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Python Sequence

The Python sequence uses games to teach programming concepts. Each lesson begins with a human-playable or unplugged version, then moves into code.

Modules

Module Concepts Continuity
Introduction to Python Variables, types, expressions, interpreter use Gives students the vocabulary used throughout the course.
Guess My Number Randomness, input, conditionals, while loops, binary search, recursion Introduces state, feedback, and algorithmic improvement.
Pig Nested loops, scorekeeping, strategy Makes students track multiple pieces of state over turns.
Rock Paper Scissors Choices, comparisons, repeated rounds Prepares students for rule-based game logic.
Tic-Tac-Toe Lists, helper functions, board state, simple AI Becomes the bridge to the robot-arm final project.
Hangman Strings, files, probability, strategy comparison Introduces data-driven guessing and belief updates.
Hangman Topic Frequency Dictionaries, scraping, files, probability Lets students personalize Hangman with topic-specific data.
Quiz Games File I/O, dictionaries, random sampling Turns outside data into interactive programs.
Mastermind Hidden state, feedback, lists, and strategy design Gives students an open-ended text-game extension before graphics.

Teaching Pattern

Each module should preserve the same structure:

  1. Play the game without code.
  2. Ask students to name the state, actions, and stopping condition.
  3. Build the smallest playable text version.
  4. Add a computer strategy or extension.
  5. Reflect on what made the program smarter or more reliable.

Repository Code

Starter and example code lives mainly in: