Computer Science

In this unit students will be introduced to basic computer science concepts.

Computer science (CS) vocabulary
Algorithmic thinking
Beginning/basics of programming

Standards

5. Computational Thinker - Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.

Objectives

Students will understand basic computer science vocabulary, and begin to grasp the concepts behind coding. In this unit the will:

Complete vocabulary assignments in a Pear Deck
Create a flowchart for a simple task.
Write code for the "mood" of a poem in an Hour of Code lesson
Write Javascript code to create shapes and colors
Write code for a combat game.

Vocabulary

	This button links to a list of computer science vocabulary terms.
	This is a vocabulary flashcard set created in Pear Deck that uses select terms from the previous list. Click the blue "Copy to my Drive" button to get a set of flachcards to use with your students.
	This button links to a page that gives instructions on using the Pear Deck Flashcards.

Resources

This video shows an example of creating an algorithm using a list and a flowchart. This assignment can be done using paper and pencil or Google Drawings file.

The links below take you to several different apps' pages that have coding lessons for students to complete.

	This button links to Code Monster, which is a site that teaches students to write code in Javascript.
	This is a self-contained lesson from Hour of Code where students will code the mood of a poem. Students will need to sign in to have the site save their work. They should use their school Google account.
	This is another self-contained lesson from Hour of Code where students will code players in a combat game. Again, sign in to have work saved.

Note: The apps selected on this page are a small sample of what is available. There are many free, powerful coding apps and more are being released all the time. The above apps were chosen because they are age appropriate and have been vetted for use by our district's tech department. It is very important that apps we use with kids are secure, and that they do not collect or use student data in violation of state law. If you know of a web-based app that you want to use with students, make sure that it meets the standards for protecting students' data privacy. Please check with Tim Pappendorf (our head of Tech), and Katie Dorr (our district's technology integration specialist).

Lesson resources for 6th grade technology class at LaVenture Middle School, 2023