Quick Facts
Ages: 14–17
Grades: Rising ninth graders through rising 12th graders
Dates: June 16–June 20 (No programming on June 19, in observation of Juneteenth)
Time: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Location: Mies Campus
Format: Daytime
Duration: One week
Cost: $550
Topic Area
Coding
Program Description
This program is an ideal introduction to computer programming for high school students who have little to no prior coding experience. It focuses on teaching the fundamentals of programming using Python, a versatile and beginner-friendly language, through hands-on coding sessions and interactive projects. Students will learn about the core programming concepts such as variables, data types, control structures, functions, and basic algorithms.
Schedule
Note: Daily activities will include a warm-up activity, lessons, programs, Quizizz, or a Kahoot game (assessments).
Day 1: Students will set up software and receive an introduction to coding tools. They will learn the history behind Python, its basic syntax, and begin to write programs demonstrating and using their new skills. No Python experience is necessary. The focus will be on learning how to use the integrated development environment (IDE) to process a program as well as to learn Python fundamental concepts.
Day 2: Students will get an introduction to the comparison operators and how to use them to compare two values. They will learn how to use logical operators to combine multiple conditions, and they will write programs to demonstrate these new concepts.
Day 3: Students will be introduced to control flow. They will learn about the if-else statement, the ternary statement, for loop with range, and the while loop. Students will be introduced to the design phase of the software development life cycle (SDLC).
Day 4: Students will receive an introduction to functions in Python and how to define functions and reuse them in a program. They will also learn how to specify the default values for function parameters and how to use keyword arguments to make the function call more obvious. They will also be introduced to lists and dictionaries. Finally, students will write a program demonstrating all of the concepts that they learned during the week.
Example Activities
- A warm-up activity will be used to determine how much was retained from the previous day’s lesson. This will determine whether the group continues on to the next lesson or spends some time reviewing a concept.
- Program assignments that will be written in Python. The crucial part of learning any language is practice. Programs will help students to practice the concepts that they learn each day. They will be given many opportunities to practice writing code utilizing Python.
- Assessments will be given using Quizizz each day.
- A Kahoot will be used throughout the week to engage students and have fun, because learning should be fun.
How Students Will Benefit
- Students will learn to problem solve, apply logical thinking, and to effectively use resources. These are all skills necessary to be successful in college-level courses. They will also learn a language widely used in advanced computer science courses in artificial intelligence, data science, and robotics.
- Students will develop their communication skills and learn the design phase of the software development life cycle to create algorithms and increase their logical thinking.
- Computers are being utilized in most careers. Most colleges now require students to learn a programming language, and students will be more successful in college-level courses if they have prior experience.
Eligibility and Program Requirements
No prior experience necessary!