Section 1: Indentation and Colons (15 min)

Python uses indentation (spaces/tabs) to define code blocks. Every if, for, while, def, etc., must end with a colon and the body must be indented.

Exercise 1A — Fix the Broken Code

Each snippet below has one or more syntax errors. Type them into your IDE and fix them so they run correctly.

Problem 1: (Expected output: B)

score = 85
if score >= 90
    print("A")
elif score >= 80:
    print("B")
else:
print("C or below")

Problem 2: (Expected output: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8)

for i in range(5):
print(i * 2)

Problem 3: (Expected output: Hello, Alex)

greet = input('would you like to greet? (Y/N)')
if greet == 'Y':
print ('Hello, Alex')

Section 2: Type Casting Traps (15 min)

Exercise 2A — Cast Carefully

price = input("Enter price: ")
tax = price * 0.09
total = price + tax
print("Total:", total)

print(int(9.9))
print(float("42"))
print(str(100) + " dollars")
print(int(float("7.5")))

Section 3: f-Strings (15 min)

Rules: Prefix the string with f. Variables go inside {}. Format specs: {value:.2f} for 2 decimals.

Exercise 3A — Format It

length = 7.5
width = 3.2
area = length * width
# Old style:
print("Length: " + str(length) + ", Width: " + str(width) + ", Area: " + str(area))

item = "Coffee"
price = 4.75
qty = 3
# TODO: print the receipt

Section 4: Branching & Booleans (20 min)

Compound logic requires the and, or, and not operators. To check if a number is even, use the modulo operator: number % 2 == 0.

Exercise 4A — Number Classifier

Section 5: While Loops & Accumulators (20 min)

Key questions for any loop: What is the starting condition? When does it stop? What updates the loop variable?

Trace Exercise

x = 10
while x > 0:
    print(x)
    x -= 3

Exercise 5A — The Accumulator Pattern

total = 0.0
count = 0

# TODO: Write your while loop here

Section 6: Capstone Challenge (25 min)

Let's combine everything: casting, branching, formatting, and looping.

Exercise 6A — The Number Guesser