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Getting Started with Elementary

Start here! How to set up your elementary classroom with CodeHS.

Gary Gould avatar
Written by Gary Gould
Updated this week

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:

Gif demonstration of creating a program from the playground

You can also find more information and tips on using Scratch on iPads and smaller screens in this article.

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.

Screenshot showing the How Students Log In box at the bottom of the roster page

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.

Screenshot showing lessons tab within a section
  • 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.

  • You can also use our Course Roadmaps in our Resources page to see a recommended ordering of CS lessons.

Screenshot showing a lesson on CodeHS elementary

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.

Screenshot of the Coding Exercises resources
  • 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.

Screenshot of the lesson resources
  • 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.

  • You can push students (if logged into their CodeHS accounts) to the appropriate activity from the slides directly. You can also model lessons directly from within the slides - just be aware that these programs built into the slides do not save after closing the browser. See an overview of this feature here.

  • When prompted, instruct students to open lesson activity links or to complete handouts. When you get to an interactive activity or demo you can project the activity for students as whole class instruction or use the "push to student" button to push students to the activity on their device.

  • 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. You can also select to go to starter code or interactive activities.

Gif demonstration showing how to navigate to a specific section of the lesson

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.

Screenshot of the progress tab
  • 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.

Gif demonstration showing how to view your students assignments for a lesson

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! CodeHS Elementary Curriculum is included with an Elementary License. If you believe you should have access to the Elementary Portal, please reach out to your Customer Success Manager or send an email to hello@codehs.com.

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