Activities
Lead an Hour of Code or another classroom activity to inspire students, expose them to computer science, or deepen their understanding. View activities by grade level:
Lead an Hour of Code or another classroom activity to inspire students, expose them to computer science, or deepen their understanding. View activities by grade level:
Plan Your Activity
Plan Your Activity
- Select a curated activity from the grade level pages, or explore more activities at csedweek.com.
- Use this lesson plan outline to help you plan.
- Read these teaching tips for introducing CS.
- If students finish early, ask them to complete another activity or help their classmates.
- At the end of class, celebrate and reflect! (You can use this exit slip.) Have students showcase their work.
- If you want to make certificates for students, visit the Certificates page. It’s fast and easy!
When Your Students Come Across Difficulties
When Your Students Come Across Difficulties
- Preempt frustration by explaining that CS is challenging and students should expect errors (“bugs”). Brainstorm tips for debugging. See a list here.
- Tell students, “Ask 3, then me.” Prompt them ask three peers, before asking an adult.
- Encourage students and offer positive reinforcement: “You’re doing great, so keep trying.”
- It’s okay to say, “I don’t know. Let’s figure it out together.”
Devices
Devices
- Consider what devices you will have. Some activities do not work on tablets.
- Many of the curated activities require no devices at all!
- It’s perfectly fine, even encouraged, to have pairs of students share a computing device. We call this pair programming. (See more information.)
- You may want to provide headphones or ask students to bring their own.
inspire
inspire
- Explain what computer science (CS) is and why it matters.
- One definition: “computer science is using the power of computers to solve big problems”
- See this page for more information and a great video.
- Show videos illustrating the relevance and inclusive nature of computer science.
- See tips for getting girls interested in CS here.