🐍 PYTHON FOR BEGINNERS
WEEK 1 — Welcome to Python! (2-Hour Class Plan)
Theme: Getting Started & Setting Up | Age: ~10 years old
🎯 By the End of This Class, You Will Be Able To:
✅ Install Python and Thonny on your computer
✅ Understand what programming is and why Python is perfect for beginners
✅ Write and run your very first Python program
✅ Understand what the print() function does
✅ Read a simple error message and fix it — just like a real programmer!
⏰ 2-Hour Class Timeline at a Glance
Use this timeline to stay on track. Each section has been designed with a 10-year-old's attention span
in mind — short bursts of learning, lots of activity, and fun surprises!
Time Activity What's Happening
0:00–0:10 🎉 Welcome & Icebreaker Fun intro question + class rules
0:10–0:20 💡 What is Programming? Story, analogy, and real-world examples
0:20–0:35 🔧 Install Thonny Step-by-step setup on each computer
0:35–0:50 👋 Hello, World! First program — everyone runs it!
0:50–1:00 🧪 Explore print() Try more examples, understand strings
1:00–1:05 ☕ BRAIN BREAK Stretch, shake hands, or mini dance!
1:05–1:20 💥 Errors Are OK! Deliberate mistakes + reading errors
1:20–1:45 📝 Classwork Exercises 5 guided exercises (pairs or solo)
1:45–1:55 🌟 Share & Show Off! Students show their favourites to class
1:55–2:00 🏠 Homework Intro Explain take-home tasks, wrap up
📌 SECTION 1 — Welcome & Icebreaker (10 minutes)
What to do: Before touching a single computer, get the students excited! Ask the class:
Icebreaker Question — Ask the Class:
"If you could programme a robot to do ONE thing for you — what would it do?"
Let 4–5 students answer. This warms up the brain and connects programming to their
real wishes.
Write some of their ideas on the board — you will refer back to them later!
Teacher Tip: Tell students: 'By the end of today, you will be telling a computer exactly what to do —
and it will listen!' Watch their eyes light up. 🌟
📌 SECTION 2 — What is Programming? (10 minutes)
The Big Idea — Explained Simply
Imagine you have a very fast but very silly robot friend. This robot can run 1,000 steps per second and
NEVER gets tired. But here is the catch — it does EXACTLY what you say, nothing more and nothing
less. If you say 'go forward', it goes forward forever and walks into a wall. You have to be precise!
Programming is writing instructions for a computer — a machine that is incredibly fast but has zero
common sense. Your instructions are called a program, and the language you write them in is called a
programming language.
🤖 The Robot Sandwich Analogy
Ask a student to 'make a sandwich' without telling them how. Stand there and wait.
They'll realise: the robot needs step-by-step instructions!
Step 1: Pick up the bread.
Step 2: Open the bread packet.
Step 3: Take out two slices...
Computers need instructions JUST like this. That is exactly what code is!
Why Python? The Story Behind It
Python was invented in 1991 by a Dutch programmer named Guido van Rossum. He wanted to create
a language that was easy to read — almost like writing in English. Here is the fun part: he named it
after his favourite TV comedy show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, NOT after the snake! 🐍
Today, Python is one of the most popular languages in the world. Real Python programmes power:
• 🚀 NASA — scientists use Python to analyse space data
• 🎬 YouTube — to recommend which video you watch next
• 🤖 Artificial Intelligence — the brains behind chatbots and self-driving cars
• 🎮 Game developers — to create and test video games
• 📊 Data scientists — to spot patterns in millions of numbers
💬 Ask the Class:
"Which of these surprises you the most? Can you think of any apps on your phone that
might use Python?"
Give students 30 seconds to think, then take 2–3 answers.
📌 SECTION 3 — Setting Up Thonny (15 minutes)
What is Thonny and Why Are We Using It?
There are many tools for writing Python. Thonny is the one designed specially for learners like you. It
has friendly error messages, it shows you your code running step by step, and it comes with Python
already built in — no extra steps needed!
Step-by-Step Installation Guide
STEP 1 — Download Thonny
• Open a web browser and go to: [Link]
• Click the big download button for your operating system (Windows, Mac, or Linux)
• Wait for the file to download — this takes about 1–2 minutes
STEP 2 — Install Thonny
• Open the downloaded file and follow the on-screen instructions
• Click 'Next' at each step — the default settings are perfect for us
• Wait for the green progress bar to finish, then click 'Finish'
STEP 3 — Open Thonny for the First Time
• Find Thonny in your Start Menu (Windows) or Applications folder (Mac)
• Double-click to open it — it might take 10–15 seconds the first time
What You Will See When Thonny Opens:
TOP HALF — The Editor: This is where you write your code. Think of it like a notepad.
