This Introduction to Python teacher’s guide contains detailed lesson plans to accompany the six sets of PowerPoint slides and worksheets.

The lessons are designed to form a strong base for ideas for the teacher and should be adapted to suit the teaching style and preferences of the individual teacher, and the resources and nature of the individual school or Computing / ICT department.

The material supplied for this unit includes:

• 6 PowerPoint presentations, each designed to cover one lesson
• 6 worksheets
• 6 homework sheets
• Python programs
• An end-of-unit assessment portfolio for assessment purposes

At the end of this Unit, all students should be able to:

• Run simple Python programs in Interactive and Script mode
• Write pseudocode to outline the steps in an algorithm prior to coding
• Write programs using different types of data (e.g. strings and integers)
• Correctly use different variable types (e.g. integer and floating point), assignment statements, arithmetic operators
• Distinguish between syntax and logic errors and be able to find and correct both types of error
• Describe the purpose of pseudocode in designing algorithms
• Use comments to document their programs and explain how they work
• Write an error-free, well-documented program involving sequence, selection and iteration, but with some help given.