Your First Middle School Computer Science Elective: Concepts and Python
If you have been handed a first computer science elective for middle school, start with four units: algorithms and computational thinking, programming with Python, binary and digital images, and how the internet works. The Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle gives you all four with leveled worksheets, slides and answer keys. Three of them teach concepts rather than code; for Python you use whatever devices and setup your school already has.
Start with the CS unitsThe Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle ($69.99, parts $99.96) contains Algorithms and Computational Thinking, Programming with Python, Data and Encoding: Binary & Digital Images, and How the Internet Works, for Grades 6–9. Each unit has worksheets on four levels, a reading text, a hands-on task, slides and full answer keys with a marking guide. No software, accounts or devices are included; you use what your school has.
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
What makes a brand-new CS elective hard to launch
A new computer science elective often lands on a teacher who has never taught coding. The course might be a quarter-long rotation or a semester, the room might have a full laptop cart or a few shared devices, and the class will include students who have built games at home next to students who have never opened a code editor. Starting with code on day one exposes all of that at once: devices that do not work, logins that fail, and a wide gap in what students already know. A steadier start teaches how computers think before asking students to type. Algorithms, binary and how data moves across the internet are the ideas everything else rests on, and they can be taught with reading, discussion and worksheets. Then, when Python begins, students already understand sequences, conditions and data. The teacher still needs differentiation, because the ability spread in a first elective is wide, and answer keys, because grading code and explanations takes time a new teacher does not have. That is the gap this set of units is meant to fill.
Why it fits
How the four units fit a first elective
The units move from ideas to code, with the same structure in each one, so students know what to expect.
- Algorithms and Computational Thinking introduces step-by-step problem solving before any typing is needed.
- Binary & Digital Images shows how computers store numbers and pictures, a natural follow-up to algorithms.
- How the Internet Works explains how data moves between devices, with a reading text and leveled worksheets.
- Programming with Python starts with print, variables and input, then if statements, loops and a mini-project.
- Worksheets on Basic, Standard, Plus and Project levels handle the mix of beginners and experienced students.
- Answer keys with a marking guide make grading manageable for a teacher new to the subject.
Getting started
A suggested sequence for a quarter or semester
Pacing depends on how long your elective runs, nine weeks or a full semester. This order puts concepts before code.
- Week one: algorithmsOpen with Algorithms and Computational Thinking. Problem solving in clear steps is the logic students will later write in Python, and starting with ideas rather than devices keeps the first week calm.
- Next: binary and imagesTeach Data and Encoding: Binary & Digital Images next. Seeing how numbers and pictures are stored as data gives students a concrete feel for how computers represent information.
- Then: how the internet worksUse How the Internet Works to explain how data travels between devices. It also gives you a little time to test devices, logins and your Python setup before coding begins.
- Start Python on your devicesBegin Programming with Python with print, variables and input. Set up Python on whatever computers or browser-based tools your school already allows; the unit does not include software.
- Finish with the mini-projectMove through if statements and loops, then the mini-project. Use the Project level worksheets to stretch confident students while others complete the Basic and Standard tasks.
What to buy
Pick the bundle that matches your course
For a first elective, the Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle ($69.99, parts $99.96) is the natural core. If your course has a digital literacy angle, add or swap in the AI & Cybersecurity Units Bundle ($89.99, parts $149.94) with how AI works, prompting, recommendation algorithms, data protection, phishing and encryption. Teachers who want a whole course from one set can look at the Computer Science Activities Bundle ($119.99, Grades 7–10), which has 10 units and 30 lessons across these topics. If only coding is missing from an existing course, Programming with Python is sold on its own for $24.99.
Honest limits
What you still need to sort out
No software, accounts, laptops or coding platform come with these units, so check with your tech staff which Python setup students can use. The units are not written for any state's computer science standards or for CSTA standards and contain no state-specific content; compare them with what your district expects for the elective. Four units may not fill a full semester at your pace, so plan extensions. The licence covers your own classes; if colleagues teaching the same elective want to use it, message Teach Lessons first. You can exchange it within 7 days for store credit if it is not a fit.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does this match our state's computer science standards?
The units are not aligned with, approved by or endorsed by any state, CSTA or district, and they contain no state-specific content. They cover four core topics for Grades 6–9. Look at your state's computer science standards and your district's course description, then decide which standards these units can support.
I have never taught coding. Is the Python unit manageable?
The bundle is meant for teachers starting a computer science class, including those who have never taught coding. The Python unit begins with first steps such as print, variables and input, and its description says it works for students brand new to coding as well as confident ones. Run through the code yourself before class.
Our devices are limited. Can we still teach this?
The units on algorithms, binary and the internet are about concepts rather than typing code, and their worksheets and reading texts are printable. Read each hands-on task in advance to see what it needs. The Python unit needs access to Python on some device; pair programming on shared machines is one way to stretch a small number of computers.
Which Python editor or platform should we use?
The unit does not include or require a particular platform. Use what your school already supports, for example Python installed on lab computers or a browser-based tool your district has approved. Check privacy and account rules with your tech staff before students sign up for anything.
Is this enough for a full semester?
That depends on your schedule and how long you spend on each task. Four units can fill a quarter-long rotation. For a semester you will probably want more topics; the AI & Cybersecurity Units Bundle is a logical second half, covering AI, prompting, data protection, phishing and encryption.
Can I share it with the other teacher who runs the elective?
The standard licence is for your own teaching. If a colleague also teaches the elective, send Teach Lessons a short message before sharing the files so team use can be arranged. Do not post the materials on a public site or shared drive outside that arrangement.
Plan your first nine weeks of CS
Open the bundle page to look at the four units and decide which device setup you need before the Python unit starts.
Start with the CS units