Lesson 1.01: Set Up

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to...

  • Define and identify: IDE, Python
  • Identify the key concepts that will be covered in the course
  • Set up and log into an account for the course's online IDE, Cloud9
  • Save and turn in a file via the Cloud9 IDE

Materials/Preparation

  • Update the collaboration policy, IDE information, grading percentages, and general syllabus based on your preferences and your school's requirements
  • Create an account on Cloud9 and update the student Sign Up Guide with your username
  • Update the student Sign Up Guide with file naming and turn-in conventions for your course
  • Sign Up Guide: the IDE guide for students
  • Sign Up Guide Teachers: the IDE guide for teachers
  • Python Code: code to display and have students submit online

Pacing Guide

Duration Description
5 Minutes Do Now
15 Minutes Syllabus
10 Minutes Python/IDE Intro
25 Minutes Students Create Accounts & Submit Work

Instructor's Notes

  1. Do Now
    • Hand out syllabus for students to begin reading.
  2. Syllabus
    • Guide students through the syllabus, pausing for questions as needed.
    • Make sure to note the overarching goals for the course: create functioning Python programs, learn to use basic data types, and learn to use a text-based language.
    • Present demo of a program written in Python to hook students and to give them an idea of what they will be working with.
  3. Python/IDE Intro
    • Python
      • Python is a text-based programming language, uses tabbing/indentation to control execution, and is known for its readability.
      • Show Python Code. Ask students to write down at least 3 specific things they observe about the program/code.
        • Possible responses might include: indentation, different colors of text, using "print" instead of "say" (Snap).
        • Discuss what students observed.
    • IDE
      • Integrated Development Environment
      • An IDE is an application that allows you to create, edit, save, and run programs.
        • Point out that for this course we will be using an online IDE called Cloud9.
      • Note that with Python, we can't use drag and drop blocks anymore - it is a language that must be typed into an IDE.
      • Talk to students about the different areas and parts of the IDE, use the Python Code to demo once more how it looks/works.
  4. Students Create Accounts & Submit Work
    • Hand out the IDE Sign Up Guide. This explains to students how to sign up for the IDE, step-by-step. Make sure to update this with your account information so that the students share their accounts/work with the correct names.
    • Have students write their username and password on the paper and/or take a photo on their phones so that they remember for future classes.
    • Display Python Code and have students copy the code into a hello_world.py file and 'turn in' by submitting to you online. If you would like to have a class-wide convention for file name saving make sure to update it in the Sign Up Guide.
    • If students finish early, encourage them to explore the interface and to try creating a program that prints their name.