Exploring Computer Science curriculum v 6.0 - 7.0 available soon!
Utah Objectives - 2015-2016
Objectives being revised for 2016-2017. Now directly taken from ECS objectives (pages 18-24)
Taste of Computing: Unit 1 days 1-3: ePortfolio
Unit 1 days 1-2: What is a computer
Unit 1 days 3-4: Buying a computer
Unit 1 days 8-9: Communication Methods
Unit 1 day 10: Telling a story with data
Unit 1 days 11-14: Cultural design tools
Unit 1 Days 15-16: Following directions
Unit 1 Days 17-19: What is intelligence
Unit 2 days 1-2: Data collection & problem solving
Unit 2 days 3, 4-6, 7-9: Candy bar, handshake, cornrows
Unit 2 days 18-21: Unit 2 Project
Unit 4 day 4: Scratch dialogue
Unit 4 days 5-6, 7-8, 9: Moving, event-driven, broadcasting
Unit 4 days 10-13: Scratch story with broadcasting
Unit 4 days 14, 15, 16-17: variables, conditionals, letter grades
Unit 4 day 18: Rock Paper Scissors
Unit 4 days 20-30: Remainder of Scratch Programming
Standard 7. Fundamental Applications (Woven throughout the course.) Students will be introduced to a variety of applications that can be used for activities at school, home, business and careers.
Objective 1: Student will gain skills and use common features and commands used by key software applications.
a. Learn and use features – shortcuts, cut, copy, paste, print, spellcheck, undo, find/replace, preferences, selection, etc.
b. Learn and apply formatting – basic text formatting, styles, etc.
c. Learn and use application document navigation – open, close, save, save as, search, views, etc.
d. Learn and work with multimedia files – input, resize, crop, rotate, etc.
e. Collaborate and share documents with others on the network, by email, or in the cloud.
Objective 4: Students will use the key application of a presentation program to create a variety of documents to present and publish project ideas and results.
a. Plan or storyboard a presentation prior to creation.
b. Design slides based on good design principles, applying layout, animations, timing, transitions, etc.
c. Insert a variety of content in a presentation – text, lists, tables, media, charts, graphics, hyperlinks, Web links, etc.
d. Manage the presentation by adding slides, deleting slides, revising the slide order, etc
e. Create projects including: ePortfolio, project proposals, project presentations, etc.
Standard 1. Interacting with Computers (4 weeks) Students are introduced to the concepts of computers and computing while investigating the major components of computers and the suitability of these components for particular applications.
Objective 1: Students will learn that "intelligent" machine behavior is not "magic" but is based on algorithms applied to useful representations of information, including large data sets.
a. Explain the differences between tasks that can and cannot be accomplished with a computer.
Standard 5: Societal Impacts of Computing (Woven throughout the course.) Students discuss how computing enables innovation in a variety of fields and the impacts that those innovations have on society. The proliferation of computers and networks raises a number of ethical issues. Technology has had both positive and negative impacts on human culture.
Objective 1: Students will be able to identify ethical behavior and articulate both sides of ethical topics.
a: Discuss issues of equity, access, and power in the context of computing resources.
Standard 6: Computing Systems (Woven throughout the course.) Students will learn that computer systems include operating systems, hardware, software and networks.
Objective 1: Students will demonstrate an understanding of basic operating system features and functions.
a: Demonstrate an understanding of an OS, its function, its relationship to hardware, common features, need for upgrades, etc.
b: Explain the difference between operation system and application software.
c: Manage computer folder and/or files and use different OS tools.
d: Understand common file types and extensions.
e: Manage OS configurations, customize desktop settings, etc.
Objective 2: Students will demonstrate an understanding of computers, computer hardware, computing devices, computer performance, peripherals, etc.
a: Identify computer hardware, peripherals, etc. and explain the functions of the item.
b: Identify different storage media – external drives, flash drives, cloud storage, etc.
c: Identify different computing devices – desktop, laptop, server, tablet, smart phone, etc.
d: Explain how computing performance is affected by memory, processor, storage, network bandwidth, etc.
e: Analyze the characteristics of hardware components to determine the applications for which they can be used.
Objective 3: Students will demonstrate an understanding of computer software and related concepts.
a: Understand software management including install, uninstall, configuration, etc.
b: Understand software licensing – freeware, shareware, open-source, End User License Agreements (EULAs), site licensing, etc.
c: Understand and use software tools – file compression, updates, disk management, virus and malware software scanners, etc.
Objective 4: Students will use problem solving skills to troubleshoot software and hardware problems.
a: Understand concepts related to software – updates, OS versions, virus or malware removal, Safe mode, Knowledge Base, Help, task management, etc.
b: Identify and explain the uses of different cables and connections used on computers.
c: Understand the need to backup a computing device to a external device, cloud, local drive, etc. and how to restore from a backup.
