Montana Middle School Computer Science: Four Ready Units for Grades 6–9
Montana Middle School Computer Science: Four Ready Units for Grades 6–9
A Montana middle school that needs computer science lessons without a trained CS teacher can begin with the Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle. For $69.99 you get four complete units: algorithms and computational thinking, programming with Python, binary and digital images, and how the internet works. Each has leveled worksheets, a reading text, a hands-on task, slides and full answer keys.
See the four CS unitsFor Montana Grades 6–9, the Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle ($69.99) is a practical first computer science course block. Its four units cover algorithms, Python, binary and digital images, and how the internet works, each with differentiated worksheets, a reading text, a deep-dive task, slides and answer keys. It is written for teachers who have never taught coding. It is not aligned to the Montana Content Standards for Computer Science, and no software is included.
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
Who actually teaches CS in a Montana middle school
Montana has had its own Montana Content Standards for Computer Science since they were approved in November 2020 and implemented on July 1, 2021. A separate set of Technology Integration standards took effect on the same date, as did the state's Career and Technical Education standards. So the expectations exist. The harder question in many buildings is who teaches the class. The Office of Public Instruction's shortage report names many schools as impacted, including schools on reservations and schools a long drive from the bigger towns, and those schools fill positions with provisional certificates, emergency authorizations and retired teachers coming back. In practice, middle school computer science often lands with the math teacher, the librarian or whoever runs the computer lab, and that person may never have written a line of code. Some districts also run a four-day school week, which shortens the time for an elective. What such a teacher needs is plain: units that explain the concepts in student-friendly text, tasks at more than one level for a mixed class, slides so the lesson can be taught from the front, and answer keys so nobody has to work out the Python by trial and error the night before.
Why it fits
Why these four units suit that teacher
The bundle was built for a first computer science class. These features matter most in a Montana setting.
- Algorithms and Computational Thinking starts without computers, useful where lab time or devices are limited.
- The Python unit begins with print, variables and input, written for students brand new to coding.
- Worksheets on four levels let one teacher serve beginners and confident students in the same room.
- A detailed reading text per unit explains each concept, so a non-specialist teacher can prepare quickly.
- Full answer keys with a marking guide help when the teacher is learning the material alongside students.
- Ready slides for each whole unit let a substitute or returning teacher teach from the front.
Getting started
A suggested order for one semester
The four units can run as a semester elective or spread across a year. Here is one order that builds sensibly; adapt it to your schedule.
- Check your local expectations firstRead the Montana Content Standards for Computer Science and ask your district what it expects for Grades 6–8. Note which of the four units fit and where you will need more.
- Open with algorithms on paperTeach Algorithms and Computational Thinking first. Students learn to break problems into steps before touching a keyboard, which helps if your lab is shared or devices are short.
- Move to binary and digital imagesData and Encoding shows how computers store numbers and pictures. It gives students a concrete picture of what a computer actually does with the instructions they write.
- Teach Python on school devicesUse whatever Python setup your school already has. Work through print, variables and input, then if statements and loops, and finish with the unit's mini-project.
- Finish with how the internet worksEnd with How the Internet Works so students connect their code to networks they use every day. The deep-dive task makes a reasonable end-of-semester project.
What to buy
Choosing a CS set for your school
For a first middle school computer science block, the Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle is the best fit at $69.99, against $99.96 for the four units bought separately. If your class leans toward online safety and AI, the AI & Cybersecurity Units Bundle ($89.99, six units, parts $149.94) covers how AI works, prompting, phishing, data protection and encryption. The Computer Science Activities Bundle ($119.99, Grades 7–10) combines ten units and 30 lessons across both areas. If you only want to try coding with one class, the Programming with Python unit costs $24.99 on its own.
Honest limits
Limits worth knowing
Nothing in the bundle is written for Montana, and it carries no Montana standards codes. Check the units against the Montana Content Standards for Computer Science and your district's expectations yourself. Whether Montana or your district counts any course toward graduation is a question for your district; this bundle makes no such claim. No software, accounts, laptops or coding platforms are included, so you use the devices and Python setup your school has. The licence covers your own teaching; for team use, send a short message first. If it is not a fit, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to the Montana Content Standards for Computer Science?
No. The bundle is not aligned to, approved by or endorsed by the Montana Office of Public Instruction or the Board of Public Education. It covers common middle school CS topics. Read the standards your district uses, compare them with the four units, and decide for yourself what you still need to add.
I have never taught coding. Can I really teach the Python unit?
The Python unit is written for students brand new to coding, and that helps teachers who are new to it too. It starts with print, variables and input, then if statements and loops, with a reading text, slides and full answer keys. Try each task yourself before class so you know where students may get stuck.
What do we need besides the downloads?
Devices for the Python unit and whatever Python setup your school already uses. The bundle does not include software, accounts or a coding platform. The algorithms unit and much of the binary unit can be taught on paper, which helps when lab time is limited or shared with other classes.
Can I teach a mixed class of Grades 6 to 8 with it?
Yes. Every unit has differentiated worksheets on four levels: Basic, Standard, Plus and Project. Younger or newer students work at Basic, while confident ones take the Plus or Project tasks. That makes one combined elective workable for a single teacher in a small Montana school.
Does this count toward a graduation requirement?
This is a middle school set, and the bundle makes no claim about any Montana graduation or course requirement. If your school is planning a computer science pathway into high school, ask your district or the Office of Public Instruction how courses are counted, and use these units as groundwork.
When do I get the files?
Immediately after purchase. The download link arrives by email, and the files also sit in your customer account under Orders. You can print the worksheets or project the slides in class, and use them on whatever devices your school already has for digital work, even on the first day.
Get your first CS units ready
Open the product page to see each unit's contents and plan where they fit your Montana schedule.
See the four CS units