Week 17 — Hour of Code Celebration¶

At a glance


Date	Friday, December 18, 2026
Unit	2 — AI Unmasked
Big idea	Coding and AI are broad fields; exploration and choice are part of learning.
Goal	Students celebrate the end of Unit 2 by choosing a no-account Hour of Code activity and sharing one thing they learned this semester.
Student accounts needed	None. Use no-login activities only.
Prep time	5 minutes

Why this lesson looks the way it does¶

This is the last Friday before Christmas break. The right move is not a dense new concept. The right move is structured choice, celebration, and a clean handoff into January's Python unit.

Tie it to the December Hour of Code campaign, but keep control of the room: students choose from approved no-account options, work in pairs, and share briefly. The celebration should still feel like your class: curious, hands-on, and reflective.

This also gives you a useful diagnostic before Unit 3. Watch who chooses block coding, who chooses AI activities, who persists independently, and who needs a steadier partner when typing real Python begins.

CSTA 2026 standards¶

Concept area	Connection
Algorithms & Design	Students practice decomposing challenges in a self-selected coding activity.
Programming	Students build or modify programs in an Hour of Code environment.
Data & Analysis	Students connect AI-themed activities back to training data and prediction when relevant.
Systems & Security	Students use no-account web tools and follow safe browsing boundaries.
Computing & Society	Students reflect on how computing can be creative, useful, and worth learning.

"I can…" objectives¶

By the end of today, students can say:

I can choose a coding activity that fits my challenge level.
I can work with a partner using Driver/Navigator roles.
I can explain one AI or coding idea I understand better now.
I can name one thing I want to learn in Python next semester.

Teacher prep — the 5-minute version¶

Open these sites on the projector:
https://hourofcode.com
https://code.org
Optional AI-themed browsing: https://dayofai.org
Write on the board:

Last Friday: we pitched AI for Good ideas.
Today: choose, code, celebrate.
Write the rules:

No accounts. No downloads. Stay on approved sites. Driver/Navigator.
Prepare 3 approved paths:
Comfort: Code.org beginner Hour of Code activity
Challenge: Code.org game or app activity
AI connection: Day of AI or teacher-approved AI activity, no login
Decide whether students may use headphones. If not, write sound off on the board.

Minute-by-minute run sheet¶

0:00–0:04 — Anchor¶

"Last Friday you designed AI for Good ideas and asked the product-manager questions: data, failure, and human check. Seven days later, we are closing Unit 2 with exploration. This is not a test day. It is a celebration day with structure."

0:04–0:12 — Mini-lesson: choice with boundaries¶

Project the approved sites.

"Hour of Code is a global December campaign that invites students to try computer science. Today you choose one approved activity. The boundaries are simple: no accounts, no downloads, no wandering to random sites, and you work with your partner."

Connect to the semester:

"If you pick a game activity, look for the Unit 1 ideas: sequence, loops, variables, conditionals. If you pick an AI activity, look for the Unit 2 ideas: training data, prediction, bias, verification."

0:12–0:36 — Paired work: Hour of Code choice¶

Students choose one path and begin. Keep pairs mixed-age where helpful.

Driver/Navigator reminder:

"Driver touches the keyboard. Navigator reads, checks, and asks questions. Switch at least once when I call time."

At about 0:24, call:

"Switch roles. Driver becomes Navigator. Navigator becomes Driver."

Circulate with light-touch questions:

"What is the challenge asking you to do?"
"Where do you see a loop, condition, or prediction?"
"What did you try when it did not work?"
"What would make this harder in a good way?"

Keep it celebratory

Today is not the day to force everyone through the same tutorial. The structure is the approved menu and partner norms. The energy is choice.

Use quick popcorn sharing. No projector needed unless someone has something easy to show.

Ask each pair for one sentence:

"We tried . One thing we figured out was ."

Then ask the semester reflection:

"What is one sentence you understand now that you did not understand in August?"

If needed, offer stems:

"AI learns from ___."
"A program follows ___."
"A model can fail when ___."
"Before trusting AI, I should ___."

0:42–0:45 — Teaser + prompt¶

"When we come back in January, we start Unit 3: real Python typed by hand. Blocks helped us think. AI helped us question. Python will help us write programs the way professionals do."

Tiered challenges¶

🟢 Starter (grades 5–6): Finish one beginner activity and name one block or instruction you used.
🟡 Builder (grades 7–8): Choose a challenge that includes loops or conditionals and explain where they appear.
🔴 Extender (grades 9–10): Choose a harder activity or AI-themed activity and connect it to one Unit 2 concept: training data, bias, next-token prediction, hallucination, or verification.

"What did you choose today, and what is one computing idea you saw inside it?"

🤔 Think About This¶

Over break, notice one tiny task you wish a program could do for you.

Ask: could that task be solved with exact instructions, or would it need examples and predictions?

🔌 Unplugged Plan B — if the internet is down¶

Keep the celebration, lose the screens.

Time	Activity
0:00–0:04	Same anchor: closing Unit 2 with exploration and celebration.
0:04–0:10	Explain three offline stations: algorithm cards, AI claim detective, and paper game design.
0:10–0:30	Students rotate or choose one station: write cup-stacking algorithms, sort AI/not-AI scenario cards, or design a one-screen game on paper.
0:30–0:38	Pairs add a "make it harder" challenge to their station product.
0:38–0:42	Share one product or insight per pair.
0:42–0:45	Python teaser and break noticing prompt.

Common problems & fixes¶

Problem	Fix
Activity asks students to sign in	Back out and choose another no-account activity. Do not spend class time on accounts.
Students wander beyond approved sites	Restate the boundary and bring them back to the menu. Pair with a steadier Navigator if needed.
Wide age range makes choices uneven	Offer paths by comfort/challenge, not grade. Older students can choose harder roles or explain concepts.
Sound becomes chaotic	Require sound off or headphones only if school policy allows.
Students finish early	Ask them to find and explain one loop, condition, variable, or AI concept in the activity, then try a harder one.

Vocabulary¶

Hour of Code — a global campaign encouraging students to try computer science
Choice activity — a structured option students select based on interest and challenge
Review — looking back to name what you learned
Python — a text-based programming language used by beginners and professionals
Persistence — continuing to test and revise when something does not work yet

Reflection — fill in after class¶

Which students chose the hardest activities voluntarily?
Who showed persistence without much help?
Who needs a supportive partner for typing in January?
What Unit 2 concept did students remember most clearly?

Next week: Week 18 — Hello, Python