Programming 101: Code, Communicate, Create (Python)

Key Objectives

Explain First, Always

Students are expected to explain their code using technical language—describing how it works, the logic behind it, and how they fixed any issues. They should be able to demo their project and clearly talk through key parts of their program.

Learn by Researching and Collaborating

Students are empowered to explore solutions by looking things up, experimenting, and learning from each other—just like real-world developers do. This cultivates independence and resourcefulness early on.

Creative Projects that Build Ownership

Guided and open-ended projects give students a sense of ownership. They grow from following examples to creating original work with pride and confidence—proving they can code on their own.

Unit 1 (Week 1-4): Core Foundations and Thinking Like a Programmer

Goal: Build foundational understanding of how code works and develop a problem-solving mindset.

• Students learn how computers represent and process data.

• Core Python concepts introduced: variables, input/output, conditionals, and loops.

• Activities focus on fun, interactive examples like Mad Libs, guessing games, and countdown timers to make abstract ideas concrete.

Unit 2 (Week 5-9): Building Power Tools

Goal: Equip students with programming structures to build more complex programs.

• Focus on working with strings, lists, loops, and functions.

• Emphasis on modular thinking: breaking problems into parts and organizing code into reusable functions.

• Collaborative exercises in pseudocode and structured thinking lead to early design skills.

Unit 3 (Week 10-14): Projects for Practice and Ownership

Goal: Transition from guided to independent work while deepening skills through creative projects.

• Students apply skills to a guided game project with AI extension.

• Move toward semi-guided and eventually self-guided projects, encouraging choice, creativity, and ownership.

• Final showcase celebrates their growth and reinforces peer learning and reflection.