Curiosity is
the curriculum.

• Variables, types, input, and output
• Conditions, loops, functions, and debugging
• Lists, dictionaries, files, CSV, and JSON
• Working with APIs, data, and simple automation
• Organizing projects, testing, and reading documentation

• JavaScript basics, functions, arrays, and objects
• Events, coordinates, maps, and game logic
• Node.js and connecting a bot to a test server
• Movement, inventory, chat, and safe automation
• Diagnosing failures and improving a bot’s behavior

• How models use patterns and generate responses
• Asking clear questions and giving useful context
• Checking answers, identifying errors, and comparing sources
• Privacy, responsible use, and human judgment
• Planning, testing, and revising an AI-assisted project

• Files, folders, the terminal, and the web
• HTML structure, CSS styling, and accessible design
• Git commits, branches, and collaboration on GitHub
• Domains, hosting, deployment, and basic security
• Writing a README and explaining how a project works

Learn: A program is a set of instructions. Python reads them from top to bottom. Text inside quotes is called a string.

print("Hello, world!")
print(2 + 3)

Practice: Save this as hello.py and run it. Change the message. Predict the result of changing + to *.

Think about it: What happens if you remove a closing quote? Put it back and run again.

Project: Make a three-line introduction. Change one line and predict what will happen.

Ready to move on? Explain what a program and an error message are.

Learn: A variable gives a value a name. input() reads text from the keyboard; int() converts whole-number text to a number.

name = input("Your name: ")
age = int(input("Your age: "))
print("Hello,", name)
print("Next year:", age + 1)

Practice: Make a program that asks for a favorite animal and prints a message about it.

Think about it: Why does age + 1 need int()? What happens if you type a word instead of a number?

Project: Create a greeting that asks for a name and favorite activity.

Ready to move on? Explain why input is text and convert a number safely.

Learn: A condition is either True or False. Indented lines run only when their condition matches.

score = 7
if score >= 10:
    print("Level up!")
else:
    print("Keep going!")

Practice: Ask for a number and tell the player whether it is greater than, less than, or equal to 10.

Think about it: Try 9, 10, and 11. Does each path work?

Project: Make a choose-your-own-path scene with at least two choices.

Ready to move on? Trace which branch runs for three different inputs.

Learn: A for loop repeats once for each item. range(3) produces 0, 1, 2. A while loop keeps going while a condition is true.

for turn in range(3):
    print("Turn", turn + 1)

Practice: Print a countdown from 5 to 1, then print “Go!” Try it with a while loop too.

Think about it: What must change inside a while loop so it can stop?

Project: Build a guessing game with a limited number of attempts.

Ready to move on? Explain when a loop stops and fix an endless loop.

Learn: Functions collect instructions under a name. Parameters receive inputs; return sends a value back.

def double(number):
    return number * 2

result = double(4)
print(result)

Practice: Write a function that takes a name and returns a greeting. Call it with two different names.

Think about it: What is the difference between returning a value and printing it?

Project: Turn a game’s greeting and scoring into separate functions.

Ready to move on? Describe the difference between printing and returning.

Learn: A list holds a sequence. A dictionary connects keys to values. Indexes start at zero.

inventory = ["map", "torch"]
inventory.append("key")
print(inventory[0])
player = {"name": "Alex", "score": 3}
print(player["score"])

Practice: Create an inventory with three items. Add one and print each item with a loop.

Think about it: What happens if you ask for a list index that does not exist?

Project: Make an inventory that can add and display items.

Ready to move on? Choose a list or dictionary and explain why.

Learn: Strings can be changed with methods. Files let a program keep information after it ends. The with statement closes a file when finished.

message = "  Hello there  "
print(message.strip().upper())
with open("note.txt", "w", encoding="utf-8") as file:
    file.write("A note to my future self.")

Practice: Run this in a practice folder. Open note.txt and change the program to write your own message.

Think about it: The w mode replaces an existing file. How would that affect a file you care about?

Project: Save a short journal entry and read it back.

Ready to move on? Explain where a file is saved and handle a missing file.

Learn: Games combine rules, state, and decisions. Random values make each round different.

import random
secret = random.randint(1, 5)
guess = int(input("Guess 1–5: "))
if guess == secret:
    print("You got it!")
else:
    print("The number was", secret)

Practice: Add a second chance. Then tell the player if the guess was too high or too low.

Think about it: Play several rounds. What happens if someone enters text?

Project: Design an original word or number game; playtest with family.

Ready to move on? Explain the rules and fix one issue found in testing.

Learn: A coordinate tells a drawing where to go. Python’s turtle module can draw lines as a cursor moves.

import turtle
pen = turtle.Turtle()
for side in range(4):
    pen.forward(100)
    pen.right(90)
turtle.done()

Practice: Run this on a computer with a graphical desktop and turtle support. Change the color and turn the square into another pattern.

Think about it: How many sides and what turn angle would make an equilateral triangle?

Project: Create a moving shape or small interactive scene using a local graphics library.

Ready to move on? Explain how an event changes the program’s state.

Learn: A class describes a kind of object. Each object has its own data, and methods describe what it can do.

class Pet:
    def __init__(self, name):
        self.name = name
        self.energy = 3

    def play(self):
        self.energy -= 1

rex = Pet("Rex")
rex.play()
print(rex.name, rex.energy)

Practice: Make two pets with different names. Add a rest method that increases energy.

Think about it: After one pet plays, does the other pet’s energy change? Why?

Project: Model a pet, player, or inventory item with a class.

Ready to move on? Create two objects and explain how their state differs.

Learn: CSV stores rows of data. The standard csv module reads them without manually splitting commas.

import csv
from io import StringIO
data = StringIO("item,count\napples,3\npears,2\n")
for row in csv.DictReader(data):
    print(row["item"], row["count"])

Practice: Change the sample data and write code that totals the counts using int().

Think about it: What should your program do if a count is blank?

Project: Read a small CSV and display a useful summary.

Ready to move on? Handle an empty input and explain the result.

Learn: A finished project needs a clear goal, small steps, tests, and instructions for someone else.

# Start a new project here.
# 1. Describe what it should do.
# 2. List the smallest working features.
# 3. Build and test one feature at a time.
print("My project starts here!")

Practice: Choose a game or useful tool. Build a first version, ask someone to try it, and improve one thing.

Think about it: Can another person run it using your instructions? What would you build next?

Project: Choose a game or useful tool; write a README and demonstrate it.

Ready to move on? Show a working project, explain a bug you fixed, and suggest an improvement.