3-6

Foundational Computer Science Lessons

ALL elementary students should have access to essential foundational computer science learning.

This section is intended for use by 3-6 grade core classes. Core teachers are expected to integrate computer science in every classroom and for every student. Using the code.org curriculum makes it easy to facilitate learning essential concepts. Then, teachers are encouraged to collaborate with the computer specialty teacher to provide opportunities for integrated projects.

We ask that each teacher create a Code.org class for their students.

  1. Create a Code.org class for your students.

2. Plan to dedicate 30 minutes once a month so ALL students have the opportunity to progress through the lessons. Additionally, students could be encouraged to progress at their own pace through the lessons as a self-start or fast finisher activity on an ongoing basis. Embedded videos and lesson scaffolds make it accessible for students to learn independently.

3. Have fun learning along with your students. You don't have to know all of the answers to facilitate learning experiences.

4. Provide periodic whole class instruction (i.e. Unplugged lessons) to reinforce core concepts. See links for your grade level below.

5. Computer Specialty teachers will provide additional specific Computer Science instruction that can be built on by core teachers. Core teachers and computer specialty teachers are encouraged to work together to coordinate at least one integration project. See below for project ideas to integrate CS into your curriculum.

Code.org UnPlugged lessons

Relay Programming

*Pre-Req: Graph Paper Programming Lesson

More Unplugged Lessons

CS Integration Lesson ideas

Figurative Language

Use this lesson as a creative way to engage students in demonstrating one or more types of figurative language, including similes, metaphors, hyperbole, personification, idioms, and more.

Extensions/Integrations

  • Simile

  • Metaphor

  • Idiom

  • Hyperbole

  • Personification

Interactive Presentation

Use this lesson to teach students how to present reports, research, science demonstration, etc. with text, images and animation in a way that engages an audience and encourages collaboration.

Extensions/Integrations

  • Design an interactive model of a science concept (eg water cycle, solar system, moon phases, phases of matter, etc.)

  • Create an interactive report about a person, county, state, or country.

Samples

Characterization

Use this lesson to program a conversation between two characters. You can use this lesson to support teaching students about dialogue and how it advances the plot of a story.

Extensions/Integrations

  • Interview character from a story or a famous person from history.

Narration

In this lesson students work with a partner to each create a project that tells the same story but from two different points of view. THIS IS PRESENTED AS A PAIR PROGRAMMING ACTIVITY.

Extensions/Integrations

  • Choose a topic for argumentative / persuasive discussion. Have characters present their point of view.

FAQ

Computer Teachers will set up student accounts. Classroom teachers can be added as a co-teacher to see student progress and assign lessons following the instructions below.

Facilitation helps for CS First

Say:

  • Can you show me what you’ve created so far?

  • What blocks are you using?

  • What did you learn when you watched this video?

  • How would you explain the code in your project to a younger student or younger sibling?


Tips:

  • What’s something else that you could potentially do to this sprite or backdrop?

  • If I changed [choose a value or block] to [choose another value or block], what do you think would happen? Let’s test that hypothesis. What happened?

  • Tell me about the program you made today.

  • Leverage the expertise of your students. Instead of answering student questions directly, open it up to the class to see if other students have suggestions, solutions, or a workaround.

  • On all CS First videos, written transcripts, closed captions, and playback speed (Slow, Normal, and Fast) are available options to students. These features may help your students absorb the information in a way that better aligns with their learning style.

Helps:

  • Remember on every lesson page, there is a "Materials" tab. When you click the tab, there is a tile to open a printed Lesson Plan. At the end of the printed lesson plan, there is solution guide with sample code images that show possible algorithms that can be used in the projects.