Lesson Plan 1.03: Script Mode and Variables

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to...

  • Define and identify: script, print, run, output, variable
  • Write a simple script and run it in the IDE
  • Print values out to the console (both composed values and from variables)
  • Compare script mode vs interactive mode
  • Know how to store a value into a variable

Materials/Preparation

  • Do Now
  • Cloud 9 Cheat Sheet
  • Lab - Printing & Variables
  • Associated Reading - section 1.2 of Book
  • Read through the Do Now, Lab, and lesson so that you are familiar with the requirements and can assist students.

Pacing Guide

Duration Description
5 Minutes Do Now
20 Minutes Printing Lesson/Lab Part 1
20 Minutes Variables Lesson/Lab Part 2
10 Minutes Debrief

Instructor's Notes

  1. Do Now
    • Project the Do Now on the board, circulate around the class to check that students are working and understand the instructions.
  2. Printing Lesson/Lab Part 1
    • Explain that the file is the center section of the screen. Sometimes this is called a script.
      • Reminder questions: how do you save/run a file? What happened when you ran the file from the do now?
      • Highlight that there are many shortucts used in programming that make interactions with terminal and files easier. We have listed a few on the Cloud 9 Cheat Sheet
      • Explain the purpose of the print statement, which will print whatever is in between the parentheses to the console.
        • Explain to students that this what appears on the console is called output
      • Talk to students about reading a program and the order in which the computer executes statements.
    • Ask students how they would print the following:
      Hello World
Hello World
Hello World
Hello World
Hello World
    • Have students work on Part 1 of the lab for 10 Minutes

    • SNAP Flashback – Hello World

  1. Variables Lesson/Lab Part 2

    • Variable: a name that refers to a value

    • An assignment statement creates new variables and gives them values: 

      >>> message = 'And now for something completely different'
>>> n = 17
>>> pi = 3.1415926535897932
      • Ask the students what they think the assignment operator is.
      • Using the example above, ask which are the variables, and which are the values.
      • Tell students how assignments work from right to left, so the item on the right is assigned to the item on the left.
    • Have students work on Part 2 of the lab for 10 Minutes
  2. Debrief
    • Talk about the difference between interactive and script mode. Discuss why you might want to use the interpreted mode: sometimes it can be faster to debug a single line and make sure it works!
    • Talk about differences between SNAP! and Python for declaring variables.

Accommodation/Differentiation

If students are moving quickly, ask students to come up with a way to print two lines with only one print statement. Allow for students to Google the \n character.