Teacher guide — Module 3 (2 periods)¶
Goal: students make real commits with a GUI and can say where a change is (working copy, staging area, history).
Setup (before class, once per PC): Git and VS Code (or GitHub Desktop) installed from the Tier 1 USB kit. Then run:
git config --global user.name "Student 07"
git config --global user.email "s07@example.invalid"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
Use a different number per PC; never students' real emails. Copy g08-class-magazine.bundle to each PC (see practice-repos/g08-class-magazine/README.md) and test one clone yourself.
Timing: P1: hook 5, concept "three places" 15, see-it demo 5, lab steps 1–4 (15). P2: lab steps 5–8 (25), Parsons 5, free-resource exercise 1 or 4 (5), exit 5.
Teaching the three places¶
Draw the three boxes on the board and keep them there all period. Every time a student asks "where is my change?", point to a box. Physical version: three trays on your desk labelled working copy, box, history; move a paper slip through them as you demonstrate.
Common errors¶
| Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|
| "Please tell me who you are" | the git config commands above |
| Folder opened one level too high | open the folder that contains article.md |
| Commit button greyed out | nothing staged; stage a file first |
| Message empty, commit fails | write a message |
| Confusion: save vs commit | point back to the three-places picture; say "Ctrl+S is not a commit" |
| VS Code asks "stage all changes and commit directly?" | fine to say yes in Grade 8, but explain it skipped the box |
LF will be replaced by CRLF warning |
harmless on Windows; ignore |
git log seems stuck |
it opened a pager; press q |
Fallbacks¶
- One computer: teacher drives with the projector; pairs sit with the paper cards and predict each result before you click.
- No computer (Tier 0): repeat the Module 2 cards with three-places labels: a tray for the working sheet, an envelope for "staged", the card row for history.
- Power cut mid-lab: files already committed are safe. Uncommitted edits may be lost if the editor had not saved them. Use it as a teaching moment after power returns: run
git statusand see what survived.
Differentiation¶
- Support: a printed step card with screenshots of the VS Code Source Control panel; pair a confident driver with an anxious navigator first, then swap.
- Stretch: free-resource exercise 4 (new repo from scratch) and lab step 6 (stage only part of a file).
Evidence to collect¶
Ask each pair to write git log --oneline (or the history list) in their notebook. Look for ≥ 3 new commits with verb-first messages.
Answer key¶
- Exit 1: the staging area. 2: because it is only in the working copy until it is staged and committed. 3: False.
- Parsons: edit (then Ctrl+S) → add → commit → status says nothing to commit.
- Free-resource 2: Ctrl+Enter in the message box commits (check your VS Code version; it may differ).
- Free-resource 3: VS Code shows messages, changed files, author and dates; the game shows only the graph.
Extension quest¶
Use git log --oneline and match each line to a card from Module 2.