Arizona Four-Day Week Schools: A Grades 6–9 Coding Elective for Long Blocks
Arizona Four-Day Week Schools: A Grades 6–9 Coding Elective for Long Blocks
A long elective block in an Arizona four-day school is enough time to teach real coding, if the lessons are already built. The Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle gives Grades 6–9 teachers four units, on algorithms, Python, binary and how the internet works, each with leveled worksheets, a reading text, a hands-on task, slides and full answer keys.
Look inside the coding unitsFor a Grades 6–9 elective in an Arizona four-day school, the Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle ($69.99) gives you four ready units: Algorithms and Computational Thinking, Programming with Python, Data and Encoding with binary and digital images, and How the Internet Works. Each has worksheets on four levels, a reading text, a hands-on task, slides and answer keys with a marking guide. It is not written for Arizona's standards and includes no software or devices.
The resources
Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle, Grades 6–9
4 resources in one download: $69.99 instead of $99.96 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle | Algorithms, Python, Binary & How the Internet Works | 4 Units | Grades 6–9
AI & Cybersecurity Units Bundle | How AI Works, Prompting, Phishing, Encryption & Data Privacy | 6 Units | Grades 6–9
Computer Science Activities Bundle | Artificial Intelligence, Python Programming, Cybersecurity & Digital Literacy | Middle School Grades 7–10
Programming with Python – Computer Science Unit (Grades 6–9)
The real problem
Why electives get harder, and easier, on four days
Casa Grande Elementary School District moved to four-day weeks in 2022 to help recruit and keep teachers, and it is one Arizona example of the schedule. Four longer days change how electives work. A 45-minute coding class barely gets everyone logged in and started before the bell; a long block gives time to explain an idea, try it, get it wrong, fix it and talk about why. The catch is that a long block is also long for a twelve-year-old staring at code that will not run, so the lesson needs a rhythm of reading, unplugged thinking, hands-on work and checking. The other difficulty is who teaches it. A middle school elective can land with whoever has a free period, and that person may never have written a line of Python. Arizona also issues an Emergency Teaching Certificate, which requires a bachelor's degree and a superintendent's request verifying an emergency, lasts one school year and is valid only in the requesting district, so some elective teachers may be new to the classroom itself. Anyone new to the subject, or to teaching, needs units that explain the content to them as well as to the students, with answers ready when a student asks why the loop never stops.
Why it fits
How the four units fill a long elective block
Each unit uses the same parts, so a long block can move from reading to practice to a hands-on task without extra planning.
- Algorithms and Computational Thinking builds step-by-step problem solving before students write any code.
- Programming with Python moves from print, variables and input to if statements, loops and a mini-project.
- The Python unit is described as working for students brand new to coding and for confident ones.
- Worksheets on four levels let one long block serve beginners and fast finishers at the same time.
- Binary and digital images, and How the Internet Works, explain what happens inside the devices students use.
- Full answer keys with a marking guide help a teacher who is new to computer science grade with confidence.
Getting started
A suggested semester for a four-day elective
Here is one possible order. Change it to fit how many blocks your elective gets and what devices your school already has.
- Open with algorithmsBegin with Algorithms and Computational Thinking. Students learn to break problems into steps before they type anything, and you get time to sort out logins and devices.
- Explain how computers store dataTeach Data and Encoding next. Binary and digital images make an abstract idea concrete, and the hands-on task suits the second half of a long block.
- Spend the longest stretch on PythonGive Programming with Python the most blocks. Use the Basic and Standard worksheets for beginners and the Plus and Project levels for students who already code.
- Close the semester with the internetFinish with How the Internet Works, which ties earlier ideas together. Its reading text and worksheets also make it a sensible unit for weeks when the computer cart is booked elsewhere.
- Use answer keys in every blockLeave ten minutes at the end of each long block for checking with the answer keys and marking guide. Students see their mistakes before the three-day weekend.
What to buy
Choosing the right computer science bundle
Pick the Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle ($69.99, parts bought separately $99.96) for a first elective on coding and how computers work. For a second semester, the AI & Cybersecurity Units Bundle ($89.99, parts $149.94) adds six units on how AI works, prompting, filter bubbles, data protection, phishing and encryption. The Computer Science Activities Bundle ($119.99) offers 10 units and 30 lessons for Grades 7–10 across Python, AI, cybersecurity and networks, for a full elective course. If you only want to try coding with one class, Programming with Python is sold alone for $24.99.
Honest limits
What you still need to provide
This bundle is not written for Arizona and contains no Arizona computer science standards codes or state-specific content. Check the units against the Arizona standards and your school's elective requirements. No software, accounts, laptops or coding platform come with it; you use whatever devices and Python setup your school already has. You also handle printing. The licence covers your own classes; for a department or several schools, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If the bundle is not a fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this match Arizona's computer science standards?
It is not aligned to, endorsed by or approved for Arizona's computer science standards, or any other standards such as CSTA. It contains no Arizona-specific content. The four units cover algorithms, Python, binary and data, and how the internet works. Compare those topics with the standards your school uses for electives before you build the course.
I have never taught coding. Can I still use it?
That is the situation the bundle is meant for. Each unit has a detailed reading text, ready slides and full answer keys with a marking guide, and the Python unit is described as working for students brand new to coding. Work through the Python worksheets yourself before the semester so you know where students will get stuck.
Do students need laptops for every lesson?
Not necessarily for every lesson. The algorithms, binary and internet units rest on reading texts, worksheets and slides, so check each hands-on task for device needs. The Python unit needs whatever computers and Python setup your school already has; none are included. Talk to your tech staff early, since a long block without working devices is hard to fill.
How long does each unit take in a long block?
That depends on your block length, your students and how deep you go. A reasonable suggestion is a few long blocks for algorithms, binary and the internet, and more for Python, where practice takes time. Plan from the unit materials rather than a fixed number of weeks.
How do I get the units?
The bundle is a digital download. You receive a link by email right after purchase, and the files also appear in your customer account under Orders. Print the worksheets or use them in a digital classroom. Nothing ships, so the first unit can be ready for the next block.
Can two elective teachers at our school share it?
The licence covers your own teaching. If a colleague teaches another section of the elective, or the whole department wants it, send Teach Lessons a short message before buying to ask about team use. Please do not redistribute the files, resell them or post them where others can download them.
Turn the long block into a coding lab
Open the bundle page to see what each of the four units contains.
Look inside the coding units