Here are a set of Python projects that I used for teaching a coding club at my local primary school.
I wrote python3_intro as a preliminary introduction before diving in to the other projects. We all went through these together to get the hang of using the python shell and the editor. After that we did lesson1.pdf - lesson4.pdf from CodeClub.org (not reproduced here) which all used Python focussed on turtle graphics - finishing up with a nice fractal-drawing program. What's included here is my week-by-week attempt to dream up a new project.
My students were Yr4, 5 & 6. Very enthusiastic. They greatly enjoyed the Turtle projects (so much so that I though about developing some more projects using Turtle graphics). In general it took them between 1 and 2 sessions to do a project, which meant that some progressed through more quickly than others. I tried to slow them down my adding "extras" at the end of the projects that I created.
I think that it's important to provide hard-copy printout of the project work-sheet. I started each session with a recap of what we'd learned and some background on the new project. However, each work-sheet aims to be self-contained and complete - you could simply type in the code exactly as shown in the work-sheet.
This is the sequence in which I used them:
- my_cc_proj_0_python3_intro -- we went through this together and tried out some of the examples.
- lesson1.pdf -- Turtle Power (from CodeClub.org)
- lesson2.pdf -- Teaching Turtles (from CodeClub.org)
- lesson3.pdf -- Secret Codes (from CodeClub.org)
- lesson4.pdf -- Turtles all the way down (from CodeClub.org)
- my_cc_proj_1_tables -- times table trainer.
- my_cc_proj_2_birds_on_a_wire -- random packing on a line.
- my_cc_proj_3_igpay_atinlay -- pig latin
- my_cc_proj_4_curiouser_and_curiouser -- processing text
- my_cc_proj_8_monty_hall -- statistical modelling
- my_cc_proj_9_turtle -- a Turtle graphics crib-sheet but with no structured project
- my_cc_proj_11_adventure -- data-driven programing. For this you need to provide the students with the included file "RPG.py"
- my_cc_proj_999_at_home -- an end-of-term handout I used to encourage the students to do some programming at home
For each of my projects there is a directory containing:
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a .pdf file. This is the handout to the students. The more recent code-club material seems to be orientated to being viewed on a screen and having the code "cut" and then "pasted" into the IDLE editor. I don't like that approach for two reasons. Firstly, I think that typing the code in, making mistakes, spotting and fixing them is an essential part of learning to program. Second, the student will have the Python shell, the IDLE editor and the Turtle window all open and there tends not to be enough screen space to have the learning material on display as well. Of course, it's a pain having to print them out. For my code club I ended up printing them myself at home because the school kept saying they'd do it but didn't.
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an .odt file. This is the libreoffice (http://www.libreoffice.org) document from which the .pdf was generated. You'll only need this if you want to modify anything
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several .py files. These are the set of programs that evolve towards the final solution. This is the code that I wrote for the project and which I then "pasted" into the handout. You don't need these because you can type in all the code yourself. Likewise, you should not provide this to the students becasue (in my opinion) typing in the code is an essential part of the learning process.
In addition:
- for curiouser_and_curiouser there are project gutenberg (http:/www.gutenberg.org) texts of Alice In Wonderland and Les Miserables which you need to make available on a shared drive
- for adventure there is a file RPG.py which you need to make available on a shared drive - this is the starting point for the project
- for adventure there is also a subdirectory containing a Python implementation of Colossal Cave Adventure. You might like to make this available on a shared drive; the handouts explain how to run it.
All of these examples assume use of Python3 so I hope that is what you have installed. If you are using Python2 some may work and some will not. If you want to use them with Python2 let me know and I will see if I can make Python2 versions of them projects.
In the school where I ran the code club, there was a foolish firewall setting on the machines which prevented IDLE from working correctly unless the students were logged in using a (more privileged) supply teacher login account. The problem showed itself as an error message when trying to run IDLE (an error message about not being able to open a "socket" which the the mechanism that IDLE uses to communicate between the python shell and the editor window). There is a work-around for this problem so if it affects you let me know and I will write up the work-around.
If you work through each of these projects you should be in a good position to support your students in doing the same. My experience was that most of the students dived straight to typing in the code fragments and only read the explanatory text when strictly necessary - so I tended to start the club with 5 minutes chat in front of the white-board. For example, for the secret codes I wrote up a coded message on the board and worked with the students to try to crack it.
I'll be interested in any constructive feedback on any of the projects. If you find them useful I could even be persuaded to develop some more (I have a list of ideas and several part-finished projects).
Part-finished projects (not included here)
my_cc_proj_5 - noughts and crosses
my_cc_proj_6 - draw a maze
my_cc_proj_7 - creative writing
my_cc_proj_10 - paint
my_cc_proj_11 - square