6-7 years old
Foundations through play
Session length: 45-60 min, 1-2x/week, 8 weeks
Goals
- Computational thinking: sequencing, patterns, simple debugging by trying again
- Python exposure via Turtle; focus on cause/effect and visual feedback
Tools
- Mu or Thonny (Beginner mode), or browser-based (Trinket/Replit) with
turtle
- Unplugged activities: arrows/cards for sequencing
Weekly outline
- Week 1: What is a program? Unplugged sequencing games; run first Turtle script
- Week 2: Turtle moves and turns; draw a square by repetition with copy/paste
- Week 3: Intro to loops with small numbers; draw a triangle/house
- Week 4: Colors and pen size; make a simple "art" scene
- Week 5: Basic inputs (choose color/size); save and run a program
- Week 6: Combine shapes into a picture (garden/robot)
- Week 7: Mini-project planning with paper storyboard
- Week 8: Showcase: "My Turtle Artwork"
Assessment
- Observation checklists: follows sequence, edits and reruns, identifies mistakes
Culminating project
- Personal art scene with 2+ shapes and color changes
8-9 years old
Intro Python with visuals
Session length: 60 min, 1-2x/week, 8 weeks
Goals
- Core concepts: commands, variables, loops, simple conditionals
- Creative output: drawings/mini-games
Tools
- Mu/Thonny or browser-based;
turtle, random
Weekly outline
- Week 1: Print and Turtle basics; coordinate plane intuition
- Week 2: Variables for color/length; inputs with
input()
- Week 3: Loops (
for with small ranges) to make polygons and patterns
- Week 4: Conditionals to branch behavior (if color is "red", do X)
- Week 5: Functions: make a
draw_star(size) and reuse
- Week 6: Randomization: fireworks/confetti patterns
- Week 7: Project build: "Interactive postcard" (greeting + drawing)
- Week 8: Demos and reflections; add a small enhancement
Assessment
- Short exit tasks (predict output), code reviews in pairs
Culminating project
- Interactive postcard or "pattern generator" using loops and functions
10-11 years old
Foundations + problem solving
Session length: 60-75 min, 1-2x/week, 8 weeks
Goals
- Core Python: types,
expressions,
conditionals, loops, functions
- Data: lists and basic list operations
- Projects: text games or simple graphics
Tools
- Thonny or VS Code (Python extension); libraries:
random, time,
turtle or Pygame Zero
Weekly outline
- Week 1: Variables, input/output, f-strings; mini-calculator
- Week 2: Conditionals; number guesser v1
- Week 3: Loops (
while, for), input validation; number guesser v2
- Week 4: Functions with parameters/returns; decompose a problem
- Week 5: Lists (append, index, len); random choice; word bank
- Week 6: Project choice: text adventure or quiz game (load questions in code)
- Week 7: Project build: features (lives, scoring, replay)
- Week 8: Polish: user help, error handling, code comments; showcase
Assessment
- Rubric: correctness, readability, decomposition, testing basic cases
Culminating project
- Text adventure or quiz game with scoring, replay, and 2+ functions
12+ years old
Pathways: software, data, or games
Session length: 75-90 min, 1-3x/week, 8 weeks (extendable to 12+)
Goals
- Professional habits: project structure, version control, testing basics
- Depth: data structures, files/JSON, APIs or visuals, depending on track
Tools
- VS Code, Git/GitHub, virtual environments; pytest (basic)
Common core (Weeks 1-4)
- Week 1: Python refresher; environment setup; CLI apps
- Week 2: Data structures (lists, dicts, sets), comprehension basics
- Week 3: Functions vs modules; packaging a small utility
- Week 4: Files, CSV/JSON read/write; simple error handling
Choose a track (Weeks 5-8)
Web/API track
- Week 5: HTTP and JSON; call a public API (
requests)
- Week 6: Build a tiny API with Flask/FastAPI (one GET route)
- Week 7: Add POST, validation; persist to JSON/CSV
- Week 8: Deploy locally; README and usage instructions
Data/viz track
- Week 5: Pandas dataframe basics
- Week 6: Clean and transform; groupby; derived columns
- Week 7: Visualize with Matplotlib/Seaborn; storytelling charts
- Week 8: Mini-report; export images/CSV; reproducible script
Games/interactive track
- Week 5: Pygame/Pygame Zero loop and sprites
- Week 6: Collisions, scoring, levels
- Week 7: Sound, start/end screens, difficulty
- Week 8: Packaging/run instructions; short trailer gif
Assessment
- Git history, issue-based planning, code review checklists, basic unit tests
Culminating project
- One-track capstone with README, run steps, screenshots/tests
