Tennessee Middle School Computer Science: Coding Units for New CS Teachers
Tennessee now expects every middle schooler entering in 2024-25 or later to take a computer science course of at least one grading period, and someone has to teach it, often for the first time. The Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle gives you four complete units for Grades 6–9: algorithms, Python, binary and digital images, and how the internet works.
See the 4 coding unitsThe Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle costs $69.99 (parts $99.96) and contains four Grades 6–9 units: Algorithms and Computational Thinking, Programming with Python, Data and Encoding: Binary & Digital Images, and How the Internet Works. Each unit has a detailed reading text, worksheets on four levels, a hands-on deep-dive task, slides for the whole unit and full answer keys with a marking guide. No software or devices are included, and it is not aligned with Tennessee's 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
A required grading period, and someone has to teach it
Tennessee's computer science push reaches every level. Elementary schools build CS content into regular instruction under T.C.A. § 49-1-232 and § 49-6-1010. Students entering middle school in 2024-25 or later take one CS course lasting at least one grading period. In high school, students entering 9th grade in 2024-25, the Class of 2028, need one CS credit for a regular diploma, and that credit can stand in for a fourth math or third lab science credit. The state's computer science standards have been in place since 2024-25. For a middle school, that means a CS course that cannot be skipped, and it may land with a teacher who has never written a line of code: a math teacher, a library media specialist, a career exploration teacher. A grading period is short. There is no time to learn a programming course first and then teach it. You need something that explains algorithms and Python in plain language, works on paper when the computer cart is booked, and gives you answer keys so you can grade code you did not write. You also want students to leave ready for the high school credit that comes next.
Why it fits
Why this set suits a first CS grading period
Four units fit a short course, and each one carries its own explanations and answers.
- Algorithms and Computational Thinking starts with step-by-step reasoning that needs no computer at all.
- Programming with Python moves from print, variables and input to if statements, loops and a mini-project.
- The Python unit is described as working for students brand new to coding and for confident ones.
- Binary & Digital Images shows how computers store pictures as numbers, a concrete hook for any class.
- How the Internet Works explains what happens between typing a web address and seeing a page.
- Worksheets on four levels and full answer keys let a new CS teacher run a mixed class with confidence.
Getting started
Four units across one grading period
This is one suggested way to pace the bundle in a single grading period. Adapt it to your schedule and your school's CS course description.
- Check the course against state standardsRead Tennessee's computer science standards for the middle grades and note which concepts each unit touches. The units carry no Tennessee codes, so that list becomes your own alignment record.
- Start with algorithms, unpluggedTeach Algorithms and Computational Thinking first. As an extra warm-up, have students write step-by-step instructions and test them on a partner, which builds the logic Python needs later.
- Teach binary before PythonUse Binary & Digital Images next. Turning pictures into ones and zeros is concrete and quick, and it makes the idea of data stored in variables easier to explain.
- Give Python the longest stretchSpend the most time on Programming with Python, ending with the mini-project. Students who finish early can take the Project-level worksheet, while others stay on Basic or Standard.
- Close with how the internet worksFinish with How the Internet Works as a lighter final unit, then point students toward the high school CS credit and what they can expect from it.
What to buy
Coding set, AI set, or both
For a Tennessee middle school CS grading period, the Coding & Computer Basics Units Bundle ($69.99, parts $99.96) covers the programming foundations. If your course needs AI and online safety too, add the AI & Cybersecurity Units Bundle ($89.99, parts $149.94) with six more units in the same format. A longer course for Grades 7–10 may suit the Computer Science Activities Bundle ($119.99), with ten units and 30 lessons. Only need Python? The Programming with Python unit is $24.99 on its own.
Honest limits
What you need to know first
These units were not written for Tennessee and are not aligned with the state's computer science standards, so check them against the standards and your school's course description before you rely on them for the required grading period. No software, laptops, accounts or coding platforms are included; for Python, use whatever setup your school already has. The licence covers your own teaching; for a team or several schools, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If the bundle does not fit, you can exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is this aligned with Tennessee's computer science standards?
No. The units are not aligned with, approved under or written for Tennessee's computer science standards, and they carry no Tennessee codes. Topics like algorithms, programming, data and networks are common in CS courses, but you need to compare each unit with the state standards and your school's course description yourself.
Can this be our whole required middle school CS course?
That is your school's decision, not something the product can promise. The rule as described calls for a CS course of at least one grading period for students entering middle school in 2024-25 or later. Check with your district what the course must include, then decide whether these four units, alone or with others, fit.
What do students need to run Python?
Nothing is included. The Python unit teaches print, variables, input, if statements and loops, and you use whatever Python setup your school already has, whether on school laptops or desktop computers. Several worksheet tasks can also be done on paper, which helps when devices are shared.
I have never programmed. Can I teach the Python unit?
Yes, if you prepare a little ahead. The reading text explains each step in plain language, the slides give you the explanation order, and the answer keys with a marking guide show you correct code and good answers. Working through each worksheet yourself the evening before is the best preparation.
Does it prepare students for the high school CS credit?
It gives them a start in algorithms, Python, data and networks, which helps later. It is not designed around the high school graduation credit and does not count toward it. Students entering 9th grade in 2024-25 or later need that credit in high school, through a course your district approves.
How are the files delivered?
As a digital download. A link arrives by email right after purchase, and the files remain in your customer account under Orders. You can print worksheets, show slides on screen and re-download any time you need the materials again. Team or school use is possible after a short message to Teach Lessons.
Run your first CS grading period with four ready units
Open the product page to see the four units and what each one includes.
See the 4 coding units