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Intro to Programming

Ninth graders learn what programming is — writing sets of instructions (code) in a programming language that a computer follows exactly — the foundation of every app, game, and website.

Grade 9Programming50 minutes1 class periodUse → Modify → CreateExplicit teaching4 StandardsCSTA
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Define a program.
  • ✓Explain a language.
  • ✓Know code runs in order.
  • ✓Read simple code.
Essential Question

Every app, game, and website is built from code — instructions a computer follows. What is a program, and how does programming work?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Intro to Programming Check

Project each item and have students answer about programming. The tool explains programs and languages.

💻 Understand programmingTry it
Answer each question about programming.
The Lesson · Use → Modify → Create (a coding progression with Unplugged practice)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — Built From Code

5 min

Every app and game is built from code — what is a program?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a line of code.
  • Ask what it does.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Predict.
2

Unplugged — Unplug It

11 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Write “instructions” for a task.
  • Follow them exactly.
  • Feel the idea.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Write it.
  • Follow it.
  • Feel it.
3

Use — Programming Check

15 min

Students use.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Intro to Programming Check.
  • Note languages.
  • Note order.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Explain.
4

Modify — Read Code

14 min

Students modify.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Read a short program.
  • Predict what it does.
  • Run it.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Read it.
  • Predict.
  • Run it.
5

Create — Create

5 min

Students conclude.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Define a program.
  • Name a language.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Define it.
  • Name one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards and ISTE Standards for Students.

CSTA
3A-AP-13

Create programs with instructions.

CSTA
3A-AP-16

Design and develop programs.

CSTA
3A-AP-17

Decompose problems into code.

ISTE
5

Computational Thinker.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Program/code cards.
  • Sentence frame: “A program ___.”
  • Use simple code examples.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with “code = instructions.”
  • Read one line.
  • Follow steps.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Write a first program.
  • Explain a syntax error.
  • Compare two languages.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 💻A coding tool
  • 💻Intro to Programming Check
  • 📋Code examples
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

programa set of code instructionscodeinstructions for a computerprogrammingwriting codelanguagea way to write codePythona popular languagesyntaxthe rules of a languagerunto make code workinstructionone step of code
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What is a program?
A set of instructions that tells a computer what to do.
QUESTION 2
What do programming languages let us do?
Write instructions in a way humans and computers can both work with.
QUESTION 3
In what order does a computer follow a program?
Exactly and in order.

Create: read some code.

Have students read a short program and predict what it does before running it. A printable programming sheet is in the Computer Science library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Intro to ProgrammingFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Intro to ProgrammingQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Intro to ProgrammingPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: code, instruction, language, program, programming, Python, run, syntax
  1. the rules of a language
  2. a way to write code
  3. one step of code
  4. to make code work
  5. a popular language
  6. a set of code instructions
  7. instructions for a computer
  8. writing code

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a program?
  2. What do programming languages let us do?
  3. In what order does a computer follow a program?
Answer key — Part A: 1) syntax · 2) language · 3) instruction · 4) run · 5) Python · 6) program · 7) code · 8) programming
Part B: 1) A set of instructions that tells a computer what to do. 2) Write instructions in a way humans and computers can both work with. 3) Exactly and in order.