Every session begins with an energiser. Usually there’s a rota showing who will lead the energiser. We have some favourite games you can play if you are stuck.

Traffic Jam: re-order the cars to unblock yourself
Telephone: draw the words and write the pictures
Popcorn show and tell: popcorn around the room and show one nearby object or something in your pocket or bag and explain what it means to you.

Learning Objectives

Introduce and welcome new volunteers
Nominate a timekeeper
Check the morning day plan and group structures

Planning during the week

🧭 During the week, create a post on Slack and get some people to take on the roles of facilitator and timekeeper. Nominate new people each time.

👣 Steps

If you haven’t done so already, choose someone (volunteer or trainee) to be the facilitator for this morning orientation block. Choose another to be the timekeeper.

🎙️ The Facilitator will:

Assemble the entire group (all volunteers & all trainees) in a circle
Briefly welcome everyone with an announcement, like this:
💬 “Morning everyone, Welcome to CYF {REGION}, this week we are working on {MODULE} {SPRINT} and we’re currently working on {SUMMARISE THE TOPICS OF THE WEEK}”
Ask any newcomers to introduce themselves to the group, and welcome them.
Now check: is it the start of a new module? Is it sprint 1? If so, read out the success criteria for the new module.
Next go through the morning day plan only (typically on the curriculum website) - and check the following things:

Facilitator Checklist

Check the number of volunteers you have for the morning
Check someone is leading each session
Describe how any new activities works for the group
Decide how best to allocate trainees and volunteers for a given block - most blocks will make this clear

⏰ The Timekeeper will:

Announce the start of an activity and how long it will take (check everyone is listening)
Manage any whole class timers that are used in an activity
Give people a 10-minute wrap-up warning before the end of an activity
Announce the end of an activity and what happens next

Instructions

This workshop aims to check your understanding.

Each task will explain whether or not you should run the code.

For each task, you can use Data Groups Sprint 2 prep to help you with the questions. You can also use documentation to look up any functions that are unfamiliar. Don’t use ChatGPT or any other AI tool to help you.

🧰 Setup

Get into pairs or groups of up to three.
Make sure you have a clone of the CYF-Workshops repository on your local machine

This workshop can be found here 👉 https://github.com/CodeYourFuture/CYF-Workshops/tree/main/objects In this workshop, each file contains a different problem at a particular level.

You should start this project at Level 100 and then move through the levels in ascending order, level 200, 300 etc.

➡️ Go to Level 100

A quick break so we can all concentrate on the next piece of work.

Debugging is Asking Questions

Prep

Re-read this article about Mental Models
Watch this video about VSCode Debugger and follow along with the mini-workshop
Open this CYF Workshops repo in VSCode and go to the debugging/bank folder to find the problem bank.

Whew, that’s loads! But we did set it all as coursework, so you have done it already, right? 😉

Today we’re going to use our formal language of developer questions. We began with this basic format:

What I did
What I expected
What actually happened

This format helps to find the discrepancies between expectations and reality. (This is the gap in our understanding.)

It really helps us with debugging. Today we will use a debugger and our scientific method to find and fix bugs. Recall your scientific method:

Recap asking questions

Predict & Explain

Make a prediction by explaining what the outcome will be

Test

Run the code to see what actually happens

Compare and Update

Compare the outcome with our prediction
Explain the gap between our prediction and what actually happened
Update our understanding

This process is cyclical.

graph LR A[Predict] B[Explain] C[Test] D[Compare] E[Update] A --> B B --> C C --> D D --> E E --> A

Setup

Get into pairs. Each pair consists of two roles:

Computer: Execute the code mentally, predicting the outcome.
Debugger: Use the VSCode debugger to step through the code.

You will swap roles after each exercise.

Set a whole class timer for 10 minutes.

https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editor/debugging

Stepping

🕹️Understanding Variables and Flow, 10m

Identify the value of variables at each step in a loop.

const sumArray = (numbers) => {
  let total = 0;
  for (let i = 0; i < numbers.length; i++) {
    total += numbers[i];
  }
  return total;
};
console.log(sumArray([1, 2, 3]));

Computer:

Write down predictions for total and i values before each loop iteration.
Compare predictions after each Debugger’s step.

Debugger:

Open sumArray.js in VSCode.
Choose ‘Run > Start Debugging’ from the menu.
Set a breakpoint at total += numbers[i];.
Step into your function.
Step Over through iteration until your loop is complete.
Monitor total and i in the Variables section.

Debugging

Okay, swap roles. Set a whole class timer for 15 minutes.

🕹️Finding an Error, 15m

const findLargest = (numbers) => {
  let largest = numbers[0];
  for (let i = 1; i < numbers.length; i++) {
    if (numbers[i] > largest) {
      largest = numbers[i];
    }
  }
  return largest;
};
console.log(findLargest([3, 7, 2, 5, 6]));

Debugger:

Open findLargest in VSCode.
Predict the return value of findLargest. Write your prediction down.
Set a breakpoint at if (numbers[i] > largest).
Debug and inspect i, numbers[i], and largest.
Write down the return value of findLargest([3, 7, 2, 5, 6]).

Computer:

Predict the value of largest after each loop iteration.
‘Execute’ the code and write down the actual value of largest after each loop iteration.
Write down the return value of findLargest([3, 7, 2, 5, 6]).
Now execute the code in VSCode. Did you get the same result?

Both (briefly) write up your mental model using this format:

What I did
What I expected. Make sure you include your prediction here
What actually happened

Okay, swap roles. If you have time left and you’re into this, there are many problems stored in debugging/bank. Set a whole class timer for 15 minutes.

