python magic

Select a Lesson:

» Why Learn to Code?

» Basic Python Syntax

» A Simple Calculator

» Guess the Number

» Fantastic Functions

» Secret Messages

» Adventure Game

Why should we learn to program?

Basic Python Syntax

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Understand and be able to use basic Python syntax.

VARIABLES

The way we store data.

String – a type of variable for storing text “strings”.

Enter the code shown here to create your first computer

program.

Now let’s add to that . . .

What do you think this will do?

YOUR TASK

Add to your program so you can have a

conversation with the computer (stick to yes and no answers

for now!)

NEXT TASK

Create an account at www.codecademy.comComplete the first

Python course called ‘Python Syntax’

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Understand and be able to use basic Python syntax.

or

Calculator

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Understand how to use selection to create a simple calculator.

VARIABLES

String – remember this from last lesson?

Numbers:Integer Float

What’s happening here ?

SELECTION

How we choose a suitable action based on a condition.

IF I’m hungryEat Something

ELSEDon’t eat anything

Can you add more selection to handle multiplication and

division ?

NEXT TASK

Log onto www.codecademy.comand continue the

Python course from where you finished

last lesson.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Understand how to use selection to create a simple

calculator.

or

Loopy Loops

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Understand how to create a loop in Python and use a

Boolean variable to define when to stop.

ANOTHER VARIABLE

Boolean – This can store one of two values:

True False

LOOPS

A While loop can keep looping through events until

a condition changes.

WHILE hungry == TrueKeep eatingIF I’m full uphungry == False

Have a go at this ‘Guess the Number’ game. What does

each part do?

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Understand how to create a loop in Python and use a Boolean variable to define when to stop.

or

Fantastic Functions

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Understand how to use and call functions.

WHAT IS A FUNCTION?

A block of code grouped together that

can be run at any point in our program.

Try creating this function to pull a rabbit from a hat! Don’t forget the magic word though!

Try out this function. What does that bit in brackets do?

YOUR CHALLENGE

Add to your program so it tells the user

whether or not their word is a palindrome.

Hint: try using an if statement to compare the original word with

the reversed word.

You should have added something like this to the end

of your program.

NEXT TASK

Log onto www.codecademy.comand continue the

Python course from where you finished

last lesson.

Secret Messages

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Understand how to store and look up

values from a list.

LIST(Also known as an array)

A way of storing more than one thing under one

variable name.

My magic potion contains hair, knotgrass and

leeches.

Here’s a list of students. What will each print statement do?

Another way to add items is using the ‘append’ command. Use this

to add some more students.

Make sure you print your list of students again to make sure

your code has worked!

CAESAR SHIFT

A well-known cipher to encode a piece of text by replacing one letter of the alphabet

with another a chosen number of places (shifts).

For example, a shift of 2 means “A” becomes “C”:

A B C D E F G H I K L. . .

TASK

Cut out and make your own Caesar Cipher Wheel using

your worksheet.

Use your wheel to create a secret message for the person next to you to

decode.

Can you decode this secret message?

s vyfo mywzedob zbyqbkwwsxq

Are there any clues to help us work out the shift number?

What is happening here?Create your own encryption

program and test it out.

Text Adventure

s

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Recognise how a class can be used to create

custom objects.

CLASSES

A custom object that you can make that has

it’s own set of attributes.

Animal Class

Giraffe Horse Lion

TASK

Open and look at the Animals.py example from

SharePoint.

Can you figure out what some of the bits of code

are doing?

Underneath the class create a new ‘instance’ of an animal and give it some attributes. You can choose any animal

you like.

TASK

Use the design sheet to plan your own text adventure then follow the instructions to

create this in Python.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

Recognise how a class can be used to create

custom objects.