MASSACHUSETTS K-12 Computer Science Curriculum Guide October 2017 MassCAN Massachusetts Computing Attainment Network MASSACHUSETTS K-12 COMPUTER SCIENCE CURRICULUM GUIDE The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Education, under James Peyser, Secretary of Education, funded the development of this guide. Anne DeMallie, Computer Science and STEM Integration Specialist at Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, provided help as a partner, writer, and coordinator of crosswalks to the Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science Standards. Steve Vinter, Tech Leadership Advisor and Coach, Google, wrote the section titled “What Are Computer Science and Digital Literacy?” Padmaja Bandaru and David Petty, Co-Presidents of the Greater Boston Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), supported the engagement of CSTA members as writers and reviewers of this guide. Jim Stanton and Farzeen Harunani EDC and MassCAN Editors Editing and design services provided by Digital Design Group, EDC. An electronic version of this guide is available on the EDC website (https://go.edc.org/MA-k12-CS-CG). This version includes hyperlinks to many resources. Massachusetts K-12 Computer Science Curriculum Guide | iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS GUIDE ................................................... VII INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................1 WHAT ARE COMPUTER SCIENCE AND DIGITAL LITERACY? .................. 2 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CURRICULA AND TOOLS .................................... 5 Computer Science Fundamentals ............................................................................................................................... 6 KIBO Robot Kits .................................................................................................................................................................. 8 LEGO WeDo Construction Kit ......................................................................................................................................10 Elementary School Computer Science ..................................................................................................................... 12 PLTW Launch ......................................................................................................................................................................14 ScratchJr ...............................................................................................................................................................................18 STEM+C Integrated Modules .......................................................................................................................................20 MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULA AND TOOLS ........................................... 23 Bootstrap .............................................................................................................................................................................24 Codecademy ......................................................................................................................................................................28 Creative Computing Curriculum .................................................................................................................................30 Computer Science Discoveries....................................................................................................................................32 Edison Robots ...................................................................................................................................................................34 Finch Robot .......................................................................................................................................................................36 Khan Academy Computing ..........................................................................................................................................38 LEGO Mindstorms EV3 ................................................................................................................................................ 40 Micro:bit’s Intro to CS ....................................................................................................................................................44 Middle School Pathways in Computer Science .....................................................................................................46 Middle Years Computer Science .................................................................................................................................48 STEM: Explore, Discover, Apply ..................................................................................................................................50 PLTW Gateway ..................................................................................................................................................................54 Project Growing Up Thinking Scientifically (GUTS) ............................................................................................58 Zulama Game Design Fundamentals ....................................................................................................................... 60 Massachusetts K-12 Computer Science Curriculum Guide | v HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULA AND TOOLS ................................................63 AP Computer Science A ................................................................................................................................................64 Computational Thinking and Problem Solving ....................................................................................................66 AP Computer Science Principles Overview ...........................................................................................................68 Beauty and Joy of Computing ....................................................................................................................................70 Code.org Computer Science Principles ................................................................................................................... 72 Mobile Computer Science Principles ........................................................................................................................ 74 Exploring Computer Science ......................................................................................................................................76 NICERC Cyber and Computer Science ....................................................................................................................78 PLTW High School Computer Science .....................................................................................................................82 Zulama Computer Science Program of Study ......................................................................................................86 CONSOLIDATED PROPERTIES CHART ..................................................... 88 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................89 vi | Massachusetts K-12 Computer Science Curriculum Guide ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THIS GUIDE AMSA: Advanced Math and Science Academy Mass. DLCS standards: Massachusetts’ Digital Literacy and Computer Science Standards AP: Advanced Placement Mbps: megabits per second API: application program interface MCAS: Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System Common Core: Common Core State Standards for (statewide standards-based test) Mathematics and English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects MOOC: massive open online course CS: computer science NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards CSP: Computer Science Principles (AP course) NICE: National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education CSS: Cascading Style Sheets NSF: National Science Foundation CSTA: Computer Science Teachers Association OS: operating system DESE: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and PD: professional development Secondary Education PLTW: Project Lead the Way EDC: Education Development Center, Inc. SQL: Structured Query Language GML: Geography Markup Language STEAM: science, technology, engineering, the arts, and HDMI: high-definition video device mathematics HTML: Hyper Text Markup Language STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics IDE: integrated development environment STEM+C: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, plus computing iOS: iPhone Operating System STL: Standards for Technological Literacy ISTE: International Society for Technology in Education USB: Universal Serial Bus IT: information technology VGA: Video Graphics Array LED: light-emitting diode XML: eXtensible Markup Language MassCAN: Massachusetts Computing Attainment Network Massachusetts K-12 Computer Science Curriculum Guide | vii INTRODUCTION Jim Stanton & Farzeen Harunani most) of the curricula in this guide and will be available on the DESE website (http://www.doe.mass.edu/stem/ Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC), and the dlcs/?section=planningtools)2. Massachusetts Computing Attainment Network (MassCAN) collaborated with the Massachusetts Executive Office of We recruited a diverse group of experts from around Education, the Massachusetts Department of Elementary the state and beyond—from teachers to engineers and Secondary Education (DESE), and the Greater Boston