Assignment 1: You Belong Here

Welcome to Git Going with GitHub! This is your private learning repository for Day 1. Everything you do here is yours -- experiment freely.

What You Will Do Today

During the live Day 1 core path, you will practice the skills needed to make your first browser-based GitHub contribution. If the room needs more time, later challenges can continue during open lab time or after the event.

  • Navigate a real GitHub repository using your screen reader
  • File your first issue describing something you noticed
  • Communicate with teammates using @mentions and comments
  • Create a branch to work in safely
  • Make your first commit to a file
  • Open a pull request linking your work to an issue
  • Learn how merge conflicts work, with live support if time allows
  • Reflect on open source culture and communication, live or asynchronously
  • Merge a pull request into the main branch, or leave with clear next steps to finish it

Challenges

Complete these challenges in order. Each one builds on the previous. When you close a challenge issue, the Student Progression Bot automatically opens your next challenge. The live agenda prioritizes Challenges 1-6; Challenges 7-9 are available as stretch or async follow-up.

Challenge What You Do Chapter
1. Find Your Way Around Explore the repository structure and locate key files Chapter 3
2. File Your First Issue Create an issue describing something you noticed Chapter 5
3. Join the Conversation Mention a teammate or bot using @mentions Chapter 5
4. Branch Out Create a feature branch for your work Chapter 4
5. Make Your Mark Edit a file and commit with a clear message Chapter 4
6. Open Your First Pull Request Open a PR that references an issue with Closes #N Chapter 6
7. Survive a Merge Conflict Understand and fix conflict markers Chapter 7
8. The Culture Layer Reflect on community norms and communication Chapter 8
9. Merge Day Get your PR reviewed, approved, and merged Chapter 10

Automated Checks

Challenges 2, 5, 6, and 7 have automated checks that run as GitHub Actions inside your repo:

  • Challenge 2: Verifies you have filed at least one issue
  • Challenge 5: Verifies at least one commit exists on a non-default branch
  • Challenge 6: Verifies your PR body contains Closes, Fixes, or Resolves
  • Challenge 7: Verifies no merge conflict markers remain in docs/

Each check posts a single comment on the relevant issue or pull request and updates it whenever you push a new change. If a check fails, read the comment and push an update.

Evidence

Each challenge has an issue that the Student Progression Bot creates for you. Complete the challenge, leave a comment with your evidence, and close the issue to unlock the next one.

If You Get Stuck

Every chapter has an "If You Get Stuck" section with specific troubleshooting steps. Start there.

You can also:

  • Ask your assigned buddy or study group
  • Post a question on the issue thread
  • Mention @gandalf-bot in a comment for a workspace check
  • Ask a facilitator for help -- that is what they are here for

After Day 1

When you complete all 9 challenges, you have the foundation for everything in Day 2 -- or for contributing to any open source project on your own. These skills are yours permanently.

Continuing to Day 2? See the Day 2 assignment for what comes next.

Day 1 is your only day? Everything you learned today is complete and self-contained. See the Next Steps guide for how to continue your GitHub journey independently.

Bonus Challenges

If you finish early, check the Challenges page for bonus challenges A through E.

Authoritative Sources

Use these official references when you need the current source of truth for facts in this chapter.

Section-Level Source Map

Use this map to verify facts for each major section in this file.