Lesson Plan

• Describe the purpose and types of comments in code.
• Explain best practices for writing effective comments.
• Apply standard naming conventions for variables, constants, functions, and classes.
• Analyse code snippets to identify maintainable versus non‑maintainable elements.
• Produce a well‑commented, properly named function in Python.

• Projector or interactive whiteboard
• Computer lab with IDE (Python IDLE or VS Code)
• Printed handout of comment and naming‑convention guidelines
• Sample code files (good and bad examples)
• Sticky notes for quick peer feedback
• Whiteboard markers

Begin with a short video showing a tangled code base that “breaks” when a change is made, prompting the question “How can we avoid this?” Students recall previous lessons on basic syntax and agree that readable code saves time. Success criteria are displayed: students will be able to comment purposefully and name identifiers consistently.

1. Do‑now (5 minutes): Examine a poorly commented snippet and list three problems.
2. Mini‑lecture (10 minutes): Explain single‑line, block comments and best‑practice rules.
3. Guided demo (12 minutes): Add a header comment and inline comments to a sample Python function.
4. Naming‑convention activity (10 minutes): Students rename variables/constants in a given piece of code following the table conventions.
5. Pair work (10 minutes): Write a new function with proper comments and naming; use the checklist for peer review.
6. Check for understanding (5 minutes): Quick Kahoot quiz on comment types and naming rules.
7. Wrap‑up (3 minutes): Summarise key take‑aways.

Students recap the two pillars of maintainable code—clear comments and consistent naming—by sharing one improvement they made today. An exit ticket asks them to write a one‑sentence purpose comment for a function of their choice. For homework, they must refactor a provided script, adding header comments and correcting any naming violations.