Course D
Course D was created for students who read at roughly a third grade level. Angles and mathematical concepts are introduced with helpful videos and hints.
The course begins with a review of the concepts found in Courses A, B, and C. This review helps introduce or refresh basic ideas such as repeat loops and events. Students will develop their understanding of algorithms, nested loops, while loops, conditionals, and events. Lessons on digital citizenship are also included. This course is crafted to build a strong foundation of basic concepts before opening up to a wide range of new and exciting topics.
Modifications for Virtual and Socially-Distanced Classrooms
Are you teaching in a virtual setting or in a socially-distanced classroom?
Check out our modifications for Course D for suggestions and resources to modify the curriculum as needed for your current teaching situation.
Journaling
The lessons in this course include journaling prompts. Journals are also useful as scratch paper for building, debugging, and strategizing. Journals can become a fantastic resource for referencing previous answers when struggling with more complex problems.
Think Spot Journal Student Handout
Debugging
From beginners to professionals, debugging is an essential yet often underrated practice. It is likely that your students will find most of their "coding" time is actually spent fixing bugs! To encourage students to take ownership of this practice, we provide this handy reference they can use while coding. Please consult the "Debugging" section of our CS Fundamentals Curriculum Guide for more information on this, as well as other debugging facilitation strategies for your classroom.
Debugging Guide Student Handout
Sequencing
Lesson 1: Graph Paper Programming
Unplugged | Sequencing
- Warm Up (10 min)
- Main Activity (30 min)
- Wrap Up (15 min)
- Optional Assessment (10 min)
- Extended Learning
In this lesson, you will program your classmate to draw pictures!
Teacher Links: Lesson in Action Video | Worksheet Answer Key | Assessment Answer Key Student Links: Activity Worksheet | Unplugged Video | Assessment
Lesson 2: Introduction to Online Puzzles
Skill Building | Sequencing
- Warm Up (10 min)
- Bridging Activities - Programming (10 min)
- Main Activity (30 min)
- Wrap Up (10 min)
This lesson will give you practice in the skills you will need for this course.
Student Links: Student Video
Lesson 3: Relay Programming
Unplugged | Sequencing
- Warm Up (15 min)
- Main Activity (20 min)
- Wrap Up (15 min)
- Extended Learning
Remember at the beginning of the course when you made drawings with code? In this lesson, you will be working with a team to do something very similar!
Teacher Links: Worksheet Answer Key | Teacher Debugging Image | Teacher Video Student Links: Worksheet | Unplugged Video | Activity Packet
Lesson 4: Debugging with Laurel
Skill Building | Sequencing
- Warm Up (15 min)
- Bridging Activities - Debugging (15 min)
- Main Activity (30 min)
- Wrap Up (15 min)
Have you ever run into problems while coding? In this lesson, you will learn about the secrets of debugging. Debugging is the process of finding and fixing problems in your code.
Student Links: Activity Packet | Manipulatives
Events
Lesson 5: Events in Bounce
Skill Building | Events
- Warm Up (10 min)
- Main Activity (30 min)
- Wrap Up (10 min)
- Extended Learning
Ever wish you could play video games in school? In this lesson, you will get to make your own!
Teacher Links: Slide Deck
Lesson 6: Build a Star Wars Game
Skill Building | Events
- Warm Up (15 min)
- Main Activity (30 min)
- Wrap Up (15 min)
Feel the force as you build your own Star Wars game in this lesson.
Lesson 7: Dance Party
End of Course Project
- Getting Started (5 minutes)
- Activity (30-45 minutes)
- Wrap Up (5 minutes)
- Assessment (2 minutes)
Time to celebrate! In this lesson, you will program your own interactive dance party.
Teacher Links: Student Links: Worksheet
Loops
Lesson 8: Loops in Ice Age
Skill Building | Loops
- Warm Up - The Unplugged Foundation (10 min)
- Online Foundation: Preview Loops in Ice Age
- Main Activity (30 min)
- Wrap Up (5 - 10 min)
- Extended Learning
In this lesson you'll use the repeat block to help Scrat reach the acorn as efficiently as possible.
Student Links: Student Video | Emotion Images
Lesson 9: Drawing Shapes with Loops
Skill Building | Loops
- Warm Up (15 min)
- Main Activity (30 min)
- Wrap Up (15 min)
In this lesson, loops make it easy to make cool images with the Artist!
Lesson 10: Nested Loops in Maze
Skill Building | Loops
- Warm Up (10 min)
- Main Activity (30 min)
- Wrap Up (15 min)
Loops inside loops inside loops. What does this mean? This lesson will teach you what happens when you create a nested loop.
Conditionals
Lesson 11: Conditionals with Cards
Unplugged | Conditionals
- Warm Up (20 min)
- Main Activity (20 min)
- Wrap Up (15 min)
- Assessment (5 min)
- Extended Learning
It's time to play a game where you earn points only under certain conditions!
Teacher Links: Lesson in Action Video | Teacher Prep Guide | Assessment Video | Assessment Answer Key Student Links: Unplugged Video | Assessment
Lesson 12: If/Else with Bee
Skill Building | Conditionals
- Warm Up (10 min)
- Bridging Activity - Conditionals (15 min)
- Main Activity (30 min)
- Wrap Up (15 min)
- Extended Learning
Now that you understand conditionals, it's time to program Bee to use them when collecting honey and nectar.
Student Links: Manipulatives
Lesson 13: While Loops in Farmer
Skill Building | Conditionals
- Warm Up (10 min)
- Bridging Activity (15 min)
- Main Activity (30 min)
- Wrap Up (15 min)
Loops are so useful in coding. This lesson will teach you about a new kind of loop: while loops!
Teacher Links: Teacher Prep Guide Student Links: Manipulatives
Lesson 14: Until Loops in Maze
Skill Building | Conditionals
- Warm Up (10 min)
- Main Activity (30 min)
- Wrap Up (15 min)
You can do some amazing things when you use until loops!
Lesson 15: Harvesting with Conditionals
Skill Building | Conditionals
- Warm Up (5 min)
- Main Activity (30 min)
- Wrap Up (15 min)
It's not always clear when to use each conditional. This lesson will help you get practice deciding what to do.
Binary
Lesson 16: Binary Images
Unplugged | Binary
- Warm Up (10 min)
- Main Activity (20 min)
- Wrap Up (10 min)
- Assessment (10 min)
- Extended Learning
Learn how computers store pictures using a language with only two options.
Teacher Links: Assessment Answer Key Student Links: Unplugged Video | Worksheet | Assessment
Lesson 17: Binary Images with Artist
Skill Building | Binary
- Warm Up (15)
- Main Activity (30)
- Wrap Up (15)
In this lesson, you will learn how to make images using only 0s and 1s.
Digital Citizenship
Lesson 18: Be A Super Digital Citizen
Unplugged | Online Safety
- Warm Up: Secret Superhero (5 min)
- Learn: Being an Upstander (10 min)
- Create: Your Digital Citizen Superhero (15 min)
- Wrap Up: Save the Day! Comic Strip (15 min)
- Extended Learning
Learn how you can be an upstander when you see cyberbullying.
Teacher Links: Slide Deck | Student Handout | Website Student Links: Student Video | Student Handout | Student Handout | Form
End of Course Project
Lesson 19: End of Course Project
End of Course Project
- Warm Up (10 min)
- Main Activity (25 min)
- Wrap Up (10 min)
Get those hands ready for plenty of coding! It's time to start building your project.