CS0: Exploring Programming with Python

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Lead Instructor

CS0 is a light version of our CS1 course, designed to engage and excite future CS1 students. It includes 17 lessons and is designed for use in out-of-school programs, summer camps, and middle school or short high school course settings.

There are 4 units in the course, which guide students from the basics of drawing images to ultimately creating animations and making games. We firmly embrace learning-by-doing. Each set of notes contains interactive checkpoints throughout, and each lesson provides a variety of practice exercises. In addition, at the end of every unit, we offer optional challenge exercises that similarly reinforce what students have learned.

Course Schedule

Unit Name Hours
Week 1: Drawing with Shapes
1.1. Lesson 1 Getting Started
1.2. Lesson 2 Stars and Gradients
1.3. Lesson 3 Rectangles and Opacity
1.4. Lesson 4 More Shapes and Properties
1.5. Lesson 5 Unit 1 Project
Unit 1 Quiz
1.6. Creative Task 1
1.6. Collaborative Task 1
1.6. Creative Task 2
1.6. Collaborative Task 2
Week 2: Basic Animations
2.1. Lesson 6 Using the Mouse
2.2. Lesson 7 Animating With the Mouse
2.3. Lesson 8 Other Animations
2.4. Lesson 9 Unit 2 Project
Unit 2 Quiz
2.5. Creative Tasks 1
2.5. Collaborative Tasks 1
2.5. Creative Tasks 2
2.5. Collaborative Tasks 2
Week 3: Giving Programs Options
3.1. Lesson 10 Conditionals
3.2. Lesson 11 Using the Keyboard
3.3. Lesson 12 More Conditionals
3.4. Lesson 13 Shape Methods
3.5. Lesson 14 Unit 3 Project
Unit 3 Quiz
3.6. Creative Task 1
3.6. Collaborative Task 1
3.6. Creative Task 2
3.6. Collaborative Task 2
Week 4: Animating Lots of Shapes
4.1. Lesson 15 Groups
4.2. Lesson 16 Loops
4.3. Lesson 17 Space Invaders
Unit 4 Quiz
4.4. Creative Task 1
4.4. Collaborative Task 1
4.4. Creative Task 2
4.4. Collaborative Task 2
Demo Day

Course Slides