Spatial Sense and Coding--
Students develop spatial sense as they engage in activities that explore directional movement – over, under, through, and around. They begin to develop coding skills as they plan a path, create wearable code, and code an interactive robotic device. Using the engineering design process, students create code that will lead them to the location of a hidden item.
Animals and Algorithms--
Students explore the nature of computers and the ways humans control and use technology. Starting with an unplugged activity, students learn about the sequential nature of computer programs. Students are inspired by a story in which Angelina, Mylo, and Suzi make videos to teach preschoolers about animals in their habitats. Then, students work in small groups to design and program a simple digital animation about an animal in its habitat.
Light: Observing the Sun, Moon, and Stars--
After observing the sun, moon, and stars, students identify and describe patterns in their recorded data. Students are introduced to the design problem, which challenges students to create a playground structure designed to protect students from ultraviolet radiation. Students utilize their knowledge of light to design, build, and test structures created to solve this problem. Students then evaluate their designs, share their findings, and explore ideas to improve their structures based on the testing data.
Grids and Games--
In this module, students explore the sequential nature of computer programs through hands-on activities, both with and without a digital device. In a life-size board game, students write a program using directional cards and repeat loops to program Rosie the Robotic Dog to move through a maze. Then, students develop an understanding of computer science, computer scientists, and the impacts of computing.
After building an understanding of computer science, students create programs using a block-based programming language. Students follow the Use-Modify-Create Framework to write programs with sequences, loops, and triggers. Applying skills and knowledge learned from the activities and project, students work together to design and program a game that can be played on a digital device.
Programming Patterns--
Students explore control structures such as events, loops, and conditionals. These structures specify the sequence in which instructions are executed within a program. Starting with computer-free activities and progressing to programming in a block-based language on a device, students learn how to think computationally about a program. In the design problem, Angelina, Mylo, and Suzi are challenged to use computer programming to write a story with different endings. Combining their writing and programming skills, students develop interactive stories on a device with multiple plots.
Input/Output: Computer Systems--
In this unit, students are challenged to learn about block coding. Students participate in a class hackathon and follow the design process to design a game for children to play on a digital device. Students document their progress in their PLTW Launch Logs, share their games with others to receive peer feedback, and evaluate the success of their programs.
Infection Detection--(First 10 weeks)
Students explore transmission of infection, agents of disease, and mechanisms the body uses to stay healthy. Through a simulation, they compare communicable and non-communicable diseases. In the design problem, Suzi comes down with a fever and sore throat, and her friends wonder how this illness might have spread across the school. Students tackle the design problem by examining evidence to deduce the agent of infection, the likely source of the outbreak, and the path of transmission through a school. They design and run an experiment related to limiting the spread of germs and apply results to propose appropriate prevention methods.
Earth's Water and Interconnected Systems--(Second 10 weeks)
Students learn about Earth’s systems: the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere. Students examine how these systems interact and examine the role of gravity within each system. They take an in-depth look at how the processes of the water cycle intersect with each of the systems and apply this knowledge to investigate factors that impact the rate of evaporation. Students use the design process to develop a method for producing clean drinking water from samples of contaminated water.
Robotics and Automation: Challenge--
Students expand their understanding of robotics as they explore mechanical design and computer programming. This module focuses on developing skills needed to build and program autonomous robots. Angelina, Mylo, and Suzi are tasked with designing an automatic-guided vehicle to deliver supplies to a specific area in a hospital without being remotely controlled by a person. Inspired by this design problem, students work with a group to apply their knowledge to design, build, test, and refine a mobile robot that meets a set of design constraints.