Standard 7. Fundamental Applications (Woven throughout the course.) Students will be introduced to a variety of applications that can be used for activities at school, home, business and careers.
Objective 3: Students will learn and use the key application of a spreadsheet to create a variety of documents to solve problems.
a. Learn and use spreadsheet layout features – insert/delete rows & columns, adjust cell sizes, change alignment, merge cells, change formatting, etc.
Standard 1 Interacting with Computers (4 weeks) Students are introduced to the concepts of computers and computing while investigating the major components of computers and the suitability of these components for particular applications.
Objective 3: Students will experiment with internet search techniques, explore a variety of websites and web applications and discuss issues of privacy and security.
a: Understand the concepts, differences, and uses of the Internet, browsers, and WWW.
b: Navigate the Internet – domains, hyperlinks, home page, forward, back, refresh, favorites, plugins, history, search, tabs, downloading, uploading, etc.
c: Evaluate the results of web searches and the reliability of information found on the Internet
Standard 7. Fundamental Applications (Woven throughout the course.) Students will be introduced to a variety of applications that can be used for activities at school, home, business and careers.
Objective 2: Students will learn and use the key application of word processing to complete a variety of tasks.
a. Learn and use document layout features – page layout, spacing, indentation, headers, footers, references, table of contents, graphics, etc.
b. Organize data in the form of lists and tables.
c. Create projects including: daily journal, project proposals, project reports, project documentation, letters, resume, etc.
Standard 1 Interacting with Computers (4 weeks) Students are introduced to the concepts of computers and computing while investigating the major components of computers and the suitability of these components for particular applications.
Objective 4: Students will demonstrate the ability to use digital communications.
a. Use email to communicate appropriately with others with proper spelling, grammar, formatting, etc.
b. Attach documents to an email to share it.
c. Understand and use appropriate real time communication for given tasks – texting, SMS, VoIP, Skype, video conference, etc[1]
Standard 5: Societal Impacts of Computing (Woven throughout the course.) Students discuss how computing enables innovation in a variety of fields and the impacts that those innovations have on society. The proliferation of computers and networks raises a number of ethical issues. Technology has had both positive and negative impacts on human culture.
Objective 1: Students will be able to identify ethical behavior and articulate both sides of ethical topics.
b: Communicate the legal and ethical concerns raised by computational innovations
Objective 2: Students study the responsibilities of software users and software developers with respect to intellectual property rights, software failures, and the piracy of software and other digital media.
b: Analyze how social and economic values influence the design and development of computing innovations.
c: Discuss privacy and security concerns related to computational innovations.
d: Explain the implications of communication as data exchange.
Objective 3: Students are introduced to the concept of open-source software development and explore its implications.
a: Describe ways in which computing enables innovation.
b: Discuss the ways in which innovations enabled by computing affect communication and problem solving.
Objective 4: Students will use problem solving skills to troubleshoot software and hardware problems.
a: Understand concepts related to software – updates, OS versions, virus or malware removal, Safe mode, Knowledge Base, Help, task management, etc.
b: Identify and explain the uses of different cables and connections used on computers.
c: Understand the need to backup a computing device to an external device, cloud, local drive, etc. and how to restore from a backup.
Standard 7. Fundamental Applications (Woven throughout the course.) Students will be introduced to a variety of applications that can be used for activities at school, home, business and careers.
Objective 2: Students will learn and use the key application of word processing to complete a variety of tasks.
a. Learn and use document layout features – page layout, spacing, indentation, headers, footers, references, table of contents, graphics, etc.
b. Organize data in the form of lists and tables.
c. Create projects including: daily journal, project proposals, project reports, project documentation, letters, resume, etc.
Standard 4 Computing and Data Analysis (3 weeks) Students explore how computing has facilitated new methods of managing and interpreting data.
Standard 1 Interacting with Computers (4 weeks) Students are introduced to the concepts of computers and computing while investigating the major components of computers and the suitability of these components for particular applications.
Objective 2: Students will learn the characteristics that make certain tasks easy or difficult for computers, and how these differ from those that humans characteristically find easy or difficult.
Standard 5: Societal Impacts of Computing (Woven throughout the course.)
Students discuss how computing enables innovation in a variety of fields and the impacts that those innovations have on society. The proliferation of computers and networks raises a number of ethical issues. Technology has had both positive and negative impacts on human culture.
Objective 1: Students will be able to identify ethical behavior and articulate both sides of ethical topics.
a: Discuss issues of equity, access, and power in the context of computing resources.
c: Explain positive and negative effects of technological innovations on human culture.
