Grade 2 CS Curriculum

These terms build on the basics from Grade 1, focusing more on how systems work together and how we can work smarter:

• Iteration / Loop (The "Repeat"): Telling a computer to do the same set of steps more than once so you don't have to write them out every time.

• Input (The "In"): How we give information to a computer, like clicking a mouse, typing a key, or speaking into a microphone.

• Output (The "Out"): How the computer gives information back to us, like showing an image on a screen or playing a sound through speakers.

• Constant (The "Stay-the-Same"): A piece of information that never changes, like the number of days in a week.

• Variable (The "Changeable"): A label for information that can change, like the score in a game or today's temperature.

• Bias (The "Unfairness"): When data is collected in a way that doesn't show the whole picture, leading to an unfair result or decision.

• Machine Learning (The "Training"): The process of giving a computer lots of data so it can learn to recognize patterns on its own.

In Grade 2, students move toward efficiency and ethical thinking. They start learning how to make their instructions shorter and smarter, while also considering how the technology they use affects the people around them.

• Students will learn how to use "Loops" to be more efficient. Instead of writing the same instruction over and over, students learn iteration. They find steps that repeat and tell the computer to "repeat this three times," which makes their code shorter and cleaner.

• Students will learn how to "train" a computer. Students go behind the scenes of Artificial Intelligence to see how we use data to teach a machine how to recognize things or make decisions.

• Students will learn to think about "Fairness" in data. Not all information is perfect! Students start to look for bias—learning that if the data we collect is incomplete or unfair, the computer’s "answer" might be wrong or unfair, too.

• Students will learn how hardware "talks" to us. Children explore the relationship between Input and Output. They learn that when they do something (like touch a screen), the computer's "brain" processes it and shows a result (like a picture or a sound).

• Students will learn that online actions have real results. Students explore how what we do in a digital space can have consequences in the physical world, emphasizing the importance of being kind and responsible online.

• Students will learn how their interests connect to careers. Children begin to see that computer science isn't just for "tech people." They investigate how artists, doctors, and builders use computer science in their specific jobs.

• Students will learn about computer science's global history. Students look at how people from different cultures and time periods have invented tools to solve problems, helping them see that everyone can be a designer and an inventor.

TIP: You can practice "Input and Output" with everyday objects! For example, a toaster’s input is pushing the lever down, and the output is hot toast. A doorbell’s input is a finger pressing the button, and the output is a "ding-dong" sound!