Indiana Middle School Computer Science: First Coding Units for New Teachers
Indiana Middle School Computer Science: First Coding Units for New Teachers
If you are an Indiana middle school teacher asked to teach computer science for the first time, the Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle gives you four ready units: algorithms and computational thinking, first steps in Python, binary and digital images, and how the internet works. Each comes with a reading text, leveled worksheets, slides and answer keys, so you can teach topics you are still learning yourself.
See the coding basics unitsThe Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle ($69.99, Grades 6–9) includes Algorithms and Computational Thinking, Programming with Python, Data and Encoding: Binary & Digital Images, and How the Internet Works. Each unit has worksheets on four levels, a detailed reading text, a hands-on task, slides and full answer keys with a marking guide. It suits teachers who have never taught coding. It is not written for Indiana's computer science standards and includes no software.
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
Indiana requires CS in every school; who teaches it varies
Computer science has been on Indiana's books for years. Senate Enrolled Act 172, passed in 2018, required every school to incorporate computer science into its K–12 curriculum. The state now has 2023 Grades K–8 Indiana Academic Standards in Computer Science, and IC 20-32-4-18 makes computer science a graduation requirement beginning with the class of 2029, which the Indiana Diploma rule lists as 1 credit in its base requirements. Middle school sits between those two pieces: students should arrive in high school with the basics, yet a middle school CS class can end up with whoever has room in the schedule, sometimes a teacher with no coding background at all. The first weeks are the hardest. You need to explain what an algorithm is without jargon, show what a variable does, and get students writing a first Python program, all while some students already code at home and others have never thought about how a computer works. You also need lessons that hold up when the device cart is booked or the network is down. A small set of foundational units, each with its own explanation for you and tasks at several levels for students, gives you a footing before you build anything larger.
Why it fits
How the four units cover the basics
The bundle stays with foundations, which is where a new middle school CS course has to begin.
- Algorithms and Computational Thinking teaches step-by-step problem solving before any code is written.
- Programming with Python covers print, variables, input, if statements and loops, ending in a mini-project.
- The Python unit is described as working for complete beginners and confident coders in one class.
- Data and Encoding: Binary & Digital Images shows how computers store numbers and pictures as bits.
- How the Internet Works explains what happens between typing an address and seeing a page.
- Worksheets on Basic, Standard, Plus and Project levels handle the gap between experienced and new students.
Getting started
A nine-week rotation outline
If your school runs CS as a quarter-long rotation, this is one suggested order.
- Weeks 1–2: algorithmsStart with Algorithms and Computational Thinking. Students describe everyday tasks as precise steps, which prepares them for code and works fine without devices on any given day.
- Weeks 3–5: Python first stepsTeach Programming with Python using whatever Python setup your school already provides. Students move from print and variables to input, conditions and loops, then build the mini-project.
- Week 6: binary and imagesUse Data and Encoding: Binary & Digital Images to show how text and pictures become numbers. The hands-on task works well as a paper activity if devices are unavailable.
- Weeks 7–8: the internetHow the Internet Works ties the course together: data travels as bits, follows instructions, and moves through networks. Use the Project level worksheet for students who finish early.
- Week 9: review and showcaseRevisit the Python mini-projects, use the answer keys and marking guides for final grades, and let each student present one thing they built or explained to the class.
What to buy
Picking a CS set for an Indiana middle school
The Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle at $69.99 is the place to start; the four units are $99.96 separately. To add AI and online safety, the AI & Cybersecurity Units Bundle ($89.99 instead of $149.94) brings six more units on how AI works, prompting, filter bubbles, data protection, phishing and encryption. For a longer course, the Computer Science Activities Bundle ($119.99, Grades 7–10) has ten topics in 30 lessons, including Python and networks. If you only need a first coding unit, Programming with Python is sold alone for $24.99.
Honest limits
What is not in the box
These units are not written for Indiana, carry no Indiana Academic Standards codes and are not a high school Computer Science credit course. Check them against the 2023 K–8 computer science standards and your school's plan. No software, accounts, coding platform or devices are included; students use whatever devices or Python setup your school already has. Four units are a foundation, not a full year. If colleagues want to use them, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If they are not a fit, you can exchange them within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Are these units aligned with Indiana's K–8 computer science standards?
No. The bundle is not aligned with, approved under or endorsed for the 2023 Indiana Academic Standards in Computer Science or any district plan. Its topics, such as algorithms, programming, data and networks, are common computer science foundations, but you confirm the match by reading the standards for your grades next to the unit descriptions.
Does this prepare students for the Indiana CS graduation credit?
It gives middle schoolers early experience with algorithms, Python, binary and the internet, which they can build on later. It does not count toward the high school Computer Science credit required from the class of 2029, and it was not written to prepare for any specific high school course.
I have never coded. Can I really teach Python?
The bundle is aimed at teachers in exactly that position. The Python unit starts with print, variables and input before moving to if statements and loops, and the reading text explains each idea. Work through the lessons yourself a week ahead, and use the answer keys to check your own understanding.
What do I need to run the Python lessons?
The product includes no software or coding platform. You use whatever Python setup or devices your school already provides, so check with your technology staff before the unit starts. Several parts of the other units, such as binary and algorithms, can be taught on paper.
Do students all work at the same level?
No. Every unit has worksheets on four levels: Basic, Standard, Plus and Project. You teach one lesson from the slides and give students the level that fits. The Project level gives experienced coders an open task while beginners work through more structured steps on the same topic.
Does Indiana require CS in middle school?
Senate Enrolled Act 172 (2018) required every school to incorporate computer science in its K–12 curriculum, and the state publishes K–8 computer science standards. How your school schedules CS in Grades 6–8 is a local decision, so ask your principal or district for the details.
Teach your first CS quarter with a plan in hand
Open the bundle page to see the four units, then line them up with your rotation.
See the coding basics units