Sample Lesson Plan
Time: 45 mins
Overview: Lesson introduces students to Booleans, Boolean operators and conditionals using a flowchart activity and short coding exercises.
Objective: Understanding True and False, combining True and False, and how computers make decisions using conditional statements and relating it to everyday decisions humans make every day.
Materials: Creative Coding in Python—Big Ideas: Pages 56, 59, 61.
Vocabulary: Booleans, Boolean Operators and Conditionals
introduction (10 mins)
Engage
Throw out a few facts—ask students to tell if they are True or False.
See Page 56 in book for ideas for this activity. Tell them that True and False are called Booleans.
Student Activity
Why are they called Booleans?
Scavenger hunt—have students find answer in the book (hint, page 56 ) or use Google to search.
Discussion
Why do we need Booleans? What do we need them for? Used in conditionals. Use flowchart on Page 57 to demonstrate this.
We can add and subtract numbers. Can we add True and False—discussion on Boolean Operators Page 59.
Coding Activity
Enter Python code into the shell to demonstrate these ideas, Page 58, 60.
We make decisions in our lives each day and so can computers. Give example of a conditional we use everyday, see example of making a decision for breakfast in the book on Page 61.
Student Unplugged activity (10 mins)
Design an algorithm using a flowchart that uses a conditional—showing a decision you make every day.
Write out a flowchart for a decision we could add to the ChatBot from Chapter 1 Project to make it better. Trade flowcharts with another student to see if they understand them.
Student plugged activity (10 mins)
Explain or read along on how Python does conditionals. Get students to enter examples from Page 62.
Experiment Coding time (10 mins)
Continue to experiment with snippets of code by extending the previous example or adding conditionals to the Chat Bot project.
Closure
Do a short assessment/ Exit Ticket—Ask students to answer what the computer prints at the end of the Python code for a ‘tuesday’ (on page 62) that uses conditionals.
For more help in the classroom view
Teacher Guide Sample Curriculum Sample Pacing Guide Sample Lesson Plan