🕹️Problem Bank, 30m

Pick any problem from the bank and work through it together. Use the debugger and the scientific method to find and fix the bug.

Write up your findings in the developer question format. Swap roles and repeat until we run out of time.

🧑🏾‍💻🙋 Developer questions contain

🔗 Links 👍
Objectives - what are you actually trying to do? 👍
🖼️ Screenshots of UI 👍
📝 Code blocks 👍
📷 ~~Screenshots of code~~ 🙅

📚 Further reading

Every Saturday we cook and eat together. We share our food and our stories. We learn about each other and the world. We build community.

This is everyone’s responsibility, so help with what is needed to make this happen, for example, organising the food, setting up the table, washing up, tidying up, etc. You can do something different every week. You don’t need to be constantly responsible for the same task.

Learning Objectives

Resolve blockers in your coursework
Express and resolve problems effectively by writing tickets and asking questions
Give and receive code review
Develop your personal portfolio
Pair programme
Evaluate your progress with peers and mentors

What are we doing now?

You’re going to use this time to work through coursework. Your cohort will collectively self-organise to work through the coursework together in your own way. Sort yourselves into groups that work for you.

Use this time wisely

You will have study time in almost every class day. Don’t waste it. Use it to:

work through the coursework
ask questions and get unblocked
give and receive code review
work on your portfolio
develop your own projects

🛎️ Code waiting for review 🔗

Below are trainee coursework Pull Requests that need to be reviewed by volunteers.

London | May 2025 | Halimatou Saddiyaa | Module-Data-Groups | Sprint 2 🔗

Learners, PR Template

Self checklist

I have committed my files one by one, on purpose, and for a reason
I have titled my PR with REGION | COHORT_NAME | FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME | PROJ_NAME
I have tested my changes
My changes follow the style guide
My changes meet the requirements of this task

Changelist

I’ve completed the following coursework for Sprint 2:

Debug
implement
Interpret

Please review my PR, thanks

Questions

Ask any questions you have for your reviewer.

Start a review

London | ITP-May-2025 | Hibo Sharif | Module-Data-Groups | Quote-generator 🔗

–>

Learners, PR Template

Self checklist

I have committed my files one by one, on purpose, and for a reason
I have titled my PR with REGION | COHORT_NAME | FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME | PROJ_NAME
I have tested my changes
My changes follow the style guide
My changes meet the requirements of this task

Changelist

I have updated the quote generator files in quote.js and index.html. I have also added code in the CSS file to style the file. Additionally, I have added new features to the style CSS file by incorporating a toggle switch to play random quotes every 60 seconds.

Questions

Ask any questions you have for your reviewer.

Start a review

West Midlands | ITP-MAY25 | Peter Lui | Module-Data-Groups | Sprint-1 🔗

Learners, PR Template

Self checklist

I have committed my files one by one, on purpose, and for a reason
I have titled my PR with REGION | COHORT_NAME | FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME | PROJ_NAME
I have tested my changes
My changes follow the style guide
My changes meet the requirements of this task

Changelist

2025-07-13 Initial submission

Questions

Ask any questions you have for your reviewer.

Start a review

Scotland | ITP-May-2025 | Nataliia Volkova | Module-Data-Groups/Sprint 3/Feature/quote generator 🔗

Learners, PR Template

Self checklist

I have committed my files one by one, on purpose, and for a reason
I have titled my PR with REGION | COHORT_NAME | FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME | PROJ_NAME
I have tested my changes
My changes follow the style guide
My changes meet the requirements of this task

Changelist

Briefly explain your PR.

Questions

Ask any questions you have for your reviewer.

Start a review

London | ITP-May-2025 | Seddiq Azam | Module-Data-Groups | AlarmClock 🔗

You must title your PR like this:

REGION | COHORT_NAME | FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME | PROJ_NAME

For example,

London | May-2025 | Carol Owen | Quote-generator

Complete the task list below this message. If your PR is rejected, check the task list.

–>

Learners, PR Template

Self checklist

I have committed my files one by one, on purpose, and for a reason
I have titled my PR with REGION | COHORT_NAME | FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME | PROJ_NAME
I have tested my changes
My changes follow the style guide
My changes meet the requirements of this task

Changelist

Briefly explain your PR.

Added pause and resume functionality to the countdown timer with a toggle button. The background flashes when the alarm sounds.

Questions

Ask any questions you have for your reviewer.

Start a review

See more pull requests

Please feel comfortable and welcome to pray at this time if this is part of your religion.

If you are breastfeeding and would like a private space, please let us know.

Learning Objectives

Resolve blockers in your coursework
Express and resolve problems effectively by writing tickets and asking questions
Give and receive code review
Develop your personal portfolio
Pair programme
Evaluate your progress with peers and mentors

What are we doing now?

You’re going to use this time to work through coursework. Your cohort will collectively self-organise to work through the coursework together in your own way. Sort yourselves into groups that work for you.

Use this time wisely

You will have study time in almost every class day. Don’t waste it. Use it to:

work through the coursework
ask questions and get unblocked
give and receive code review
work on your portfolio
develop your own projects

🕹️Retro (20 minutes)

A retro is a chance to reflect. You can do this on RetroTool (create a free anonymous retro and share the link with the class) or on sticky notes on a wall.

Set a timer for 5 minutes. There’s one on the RetroTool too.
Write down as many things as you can think of that you’d like to start, stop, and continue doing next sprint.
Write one point per note and keep it short.
When the timer goes off, one person should set a timer for 1 minute and group the notes into themes.
Next, set a timer for 2 minutes and all vote on the most important themes by adding a dot or a +1 to the note.
Finally, set a timer for 8 minutes and all discuss the top three themes.