Pennsylvania Middle School Computer Science: 4 Units for New CS Teachers
If you are starting a middle school computer science or technology class in Pennsylvania without a CS background, the Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle ($69.99) gives you four ready units for Grades 6–9: algorithms, Python, binary and digital images, and how the internet works. Each has leveled worksheets, a reading text, slides and full answer keys. No software comes with it.
Open the coding unitsThe Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle ($69.99) is four middle school computer science units: Algorithms and Computational Thinking, Programming with Python, Data and Encoding: Binary & Digital Images, and How the Internet Works. Every unit has worksheets on four levels, a reading text, a hands-on task, slides and answer keys with a marking guide. It suits Pennsylvania teachers new to CS, but it is not aligned to any state standards.
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
Teaching CS in Pennsylvania when the subject is new to you
In Pennsylvania, technology and engineering sit with science in the STEELS Standards (Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy and Sustainability), published through the Standards Aligned System. How a middle school turns that into a class is mostly a local decision. One building runs a computer science elective, another folds coding into a technology or STEM rotation, and a third asks the library or math teacher to cover digital literacy. Often the person assigned has never taught programming. That teacher has three problems at once. First, they need to understand the content well enough to explain it, which a ready reading text and answer key help with. Second, students arrive at very different levels: some have built games at home, others have never typed a line of code. Third, the class has to produce gradable work every week, beyond time spent at a screen. There is also a longer view. Pennsylvania delivers career and technical education through CTE centers organized under the Modernized Career Clusters Framework, and middle school is often where students first find out whether computing interests them. A clear, well-taught first unit matters more than a long list of topics.
Why it fits
Why these four units work for a first CS class
The bundle covers the basics a new CS class usually starts with, in a format you can teach on day one.
- Algorithms and computational thinking come first, so students learn to plan steps before writing any code.
- The Python unit starts with print, variables and input, then moves to if statements and loops.
- A Python mini-project gives you a finished product to grade instead of a screen of half-done code.
- The binary and digital images unit explains how computers store numbers and pictures as data.
- How the Internet Works gives students a clear model of the network they use every day.
- Four worksheet levels, Basic to Project, let beginners and experienced coders work on the same unit.
Getting started
A first semester plan for a teacher new to CS
A suggested sequence. Adjust the pacing to your schedule, whether you have a full semester or a short rotation.
- Read each unit before you teach itStart with the reading text and answer key yourself. The marking guide shows what a good answer looks like, which helps a great deal if computer science is new to you.
- Begin with algorithms, not codeTeach Algorithms and Computational Thinking first. Students practice breaking problems into steps and following instructions exactly, which makes the later move to Python far less frustrating for everyone in the room.
- Move to Python with your school's setupRun the Python unit on whatever devices and Python environment your school already provides. The bundle includes no software or accounts, so check access with your tech coordinator before the first lesson.
- Explain what happens behind the screenFollow with binary and digital images, then How the Internet Works. These units explain how data is stored and moved, and they work well with discussion even when devices are limited.
- Grade with the four levelsAssign Basic, Standard, Plus or Project worksheets by readiness. Use the marking guide to grade consistently, and keep the hands-on deep-dive tasks as end-of-unit work you can show families or administrators.
What to buy
Which CS set to buy first
For a first CS class, the Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle at $69.99 is the place to start; the four units cost $99.96 separately. If your course leans toward digital literacy and online safety, the AI & Cybersecurity Units Bundle ($89.99, parts $149.94) adds how AI works, prompting, recommendation algorithms, data protection, phishing and encryption. For Grades 7–10 and a longer elective, the Computer Science Activities Bundle ($119.99) holds 10 units and 30 lessons, including Python, AI and networks. If you only need coding, the Programming with Python unit costs $24.99 on its own.
Honest limits
Before you buy: what is not included
These units were not written for Pennsylvania and carry no standards codes, so compare them with the STEELS Standards and your district's course description yourself. No software, accounts, laptops or coding platforms come with the bundle; students use the devices and Python setup your school already has. Four units are a strong start, not a complete year. The license covers your own classes, and sharing with a team needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. If the units are not a fit, you can exchange them within 7 days for store credit of equal value, not cash.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned to Pennsylvania's STEELS Standards?
No. The bundle is not aligned to, endorsed by or approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and it does not carry standards codes. Pennsylvania publishes its technology and engineering expectations in the STEELS Standards through the Standards Aligned System. Read those and your district's course description, then decide which units fit where. The topics are common in middle school CS, but the match is yours to check.
I have never taught coding. Can I really teach the Python unit?
The unit is described as working for students brand new to coding and for confident ones, and it starts with print, variables and input before moving to if statements and loops. You get a reading text, slides and full answer keys, so you can prepare by working through the tasks yourself first. Expect to learn alongside your students the first time.
What do students need to run Python?
The bundle includes no software, accounts or coding platform. Use whatever Python setup your school already has on its computers, or ask your technology coordinator what is approved in your district. Much of the work in the other three units is reading, worksheets and discussion, which helps on days when devices are not available.
How long does the bundle last?
As a rough suggestion, four units fit a quarter-long rotation or the first half of a semester elective. Each unit has a reading text, leveled worksheets, a hands-on deep-dive task and slides for the whole unit. If you teach a full year, add the AI & Cybersecurity Units Bundle or the Computer Science Activities Bundle for the second half.
My class has strong coders and complete beginners. Will that work?
That is what the four worksheet levels are for. Beginners can work at the Basic level while confident students move to Plus or take on the Project level. Everyone covers the same topic, so whole-class discussion still works, and you grade with one marking guide instead of running two separate courses.
Can our STEM team share one purchase?
The license is for your own teaching. If several teachers in a STEM rotation will use the same units, send Teach Lessons a short message before buying and describe the setup. The files arrive as a digital download right after purchase, by email and in your customer account under Orders.
Start your CS class with four planned units
Open the product page to see each unit's parts, then check them against your school's devices and course description.
Open the coding units