Codecademy – Javascript or Python
Year(s): 5 or 6
Time: up to six 1 hour sessions
Activity Summary
Codecademy.com (pronounced ‘Code Academy’) is a website that teaches
students to code independently. This activity leads students through getting
started with Codecademy and gets them taking their own courses.
Resource Contents
Codecademy – Javascript or Python ............................................................................................... 1
Activity Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 1
Resource Contents ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Teacher Guide .................................................................................................................................... 2
Overview................................................................................................................................................................ 2
Lesson Plans ................................................................................................................................................. 3
Codecademy: Student Guide ........................................................................................................... 7
Teacher Guide
Codecademy.com is a great way to teach yourself and others how to code.
You can dive in straight away and try it out if you like, but we’ll focus on how to
use it to teach your students about HTML, Javascript and Python.
First, go to http://www.codecademy.com/schools/curriculum/ an enter your
school and email address. This will give you access to their Computing
Curriculum resources. Take a moment to see what’s there.
We’ve divided the resources into three sections: HTML, Javascript and Python.
This is a lot to cover, so you might want to choose one of Javascript or Python.
Each lesson is one hour long and you will ideally need a projector, and a
laptop or computer for each student. Each student should create their own
Codecademy account to save their progress.
Overview
Each lesson is a series of presentations, quizzes and activities, each lasting
around 10 minutes. Depending on your group, you may want to dispense of the
presentations and quizzes and focus on the activities (which in themselves will
teach them everything they need).
More advanced students may be given more freedom to work at their own
pace.
Most importantly, run through the presentations, quizzes and activities in
advance yourself – you only need to be one step ahead of the students!
Lesson Plans
Term 1: HTML and CSS
Start each lesson by going to:
www.codecademy.com/schools/curriculum/resources
All the presentations, quizzes and activities are linked from that page.
Lesson 1
Introduction to HTML
Begin with a summary of the Codecademy materials and the plan
to learn how to make real websites. (5 mins)
Run through the Introduction to HTML presentation and get the
students to do the quiz. When they have completed that (and
shown you their score) they can go back and click the
‘Codecademy Course’ link and then the Practice Set. (25 mins)
If anyone finishes they can start the next ‘Codecademy Course’
(Learning to use HTML)
You may only have time to complete the first half of this lesson,
especially if you have teething problems accessing or signing in to
the site.
Learning to use HTML
Again, run through the presentation and instruct them to do the
quiz and the activities. (30 minutes)
They can show you when they are finished, and can look ahead at
the next Course if they have time.
Lesson 2
HTML and Email
Now that the students are familiar with the structure of the lessons,
things should progress more quickly. As before, run through the
presentation, and they complete the quizzes and the Course.
History and Future of the Web
As before, complete the presentation, quizzes and Course, looking
ahead at HTML and Forms if there is time.
Lesson 3
HTML and Forms and Search Engine Optimization
Presentations, quizzes and Course (feel free to play with the format
if you like).
Lesson 4
Introduction to CSS and Learning to use CSS
Lesson 5
Separation of Concerns and 3 Ways to use CSS
Lesson 6
Utilities: Reusing Code and Launching your own website
Term 2: jQuery
jQuery is a simplified, but very powerful, form of Javascript. The concepts being
learned here are more complex, so take these lessons more slowly. The
structure is the same as before, however – run through the presentation,
answering any questions, and then they complete the activities.
Lesson 1
Introduction to jQuery
Lesson 2
Syntax and Structure
Lesson 3
Abstraction
Lesson 4
Events
Lesson 5
Identifying Events
Lesson 6
Tying it together
Lesson 7
(optional)
Effects
Term 3: Python
Python is another programming language, like Javascript. You can use it to
control websites or more complex applications.
The Codecademy Python materials have not been released yet – this resource
will be updated when they are.
Codecademy: Student Guide
Codecademy.com is a website where anyone can learn to code.
You are going to use this website to learn about how to create and control real
websites.
When your teacher tells you to, go to
www.codecademy.com
(make sure you spell it right!)
Create an account, and have a click around to see what you can do.
Then go to
http://www.codecademy.com/schools/curriculum/resources
and follow your teacher’s instructions.