Objective 2: Students study the responsibilities of software users and software developers with respect to intellectual property rights, software failures, and the piracy of software and other digital media.
a: Analyze how computing influences and is influenced by the cultures for which they are designed and the cultures in which they are used.
Objective 3: Students are introduced to the concept of open-source software development and explore its implications.
a: Describe ways in which computing enables innovation.
Standard 1 Interacting with Computers (4 weeks) Students are introduced to the concepts of computers and computing while investigating the major components of computers and the suitability of these components for particular applications.
Objective 2: Students will learn the characteristics that make certain tasks easy or difficult for computers, and how these differ from those that humans characteristically find easy or difficult.
Standard 1. Interacting with Computers (4 weeks)
Students are introduced to the concepts of computers and computing while investigating the major components of computers and the suitability of these components for particular applications.
Objective 1: Students will learn that "intelligent" machine behavior is not "magic" but is based on algorithms applied to useful representations of information, including large data sets.
a. Explain the differences between tasks that can and cannot be accomplished with a computer.
Objective 2: Students will learn the characteristics that make certain tasks easy or difficult for computers, and how these differ from those that humans characteristically find easy or difficult.
Standard 5: Societal Impacts of Computing (Woven throughout the course.)
Students discuss how computing enables innovation in a variety of fields and the impacts that those innovations have on society. The proliferation of computers and networks raises a number of ethical issues. Technology has had both positive and negative impacts on human culture.
Objective 1: Students will be able to identify ethical behavior and articulate both sides of ethical topics.
c: Explain positive and negative effects of technological innovations on human culture.
Objective 3: Students are introduced to the concept of open-source software development and explore its implications.
a: Describe ways in which computing enables innovation.
Standard 2: Problem Solving (4 weeks) This unit focuses on developing computational thinking skills and understanding the connections between mathematics and computer science.
Objective 1: Students will be given opportunities to become "computational thinkers" by applying a variety of problem-solving techniques as they create solutions to problems that are situated in a variety of contexts.
g. Explain the characteristics of problems that cannot be solved by a computer.
Standard 4 Computing and Data Analysis (3 weeks) Students explore how computing has facilitated new methods of managing and interpreting data.
Standard 2: Problem Solving (4 weeks) This unit focuses on developing computational thinking skills and understanding the connections between mathematics and computer science.
Objective 1: Students will be given opportunities to become "computational thinkers" by applying a variety of problem-solving techniques as they create solutions to problems that are situated in a variety of contexts.
a. List and explain the steps they use in solving a problem.
b. Solve a problem by applying appropriate problem-solving techniques.
c. Communicate an algorithm to others.
d. Determine if a given algorithm successfully solves a stated problem.
c. Communicate an algorithm to others.
d. Determine if a given algorithm successfully solves a stated problem.
Standard 2: Problem Solving (4 weeks) This unit focuses on developing computational thinking skills and understanding the connections between mathematics and computer science.
Objective 2: Students will be introduced to selected topics in discrete mathematics including Boolean logic, functions, graphs and the binary number system.
a. Explain the connections between binary numbers and computers.
Standard 2: Problem Solving (4 weeks) This unit focuses on developing computational thinking skills and understanding the connections between mathematics and computer science.
Objective 1: Students will be given opportunities to become "computational thinkers" by applying a variety of problem-solving techniques as they create solutions to problems that are situated in a variety of contexts.
e. Create algorithms that meet specified objectives.
f. Compare the tradeoffs between different algorithms for solving the same problem.
Objective 2: Students will be introduced to selected topics in discrete mathematics including Boolean logic, functions, graphs and the binary number system.
b. Explore algorithms for fundamental practical problems, such as searching, sorting and finding paths in graphs.
Standard 2: Problem Solving (4 weeks) This unit focuses on developing computational thinking skills and understanding the connections between mathematics and computer science.
Objective 1: Students will be given opportunities to become "computational thinkers" by applying a variety of problem-solving techniques as they create solutions to problems that are situated in a variety of contexts.
e. Create algorithms that meet specified objectives.
f. Compare the tradeoffs between different algorithms for solving the same problem.
Objective 2: Students will be introduced to selected topics in discrete mathematics including Boolean logic, functions, graphs and the binary number system.
b. Explore algorithms for fundamental practical problems, such as searching, sorting and finding paths in graphs.
Standard 2: Problem Solving (4 weeks) This unit focuses on developing computational thinking skills and understanding the connections between mathematics and computer science.
Objective 1: Students will be given opportunities to become "computational thinkers" by applying a variety of problem-solving techniques as they create solutions to problems that are situated in a variety of contexts.
e. Create algorithms that meet specified objectives.
