Exploring Computer Science

By Joanna Goode (University of Oregon) and Gail Chapman

©University of Oregon, 2019. This is a teacher's copy of the curriculum. It is meant only for use in a single classroom. Please don't copy or share this curriculum without written permission from ECS (Exploring Computer Science).

Version 9.0

Sponsors and Supporters

This material was created with support from several grants (money given for research and educational projects) from the National Science Foundation, a U.S. government agency that funds science and education work. These grants funded different parts of the curriculum:

• A grant called "Into the Loop" helped increase computer science learning opportunities for African American, Latino/a, and female students in a large school district.
• The Introduction to Programming Unit was supported by a grant called "REAL-CS," which focused on fairness and access in high school computer science education.
• The Computing and Data Analysis Unit was supported by a grant called "MOBILIZE," which focused on teaching computer science in new ways.
• The Robotics Unit was supported by a grant called "Taste of Computing," which helped bring computer science lessons into a large urban school district.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to George Benainous, Ron Eglash, Michelle Friend, Mark Hansen, John Landa, Pat Phillips, and Don Yanek for their help.

For more information, visit www.exploringcs.org.

This version of the Exploring Computer Science curriculum may be downloaded by individual teachers for their own classroom use only. Copying or sharing it with others is not allowed.

Graphic design by Mandy Quinn.

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Table of Contents

Course Overview — page 5

• Goals
• Standards
• Prerequisites (what students should know before starting)
• Hardware
• Software

The Teaching Approach Behind Exploring Computer Science — page 7

• Curricular Approach (how the course is organized)
• Concrete Instructional Strategies (specific teaching methods)
• Teaching Methods and Professional Development — page 9
• Assessment (how student learning is checked)

Overview of the Instructional Materials — page 10

• Fidelity to Course (staying true to the course design)

Unifying Themes and Practices — page 11

Scope and Sequence (what topics are covered and in what order) — page 12

Overview Charts — page 15

Topic Descriptions and Objectives — page 21

• Unit 1: Human-Computer Interaction (4 weeks) — page 21
• Unit 2: Problem Solving (4 weeks) — page 22
• Unit 3: Web Design (5 weeks) — page 23
• Unit 4: Introduction to Programming (6 weeks) — page 24
• Unit 5: Computing and Data Analysis (6 weeks) — page 25
• Unit 6: Robotics (7 weeks) — page 26
• Social Impacts of Computing — page 27

Unit 1: Human-Computer Interaction — page 28

• Introduction
• Daily Overview Chart — page 29
• Daily Lesson Plans — page 30

Unit 2: Problem Solving — page 74

• Introduction
• Daily Overview Chart — page 75
• Daily Lesson Plans — page 76
• Final Project — page 98

Unit 3: Web Design — page 100

• Introduction
• Daily Overview Chart — page 101
• Daily Lesson Plans — page 102
• Final Project — page 122

Unit 4: Introduction to Programming — page 125

• Introduction
• Daily Overview Chart — page 126
• Daily Lesson Plans — page 127
• Final Project — page 184

Unit 5: Computing and Data Analysis — page 187

• Introduction
• Daily Overview Chart — page 188
• Daily Lesson Plans — page 189
• Final Project — page 254

Unit 6: Robotics — page 256

• Introduction
• Daily Overview Chart — page 257
• Daily Lesson Plans — page 258
• Final Project — page 291

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Exploring Computer Science: Course Overview

Goals

Exploring Computer Science (ECS) is a course designed to introduce students to the many different parts of computer science through topics that are interesting and easy to understand. Instead of spending the whole course learning one specific software tool or programming language (a set of instructions used to tell computers what to do), the course focuses on the big ideas behind computing. This helps students understand why certain tools or languages are chosen to solve certain problems.

The main goal of ECS is to help students build key computing skills: creating algorithms (step-by-step instructions for solving a problem), solving problems, and programming. Students practice these skills by working on problems connected to their own lives. Along the way, students also learn about interface design (how people interact with technology), the limits of what computers can do, and the ethical and social questions computers raise.

This course was first created for students in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Its purpose was to get more students involved in computer science across the district — especially girls and students of color, who have traditionally been underrepresented in the field. After it succeeded in Los Angeles, ECS became well-known across the country. School districts in many different places have since adopted the course through various partnerships. Reaching students who have historically had less access to computer science remains one of the most important goals of the ECS program.

Standards

The Exploring Computer Science curriculum was built around a combination of computer science content (the facts and ideas students need to know) and computational practices (the skills students need to use, like solving problems the way computer scientists do). Together, these give students a real sense of what computer scientists actually do. ECS follows both the K-12 Computer Science Framework and the CSTA Computer Science Standards — two sets of national guidelines for teaching computer science.

Prerequisites

Students should complete an Algebra course before taking ECS. This course is meant to prepare high school students for college, offering a challenging but approachable introduction to computer science. No previous experience with computer science is needed.

Hardware

The best setup for this course is a classroom with tables, chairs, and computers arranged for group work. While it's ideal for every student to have their own computer, this course is designed for teamwork, so it also works well with two students sharing one computer if there aren't enough machines for everyone.