Computer Science Lessons for Long-Term Substitutes
If you are covering a computer science class for weeks or months and the regular teacher left little behind, this bundle gives you 10 units and 30 lessons for Grades 7–10 with lesson plans, slides and printable worksheets. You can keep students learning real CS, from algorithms and binary to encryption and online safety, without having to reconstruct someone else's plans or code a lesson on the spot.
See the sub-ready lessons →Long-term substitutes covering computer science can use the Computer Science Activities Bundle ($119.99): 10 units and 30 lessons for Grades 7–10 with lesson plans, slides, printable worksheets, discussions and projects. Topics include algorithms, binary, cryptography, cybersecurity, data privacy, networks, Python, AI literacy and filter bubbles. Many lessons work on paper, so a sub does not need the absent teacher's platform logins. It is an instant digital download with no software included.
The resources
Computer Science Activities Bundle, Grades 7–10
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Computer Science Activities Bundle | Artificial Intelligence, Python Programming, Cybersecurity & Digital Literacy | Middle School Grades 7–10
AI Literacy & Cybersecurity Activities | Artificial Intelligence, Prompt Engineering & Online Safety | Grades 7–10
Digital Citizenship Activities | Cyberbullying, AI, Social Media & Media Literacy Lessons | Grades 7–10
Programming with Python – Computer Science Unit (Grades 6–9)
Teach-Life-Balance: The Complete Time-Saving Course for Teachers (incl. Planner, Guides & Templates)
The real problem
Walking into someone else's CS room
Long-term subs in computer science face a specific set of problems. The regular teacher may have used a coding platform with class accounts you cannot access, or left plans that end mid-unit with a note saying continue the project. Students know exactly where they were and notice quickly if you do not. You may not have taught CS before, and you may not know which devices work, which carts are charged or how the class logs in. Behavior can slip in the first days when students sense the routine has changed. The classroom teacher might return in six weeks or not at all this year, so you cannot plan too far ahead, but you also cannot coast on worksheets that have nothing to do with the course. Administrators want students to keep making progress and to have grades in the book. What a long-term sub needs is ready lessons that stand on their own, work without the missing teacher's accounts, and can either continue the course topic or start a clean new unit.
Why it fits
Why it helps a long-term sub
Self-contained units let you either pick up the course topic or start fresh without needing the absent teacher's setup.
- Printable lessons do not depend on the absent teacher's coding platform or class logins.
- Lesson plans and slides let you teach a topic you have not taught before with confidence.
- Three-lesson units can be finished during a cover period of uncertain length.
- A fresh unit like cryptography gives students a clear new start when old plans run out.
- Discussion activities on AI and data privacy help you build rapport with a class you just met.
- Worksheets and projects give you grades to enter when the school expects progress reports.
Getting started
Your first two weeks covering
A suggested approach for the start of a long-term placement. Adjust once you know the class.
- Find out where the class stoppedAsk students and any colleague what unit they were in. If it matches a bundle topic, continue there. If not, plan to start a new unit next week.
- Open with a discussion lessonRun a recommendation algorithms or data privacy discussion on day one. It needs no devices and lets you learn names and the class's dynamics. Students settle quickly.
- Start a fresh, paper-based unitCryptography or binary works well as a clean start. Students get a new topic with clear tasks, and you are not relying on the missing teacher's files.
- Check the devices quietlyBefore any coding, find out which computers and Python setup the school already has. Nothing is included in the bundle, so confirm it works first.
- Keep a simple recordNote which lessons you taught and save student work. If the regular teacher returns, they can see exactly what the class covered. Share it with the office.
What to buy
Whole bundle or a few units
If you expect to cover for more than a few weeks or the return date is unknown, the Computer Science Activities Bundle at $119.99 gives you enough material for a long placement. For a short cover of two or three weeks, one or two single units at $24.99 each, such as Cryptography or Data Protection and Cyber Safety, may be all you need. If the class you are covering is really digital citizenship, Digital Citizenship Activities ($69.99) may match it more closely.
Honest limits
What it cannot fix
It cannot recreate the absent teacher's exact plans or give you access to their platforms. No software, accounts or devices are included; coding runs on what the school already has. The license is for your own teaching, so if the regular teacher wants to keep using the files after returning, they would need their own copy or a short message to Teach Lessons about team use. Check the topics against school expectations. If it does not fit, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to the school's CS standards?
It makes no claim of alignment with CSTA, state or district standards and has no endorsement. It is written for Grades 7–10. If the school asks how your lessons connect to the course, compare the units to its requirements or ask the department for guidance.
The class was mid-project when I arrived. What now?
If you can see the project and it is manageable, finish it. If not, close it gently and start a fresh bundle unit. Students usually accept a clean new topic better than a half-understood continuation. Tell students briefly and clearly what is happening and why.
I have no CS background. Can I still teach this?
Yes. Each lesson has a plan and slides, and many units, such as cryptography, binary and data privacy, work through paper tasks and discussion. Read each lesson before you teach it and save Python for later if at all. Saying you will check and come back to a question is fine with students.
Can I leave the files for the regular teacher?
The license covers your own teaching and does not allow passing copies on. If the school or the returning teacher wants to keep using them, they should contact Teach Lessons about team use. Leaving a written record of what you taught is fine and helps the returning teacher continue smoothly.
How fast can I get started?
Right after purchase. The link arrives by email and in your account under Orders, so you can plan tonight for tomorrow's class. Read the first lesson's plan and slides, print the worksheet, and you are ready. That speed matters when a placement starts with little warning and no handover meeting.
What if the placement ends suddenly?
Three-lesson units help. You can usually finish the unit in progress within a few class periods, which leaves students with a complete topic rather than a loose end. Leave a short note on what was completed and which unit would logically come next, so whoever teaches the class afterward knows exactly where to start.
Keep the CS class moving
Ready lessons let you teach the subject, not just mind the room.
See the sub-ready lessons →