Get started with CodeHS Elementary in your classroom using these tips and resources. For an overview of what to expect from CodeHS Elementary, view this Elementary Platform Demo!
Explore Scratch and ScratchJr
CodeHS Elementary uses Scratch and ScratchJr for student coding projects.
Watch these videos to learn how to use Scratch and ScratchJr with CodeHS Elementary:
Create a new Scratch or ScratchJr program from your Playground. Click on the plus icon, then choose which environment you’d like to use:
Create and Manage Elementary Sections
Create a class section, and select a course to view the pathway.
View this article for more information on creating and managing sections.
Add students to your section.
Toggle the visibility button on each lesson to make that lesson’s starter code show up in student playgrounds.
Teach students how to log in to CodeHS using your selected login method.
For more information on how to log students in, view this article.
Deciding on a Lesson to Teach
View this walkthrough video to learn how to decide on a lesson to teach.
View the lessons in your course from the Lessons tab.
Open a lesson and view the lesson page. Look for the lesson tags, duration, objective, and standards to decide if this lesson is the right fit.
Preparing to Teach a Lesson
View this walkthrough video to learn more about how you can prepare to teach a lesson.
Click through the slides and videos. If you have time, make the assigned program.
Open the starter and sample code to see how students will start their program and how it might look by the end of the lesson. Some lessons start with a blank program.
Read the lesson preparation notes.
Open the links under lesson resources.
Decide on how you will share links with students during class.
Make copies of the handouts or, if applicable, copy the google doc to share with students as an online assignment.
View the lesson plan for more information on lesson pacing, troubleshooting tips, extensions, and a rubric.
Teaching a Lesson
View this walkthrough video for more information on how to teach a CodeHS lesson to your students.
Get students logged into the Playground and make sure that they can access the assigned starter code.
Lessons that do not use Scratch or ScratchJr will not have starter code.
Use the provided slides to present the lesson to students. You can click “Open Slides” to open the slides in a second tab.
When prompted, instruct students to open lesson activity links or to complete handouts. You can also choose to display activities to be completed as a whole class.
Use the slide number on the bottom left to navigate to a specific section of the lesson. This is useful if you plan to skip a portion of the lesson or to jump back into the lesson where you left off previously.
Viewing Student Work
After teaching a lesson, click on the progress tab in your class section to view student progress. A green circle indicates that a student has opened their project.
Click on the lesson title at the top of the page to view all student assignments for that lesson.
To view all programs for one student, go to the playground and select the class folder for the section the student is in. Use the drop down to select the students name and view their programs.
Additional Resources & Support
The resources page contains additional support and materials for teaching CodeHS lessons. Resources include:
Teacher walkthrough videos and articles
Student Coding in the Wild articles
Computer Science Concept Videos
Vocabulary list and slides
Robotics Guides
And more!
For additional support, visit the support page or use the chat bubble in the bottom right corner.
Still have questions? Contact our team at hello@codehs.com to learn more!