Computer Science Discoveries is appropriate for 6 - 10th grade students and can be taught as a semester or year long introductory course (3-5 hours per week of instruction for 9+ weeks). The course takes a wide lens on computer science by covering topics such as programming, physical computing, HTML/CSS, and data. The course inspires students as they build their own websites, apps, games, and physical computing devices. Our curriculum is available at no cost for anyone, anywhere to teach. For more information about our goals and approach to our courses, please see our curriculum values and our professional learning values.
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Code.org offers hands-on workshops and online support. Over 80,000 teachers have been through our professional development workshops and thousands more attend every month. Whether you’re brand new to computer science or an experienced tech teacher looking for the best way to use the Code.org curriculum, our Professional Learning Program is a great way to get started. And teachers love it! Over 90% rank it the best professional development ever.
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CS Discoveries was written using both the K-12 Framework for Computer Science and the newly revised 2017 CSTA standards as guidance. Currently, every lesson in CS Discoveries contains mappings to the relevant 2017 CSTA standards. The summary of of all CSTA 2017 mappings can be found at curriculum.code.org/csd/standards
Our middle and high school programs offer year-round support. The program kicks off with a 5-day summer workshop where you'll have an opportunity to work hands-on with the curriculum and meet other teachers from your area. Throughout the year, we offer online support for upcoming units, forum support, and follow up workshops. You don't need any prior computer science experience to get started. And teachers love it! 90% rank it the best professional development ever. Click here to learn more.
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CS Discoveries consists of two semesters that build on each other. Schools can choose to teach a single semester, two sequential semesters, or a single, year-long course. For courses that meet fewer than three hours a week or last for less than a trimester, we recommend CS Fundamentals Express, a 30+ hour course that covers the foundational concepts of programming.
Some schools may want to use parts of the CS Discoveries curriculum without running an entire semester of the course. We always suggest starting with at least the first chapter of Unit 1 to build the classroom culture and problem solving skills the rest of the course depends on. Afterwards, students can move on to any of Units 2 - 5, either completing the entire unit or stopping at the end of the Chapter 1 project. Because of the programming knowledge required for Unit 6, students should only attempt it after completing Unit 3.
This course requires that students have access to computers with a modern web browser. At this time, our courses are not optimized for tablets or mobile devices. For more details, check out Code.org's technology requirements.
In addition to computer access, you'll need:
Participants in our 2018-19 Professional Learning Program who are teaching in schools with 40%+ free and reduced meal rates are eligible to receive a subsidized Adafruit Circuit Playground classroom kit if they are implementing the full course. This kit contains 15 boards and accessories and supports a classroom of 30 students, assuming a 2:1 ratio of students to boards. To learn more about the classroom kit, software requirements, and the details of the subsidy visit code.org/circuitplayground
CS Discoveries is designed to fit naturally between our CS Fundamentals courses and our CS Principles course. While each of these courses is designed to be an age-appropriate entry point to computer science, students with previous experience will find many new topics to explore, and they will revisit familiar topics in novel and more challenging contexts.