River Valley School District Curriculum Template

Course name:  Programming & Publications

Credit(s) or Grade Level:  8th

Academic Standards:  Business and Information Technology 

Prerequisite(s):  N/A

Course Description:  Students will begin/continue working with coding/computer programming.  Learners will incorporate design principles into creative projects, including working with a desktop publishing simulation.  They will use numerous software applications.  This is a project-based learning course where students will focus on the design elements in desktop publishing working on a simulation and then transition to learning about computer science by developing their problem solving and critical thinking skills with lessons that become increasingly more challenging.

Units:

Duration:

Essential Learning/Outcomes:

Desktop Publishing:

• Desktop Publishing Vocabulary
• Design Elements of Contrast, Alignment, Repetition, and Proximity
• Design and Create Projects in a Desktop Publishing Simulation

4.5 Weeks

• Manage my computer files/folders.
• Create a business letter.
• Learn about desktop publishing vocabulary.  
• Create a Google slide presentation for vocabulary words.
• Utilize desktop publishing software to create documents using the design elements of contrast, alignment, repetition, and proximity.
• Design a 6-panel brochure about a state.
• Create and format documents in a desktop publishing simulation.

Computer Science:

• Computer Science Vocabulary
• Computer Science Lessons

4.5 Weeks

• Build my computer science vocabulary.
• Develop problem solving and critical thinking skills.
• Identify and locate bugs in a program.
• Modify an existing program to solve errors.
• Create a program.
• Work with the loop structure in programming.