Substitute Lesson Plan: Hour of Code — Write Your First Computer Program

Objective

Students will be able to:

• Define "coding" and "computer science"
• Identify key computer science vocabulary (code, debugging, program)
• Identify places to go to continue learning computer science and coding

Materials

• "Hour of Code Activity Pack" — Lesson 1: Write Your First Computer Program
• Computers/devices with the tutorial pulled up (one per student or per pair)
• Printed Exit Ticket slips (one per student)
• Printed certificates (one per student, with names if possible)

Warm-up (~5 min)

1. Welcome students and say: "Today we're going to spend one hour learning to code. Has anyone here heard the term 'code' before? What does it mean?"
2. Let a few students share ideas (they may say things like "a secret message" or "something related to computers").
3. Explain: In computer science, "code" means a set of instructions that a computer can understand.
4. Introduce the three vocabulary words students will use today:
5. Coding – to write instructions for a computer
6. Programming – writing code/instructions (today, using blocks on the computer)
7. Debugging – checking code for mistakes and fixing errors
8. Keep this brief — jump into the activity quickly so students can start having fun.

Main Activity (~25 min)

1. Have students open the Write Your First Computer Program tutorial (have the first level already pulled up on screens if possible).
2. Organize students based on age/group size:
3. Younger students: Break into pairs or small groups (3–4 students) to work together using pair programming.
4. If pair programming: One student ("1") controls the mouse/keyboard; the other ("2") suggests ideas, points out errors, and asks questions. Switch roles every 5 minutes.
5. Before starting, explain the basic commands the character can do: move forward, turn right, turn left.
6. Let students work through the tutorial's puzzles at their own pace, coding step-by-step instructions and debugging when their code doesn't work as expected.
7. Circulate around the room to encourage students, but let them problem-solve independently as much as possible — this is where the real learning happens.
8. If a student or group finishes early, they may explore another tutorial listed in the activity pack (e.g., Code with Anna and Elsa, Make a Flappy Game) — see "If Time Remains" below.

Wrap-up / Exit Ticket (~10 min)

1. Assessment (2 min): Hand each student an Exit Ticket. Ask them to draw, write, or otherwise express what they learned today, how they felt, or what they experienced during the activity. Collect tickets as students finish.
2. Debrief (part of Wrap Up): Ask students to reflect aloud:
3. What did you learn about coding?
4. What did you learn about programming?
5. What did you learn about debugging?
6. How do you feel about computer science and code after this hour?
7. Celebrate: Explain that today they joined millions of other students worldwide completing an Hour of Code. Congratulate them on being part of this global movement.
8. Hand out certificates to each student.
9. Next Steps: Let students know they can continue coding at home or in class by visiting code.org/learn for more activities.

If Time Remains

If a group or individual finishes the main tutorial early, let them choose another tutorial from the activity pack to try, such as:

• Code with Anna and Elsa (drawing with code, geometry-based)
• Make a Flappy Game (build a simple game with block code)

Students can work independently or in pairs, applying the same coding, programming, and debugging skills practiced during the main activity.