What is Python?

Code is a list of instructions, and the computer follows them in order without guessing. print() is the first instruction you will learn: it shows exactly the text between the quotation marks. Change the words in the quotes and the screen changes with them.

• Say, in their own words, what a program is.
• Write and run a program that uses print() to show text.
• Explain why the computer runs the lines in order, from top to bottom.
• Read a short error message and fix a missing quotation mark.

program

A set of exact instructions the computer follows, one line at a time.

print()

A Python command that shows whatever text you put in the quotes on the screen.

string

A piece of text inside quotation marks, like "Hello".

output

Whatever the program shows on the screen when it runs.

error

The message Python shows when a line is written in a way it cannot follow.

Edit the starter code below and press Run to see it work. Use Reset starter code to go back to the original at any time.

Expected output

Hi, I'm Alex.
I'm 10 years old.
The last game I played was soccer.

Add two more lines to your card: one about a game or hobby you like, and one about something you want to build this year.

This line should print the word Hello, but it stops the program with an error instead. Look at what is missing around the word Hello. Every piece of text in Python needs it.

Broken code

print(Hello)

Put quotation marks around the text:
print("Hello")

Add a blank line to your card by writing print() with nothing inside the parentheses. Use it to split your card into two neat sections.

The computer followed your lines in the exact order you wrote them. In the game you build at the end of this program, order will matter too. What would go wrong if a game printed "You win!" before the player even took a turn?

Facilitating this lesson? See the teacher & librarian guide for how to run it, common mistakes, and an offline backup activity.