drwjkirkpatrick-web/mako-coders-curriculum

52-week coding curriculum for Kenyan learners, aligned to Kenya's CBE framework. Marine life themed. Final project: Mako Shark Expedition. # Mako Coders Curriculum > *A 52-week, once-per-week coding curriculum for Kenyan learners, aligned to Kenya’s Competency-Based Education (CBE) framework and inspired by the real marine life of the Kenyan coast. Final project: the Mako Shark Expedition.* --- ## Quick facts | Item | Detail | |------|--------| | **Target learners** | CBE Junior School (Grade 7–9) and Senior School STEM beginners | | **Session length** | 2 hours, once per week, with one 10-minute break | | **Total weeks** | 52 | | **Final project** | Mako Shark Expedition — a conservation-themed game/dashboard | | **Themes** | Kenyan ocean wildlife: spinner dolphins, sea turtles, whale sharks, dugongs, coral reefs, mangroves, and the shortfin mako shark | | **Tool progression** | Scratch 3 → Python + Turtle → micro:bit → Python + Pygame Zero | | **Pedagogy** | CBE strands + RPF Digital Making (Design, Code, Create, Connect, Evaluate) | --- ## What makes this curriculum different 1. **Kenyan context first.** Every module uses a real species documented off the Kenyan coast, with local (Swahili) names and conservation notes from sources such as IFAW, Kenya Wildlife Service, and WCS. 2. **CBE-aligned from day one.** Each lesson maps to a CBE strand, develops the 7 core competencies, and uses the BE/AE/ME/EE rubric. 3. **Offline-ready.** The curriculum assumes intermittent connectivity. Scratch offline editor, Python on Raspberry Pi / old laptops, and micro:bit simulators are all valid pathways. 4. **Final project with purpose.** The Mako Shark Expedition teaches learners to combine loops, conditionals, functions, data, and conservation messaging into a playable or explorable artifact. 5. **Built-in assessment for two age bands.** Every lesson includes an Extra Credit Challenge, a Homework Assignment, and two 10-question quizzes — one for ages 10–13 and one for ages 14–17. The quizzes are code-focused and mapped to CBE strands, with answer keys and auto-scoring through the local dashboard. --- ## R …