Objective 2: Students will be introduced to selected topics in discrete mathematics including Boolean logic, functions, graphs and the binary number system.
b. Explore algorithms for fundamental practical problems, such as searching, sorting and finding paths in graphs.
Standard 6: Computing Systems (Woven throughout the course.) Students will learn that computer systems include operating systems, hardware, software and networks.
Objective 5: Students will demonstrate a knowledge of networking concepts.
a: Understand the Internet concepts of speed, bandwidth, wired, wireless, cell wired, security, etc.
b: Understand different network types, features, and capabilities – publicly switched networks, domain name server (DNS), addressing, LAN, WAN, VPN, etc.
c: Show an understanding of common network problems, IP addressing, and how to solve simple network scenarios.
Standard 2: Problem Solving (4 weeks) This unit focuses on developing computational thinking skills and understanding the connections between mathematics and computer science.
Objective 1: Students will be given opportunities to become "computational thinkers" by applying a variety of problem-solving techniques as they create solutions to problems that are situated in a variety of contexts.
g. Explain the characteristics of problems that cannot be solved by a computer.
Standard 4 Computing and Data Analysis (3 weeks) Students explore how computing has facilitated new methods of managing and interpreting data.
Standard 3: Introduction to Programming (6 weeks) Students are introduced to some basic programming issues associated with code design and development.
Objective 1: Students design algorithms and create programming solutions to a variety of computational problems using an iterative development process in Scratch.
a. Use appropriate algorithms to solve a problem.
Standard 3: Introduction to Programming (6 weeks) Students are introduced to some basic programming issues associated with code design and development.
Objective 1: Students design algorithms and create programming solutions to a variety of computational problems using an iterative development process in Scratch.
e. Explain how a particular program functions.
f. Justify the correctness of a program.
Standard 3: Introduction to Programming (6 weeks) Students are introduced to some basic programming issues associated with code design and development.
Objective 1: Students design algorithms and create programming solutions to a variety of computational problems using an iterative development process in Scratch.
a. Use appropriate algorithms to solve a problem.
b. Design, code, test, and execute a program that corresponds to a set of specifications, with practical, personal, and/or societal intent.
c. Select appropriate programming structures.
d. Locate and correct errors in a program.
Standard 3: Introduction to Programming (6 weeks) Students are introduced to some basic programming issues associated with code design and development.
Objective 1: Students design algorithms and create programming solutions to a variety of computational problems using an iterative development process in Scratch.
e. Explain how a particular program functions.
f. Justify the correctness of a program.
Standard 3: Introduction to Programming (6 weeks) Students are introduced to some basic programming issues associated with code design and development.
Objective 1: Students design algorithms and create programming solutions to a variety of computational problems using an iterative development process in Scratch.
a. Use appropriate algorithms to solve a problem.
b. Design, code, test, and execute a program that corresponds to a set of specifications, with practical, personal, and/or societal intent.
c. Select appropriate programming structures.
d. Locate and correct errors in a program.
Standard 3: Introduction to Programming (6 weeks) Students are introduced to some basic programming issues associated with code design and development.
Objective 1: Students design algorithms and create programming solutions to a variety of computational problems using an iterative development process in Scratch.
e. Explain how a particular program functions.
f. Justify the correctness of a program.
Standard 3: Introduction to Programming (6 weeks) Students are introduced to some basic programming issues associated with code design and development.
Objective 1: Students design algorithms and create programming solutions to a variety of computational problems using an iterative development process in Scratch.
a. Use appropriate algorithms to solve a problem.
b. Design, code, test, and execute a program that corresponds to a set of specifications, with practical, personal, and/or societal intent.
c. Select appropriate programming structures.
d. Locate and correct errors in a program.
Standard 3: Introduction to Programming (6 weeks) Students are introduced to some basic programming issues associated with code design and development.
Objective 1: Students design algorithms and create programming solutions to a variety of computational problems using an iterative development process in Scratch.
e. Explain how a particular program functions.
f. Justify the correctness of a program.
See additional activities below. Teachers should use these activities anytime there is extra time at the end of the class period or half-days.
*Use Utahfutures.org, browse careers, choose a career that interests you, describe how computers and technology are employed in that career.
* Have them do a jigsaw activity where they get into groups and look up different jobs at the same company and present their findings to the class (many of the companies have fun videos on what it is like to work at their company and you can show that as a starter) and then have them look at what the different positions do, the necessary skills (not all need programming or even a specific language), education, travel, onsite benefits
* Show videos on careers.
[1] Add VoIP, Skype and video conferencing to the Communication Methods Chart on ECS curriculum, page 49-50.