BOTTOM HALF — The Shell: This is where Python talks back to you. Results appear
here.
GREEN PLAY BUTTON (▶) — Click this to run your code!
F5 KEY — Same as clicking the Play button (faster once you get used to it)
⚠️ Teacher Tip — Troubleshooting Setup:
If Thonny won't download: Try a different browser (Chrome works best)
If the install asks for a password: That is normal — type the computer password
If Thonny looks different: Some computers have older versions — that is fine for today
Always walk around and check each student's screen before moving on!
📌 SECTION 4 — Hello, World! Your First Program (15
minutes)
A Tradition As Old As Programming Itself
For over 50 years, every programmer writing in a new language has started with the same program:
Hello, World! It is a tradition. Today you join millions of programmers around the world who started
exactly here. Are you ready? Let us go!
Your Very First Python Program
Click in the top half of Thonny (the Editor). Type this exactly:
print("Hello, World!")
Now press the green Play button or the F5 key. Look at the bottom half of Thonny (the Shell). You
should see:
Hello, World!
🎉 YOU ARE NOW OFFICIALLY A PROGRAMMER!
Yes, really. You just gave a computer an instruction and it followed it perfectly.
This is exactly how every Python program starts — one line at a time.
Celebrate! High-five your neighbour! 🙌
Understanding What You Just Wrote
Part of the Code What It Means (Kid-Friendly!)
print A built-in Python command that means "show this on the
screen". It is a FUNCTION — a little helper robot that does a job
for you.
( ) The parentheses are like the robot's mouth — you put what you
want it to say INSIDE them.
" " Quotation marks tell Python "this is text, not a command." Text
between quotes is called a STRING. You can use single quotes '
' or double quotes " " — both work!
"Hello, World!" This is the STRING — the message you want Python to display.
You can change this to anything you like!
More Examples to Try — One at a Time!
Type each of these into Thonny and press Play after each one. Watch what happens!
print("My name is Alex")
print("I am 10 years old")
print("Python is so cool!")
print("This is my first program!")
Now try printing multiple lines at once. Each print() statement starts on a new line — like a new
sentence. Type ALL of these in the Editor, then press Play:
print("Name: Alex")
print("Age: 10")
print("Favourite colour: Blue")
print("Favourite food: Pizza")
🧠 Think About It!
What happens if you put TWO spaces before print? Try it!
What happens if you swap the order of the lines? Try it!
What happens if you delete the print and just write the text? Try it!
These little experiments are exactly how real programmers learn. Never be afraid to try!
☕ BRAIN BREAK — 5 minutes!
Stand up! Stretch your arms up high. Take 3 deep breaths.
Turn to a neighbour and tell them ONE thing you've learned so far. Go!
📌 SECTION 5 — Errors Are Your Friends! (15 minutes)
Why We Learn About Errors on Purpose
Here is something really important: every single programmer in the world — even the ones at Google,
NASA, and Apple — sees error messages every single day. Getting errors does NOT mean you are
bad at coding. It means you are coding! The skill is not avoiding errors. The skill is reading the error
message and knowing how to fix it
🔧 Errors Are Like GPS Re-routing!
If you are driving and take the wrong turn, your GPS doesn't shout 'YOU FAILED!'
It calmly says: 'In 200 metres, turn right to get back on track.'
Python's error messages are exactly the same — they tell you WHERE the problem is
and give you a clue about HOW to fix it. They are your GPS for coding!
Let's Make Some Mistakes on Purpose!
Type each of these broken programs into Thonny. Read the error. Try to understand what went wrong
before looking at the explanation.
Mistake 1 — Missing closing bracket
print("Hello World"
Error you'll see: SyntaxError: '(' was never closed — Python is saying 'You opened a bracket but
never closed it!' The fix is to add the missing ) at the end.
Mistake 2 — Missing closing quotation mark
print("Hello World)
Error you'll see: SyntaxError: EOL while scanning string literal — 'EOL' means 'End Of Line'. Python
reached the end of the line still looking for the closing " mark. Add the missing " before the ).
Mistake 3 — Spelling print wrong
Print("Hello World")
Error you'll see: NameError: name 'Print' is not defined — Python is case-sensitive! print (lowercase)
is a Python command. Print (capital P) means nothing to Python. Fix: change Print to print.
Become an Error Detective!
Step 1: Read the error message — what TYPE of error is it? (SyntaxError? NameError?)
Step 2: Look at the LINE NUMBER in the error — Python tells you exactly which line!
Step 3: Look at that line carefully — what looks different or missing?
Step 4: Fix it, run it again. If there's a new error — great! You fixed the first one!
