Unplugged coding lessons, K to 8th grade
Ten free lessons that teach what coding is really about (steps, repeats, if-then, variables, bugs, tests) with paper and people, and in 6th to 8th grade how to say exactly what you want from an AI and check what you get.
v0.1.0 Nothing here needs a computer, a sign-in or a child's name. Each lesson has a short list of steps in the order you teach them, questions to ask while the class works, a printable to cut or fill in, and a way to stretch it.
Kindergarten to 2nd grade
- The Human RobotHow do you tell a robot what to do, if it only does what you say? About 25 minutes.
- The Dance LoopIf you do the same thing again and again, can you say it just once? About 25 minutes.
- If-Then CardsWhat should happen when something happens? About 20 minutes.
- Find the Bug in the RecipeHow do you find the mistake in a set of steps? About 25 minutes.
3rd to 5th grade
- The Stair Robot: Loops with a CountHow do you say "do it this many times" and "do this or that" to a robot? About 40 minutes.
- The Scoreboard GameWhat does a game have to remember, and what makes it change? About 35 minutes.
- Break It into Parts, Then Break It on PurposeHow do you cut a big job into small jobs, and how do you check it works? About 40 minutes.
6th to 8th grade
- Read It, Run It, Say ItCan you read a program and know what it will do before it runs? About 45 minutes.
- Say It So Exactly That a Machine Gets ItHow do you describe a program so well that nobody has to guess? About 45 minutes.
- Test Plans, and Where AI Gets It WrongHow do you know a program is right, and why must you check what an AI gives you? About 45 minutes.
Why teach this when an AI can write the code?
An AI types the code, but a child still has to know what a loop, an if and a variable are to ask for the right thing, read what comes back and see that it is wrong. These lessons teach those ideas first, with plain words and paper, and the 6th to 8th grade lessons turn them into the new skills: writing a precise spec, testing, and checking an AI instead of trusting it.
On Peabody
- The Coding map: the same ideas by grade band, with the games and pages that practise each.
- Peabody Blocks: coding by tapping blocks, nothing typed.