Grade & subject
Designed for grades 2–8. Supports AI learning by building the computational-thinking foundation AI is built on.
Is this right for my class?
Time & prerequisites
Flexible. Mix and match across a few sessions. No prior coding experience needed.
Devices & internet
Partly. The "Robot You!" game and cheat sheets are screen-free. Blockly and Python practice need devices.
What students will learn
Essential question: What does it mean to give a computer clear, step-by-step instructions - and why does being exact matter?
By the end, students can
- Explain that code is a precise set of step-by-step instructions.
- Give clear, exact directions in the unplugged "Robot You!" game.
- Build a simple program with Blockly's drag-and-drop blocks.
- Recognize that programming languages (like Python) have their own grammar.
- Practice reading and writing a first line of Python.
Big idea
Computers do exactly what you say. Coding is the skill of giving clear, ordered instructions - the same precision that powers the AI students are learning about.
Prepare & materials
Required (works offline)
- Printed cheat sheets (Intro to Coding, Python).
- Open space for the unplugged "Robot You!" game.
- The Cece coding story.
Prep time: about 10 minutes to print the cheat sheets and worksheet.
Optional (needs devices)
- Devices with Blockly for the drag-and-drop activity.
- Devices for the Python worksheet practice.
Suggested teaching flow
This unit is a set of activities rather than a scripted agenda. Here is a suggested way to teach it.
- Play "Robot You!" (unplugged) - one student is the robot; others give exact directions. Precise steps win.
- Intro to Blockly - build a simple program by snapping blocks together.
- Meet a programming language - use the cheat sheets to see how Python says "Hello!"
- Practice with Python - work through the Python worksheet.
- Read the Cece coding story to tie it together.
Assessment
Along the way (formative)
- Watching precision improve during "Robot You!"
- Checking Blockly programs run as intended.
At the end
The Python worksheet and a short share-out show what students can now read and write in code.
Open the Exit Ticket ↗Differentiate & extend
Support
- Start with very short instruction sequences in "Robot You!"
- Use the cheat sheets as a reference during practice.
- Pair students for Blockly and Python.
Stretch
- Extend the Blockly project with loops.
- Write a few more Python lines beyond the worksheet.
What's included
Download everything at once, or grab the pieces you need. All files are PDFs.
- Intro to Blockly - the unplugged "Robot You!" intro and Blockly steps. Open ↗
- Blockly instructions - step-by-step Blockly guide. Open ↗
- Block coding - block-coding activity. Open ↗
- Intro to Coding cheat sheet - programming-language basics. Open ↗
- Python cheat sheet - a Python quick reference. Open ↗
- Intro to AI cheat sheet - AI vocabulary reference. Open ↗
- Python worksheet - hands-on Python practice. Open ↗
- Cece story - "Cece and the Curious Case of Code Crunching." Open ↗
Good to know
This coding pack does not include a formal standards map yet. Grade band: 2–8. Use it to build computational-thinking skills alongside the AI lessons.