Remember: fixing errors one by one is perfectly normal. Every programmer does this!
📌 SECTION 6 — Classwork Exercises (25 minutes)
Work through these exercises in order. You can work with a partner if you like! Read each one
carefully, write your code in Thonny, and press Play to test it. There is no rush — quality over speed!
Exercise 1: All About You!
Write a program that prints these four things — one on each line:
• Your full name
• Your age
• Your school name
• Your favourite hobby
Example output:
Name: Amara Okonkwo
Age: 10
School: Greenfield Primary
Hobby: Drawing comics
🌟 BONUS: Add a 5th line with your favourite movie!
Exercise 2: The Silly Poem
Write a program that prints a short poem with at least 4 lines.
It does NOT have to rhyme. It does NOT have to make sense. Silly is great!
Example — 'My Cat Has a Hat':
My cat has a hat
She wears it to bed
She also wears sunglasses
On top of her head
🌟 BONUS: Can you make it 8 lines? 10 lines? Go wild!
Exercise 3: The Asterisk Box
Use print() statements to draw a rectangle made of asterisk (*) symbols.
Try to make it 5 lines tall. Here's a hint for what it might look like:
***********
* *
* *
* *
***********
🌟 BONUS: Try writing your first initial inside the box using asterisks!
Exercise 4: My Dream Restaurant Menu
Write a program that prints the menu for your DREAM restaurant.
Include at least 5 dishes with made-up prices. Be creative!
Example:
============================
ALEX'S GALACTIC DINER
============================
Moonburger with Stardust £9.99
Galaxy Noodle Soup £7.50
Invisible Chocolate Cake £5.00
🌟 BONUS: Add a 'Chef's Special' at the bottom!
Exercise 5 ⭐ CHALLENGE: ASCII Art
ASCII art means drawing pictures using only keyboard characters.
Use print() to draw a simple picture. Here are some ideas:
A simple house: A smiling face: A rocket ship:
/\ ( o o ) /\
/ \ ( > ) / \
/----\ (______) :) /----\
| | | ** |
|____| | |
Pick any picture you like! It doesn't have to be perfect — just have fun!
📌 SECTION 7 — Share & Show Off! (10 minutes)
This is everyone's favourite part. Ask 4–5 volunteers to come up and show the class their favourite
program from today on the big screen. Encourage the class to:
• 👏 Clap after each one
• Say one thing they liked about that person's program
• ❓ Ask the programmer one question about how they made it
🌟 Teacher Note — What to Celebrate:
Creative names and made-up restaurants → 'Great creativity!'
Silly poems → 'That made me laugh — brilliant!'
If a student fixed an error on their own → 'That is EXACTLY what real programmers do!'
Even simple programs → 'You wrote that yourself. That is real code. Be proud of it!'
📌 SECTION 8 — Homework / Take-Home Challenges
These tasks are for students to complete at home between now and next class. They are designed to
involve family members and reinforce today's learning in a fun way.
Exercise 6: A Message for Someone Special
Ask a family member what they would like Python to say to them.
Write a program that prints a personalised greeting just for them!
Example:
Hello Grandma!
You are the best baker in the whole world.
Thank you for always making jollof rice on Sundays.
Love from Alex x
Show them the program running. Watch their face! 😊
Exercise 7: Tell a Joke!
Write a program that tells a joke using print().
The setup goes on one line. The punchline goes on the next.
Example:
Why did the computer go to the doctor?
Because it had a VIRUS! 😂
🌟 BONUS: Tell 3 jokes in a row. Each one separated by a blank print() statement.
Hint: print("") prints a blank line — great for spacing!
Exercise 8: Real-World Python Research
Find out ONE interesting way Python is used in the real world.
Write it down to share with the class next week.
Ideas for where to look:
• Ask a parent or older sibling
• Search 'Python used in real life for kids' online (with a grown-up)
• Look at the back of any coding book you have at home
Example answers from past students:
'Python helps Netflix decide what shows to recommend to you!'
'Scientists used Python to photograph a black hole for the first time!'
📎 Quick Reference Card — Keep This Handy!
Concept Example What It Does
print() function print("Hi!") Displays text on screen
String "Hello" or 'Hello' Text inside quote marks
Blank line print("") Prints an empty line (for
spacing)
Run your code ▶ button or F5 key Runs your program in Thonny
SyntaxError Missing ) or " somewhere Check for missing
brackets/quotes
NameError Print instead of print Check spelling and
capitalisation
🐍 See you in Week 2 — where you will meet VARIABLES!
Week 2 Preview: Variables let you store information in Python. Imagine giving Python a
little memory box to keep things in — that is what variables do!