Pope” project and what is his nationality?
3. Why is learning to code considered really important in today’s job market?
4. How many hours of coding instruction does the project aim to provide to the kids?
5. What action did Pope Francis take in 2019 that shows his interest in coding for kids?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What is the name of the new project that Pope Francis is supporting?
The new project is called “Code with Pope.”

2. Who is leading the “Code with Pope” project and what is his background?
Miron Mironiuk, a 33-year-old tech entrepreneur from Poland, is leading the project.

3. What age group is the “Code with Pope” project designed for?
The project is designed for kids aged 11-15.

4. What coding language will the kids learn in the “Code with Pope” program?
The kids will learn the basics of Python.

5. How many hours of coding instruction are provided in the “Code with Pope” course?
There are 60 hours of coding instruction provided in the course.

6. Why is it important for kids to learn how to code, according to the article?
Learning to code is important because technology jobs are growing fast, and there is a shortage of people with tech skills, which could lead to many unfilled jobs by 2030.

7. In which regions of the world will the “Code with Pope” program be available?
The program will be available in Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

8. What previous experience does Pope Francis have with supporting coding for kids?
In 2019, Pope Francis helped write a line of code for a UN project.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) project
(2) entrepreneur
(3) Miron
(4) coding
(5) world
(6) knowing
(7) means
(8) Catholic
(9) learn
(10) available
(11) America
(12) Africa
(13) interest
(14) getting
(15) support
(16) expert
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. project
Answer: (b) A plan or scheme

2. code
Answer: (f) Instructions for a computer

3. entrepreneur
Answer: (e) A person who starts a business

4. Python
Answer: (g) A type of computer programming language

5. technology
Answer: (c) The use of scientific knowledge for practical purposes

6. industry
Answer: (h) All the businesses involved in a particular type of product

7. Vatican
Answer: (d) The headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church

8. certificate
Answer: (a) A document that proves something has been achieved
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. Who is leading the “Code with Pope” project?
Answer: (a) Miron Mironiuk

2. What age group is the “Code with Pope” project aimed at?
Answer: (b) 11-15

3. Which coding language is the project aiming to teach kids?
Answer: (b) Python

4. In which regions will the “Code with Pope” project offer free online coding classes?
Answer: (d) Europe, Africa, and Latin America

5. Why is knowing how to code important in today’s world?
Answer: (a) Jobs in technology are expected to grow quickly

6. What is Miron Mironiuk’s goal for the “Code with Pope” project?
Answer: (c) Help his country’s tech industry grow

7. In which year did Pope Francis help write a line of code for a UN project?
Answer: (c) 2019

8. What does Mironiuk hope to achieve by meeting the Pope at the Vatican?
Answer: (d) Get more kids involved in the program
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. In 2019, Pope Francis refused to help write a line of code for a UN project. (Answer: False)
2. The goal of the project is to teach kids the basics of Python, a popular coding language, in 60 hours. (Answer: True)
3. Pope Francis is opposing a project called “Code with Pope” to teach kids aged 11-15 how to code. (Answer: False)
4. Miron Mironiuk will meet the Pope at the Vatican and hopes that the Pope’s support will get more kids involved in the program. (Answer: True)
5. The project is led by a tech entrepreneur named Miron Mironiuk and offers free online coding classes in Europe, Africa, and Latin America. (Answer: True)
6. Miron Mironiuk, who is 33 years old and from Poland, wants to hinder his country’s tech industry growth and ensure kids in less wealthy countries do not have the chance to learn how to code. (Answer: False)
7. Jobs in technology are expected to decline quickly, and there are enough people with tech skills. (Answer: False)
8. The “Code with Pope” program will be available in different languages and will reach kids in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