Standard 12: School/program provides high quality STEM courses and curriculum aligned to recognized standards and organized into interdisciplinary frameworks.
Concept 1: The STEM curriculum is mapped and aligned to formally adopted and recognized standards and/or benchmarks.
The Computer Science classes have been organized around a multitude of standards. Our starting point for standards is always our State Standards provided by the Georgia Department of Education unless the class is an Advanced Placement (AP) class in which we default to the College Board. However, we also like to take concepts from National groups like ISTE. Our final list of standards comes from the Microsoft Technology Associate Certification Exam. Although there is overlap in the MTA Exam and our state standards, there is still content that is different and must be added. We are looking into ways to stretch out the curriculum over many years. We have had many vertical planning meeting with all Computer Science teachers in our district to plan which skills and competencies can be taught at various levels.
State Standards
AP Standards
Other Standards
Unit Plans
Concept 2: The STEM curriculum is organized around multiple real world, interdisciplinary problem- and /or project based units of study.
App Design
Each class in the Computer Science pathway has an app design unit. This allows the students to be familiar with the process before reaching the capstone class where we typically like to publish an app to the marketplace. The app design unit introduces students to various prototypes commonly seen in programming. After they feel comfortable with the content, we encourage them to work together with other students to develop a new version of the app. The categories include Community, School or Self. Each group will make one app for each category. That allows the students to take the original prototype and transform it into something that is relevant to them. Usually students think about the classes that they are in and try to develop a helpful study aid. Others try to create apps to help their sports teams or clubs. Its always something new and interesting, but it always reflects what the students are interested in!
The table below shows a sampling of apps that have been created and published to the marketplace. Each app will list the category it falls into for classroom purposes and then some apps will list what cross-curricular topics it addresses.
The table below shows a sampling of apps that have been created and published to the marketplace. Each app will list the category it falls into for classroom purposes and then some apps will list what cross-curricular topics it addresses.
Game Design
Each class in the Computer Science pathway also has a Game Design unit. We approach this unit in a similar fashion as the App Design unit, but there are some differences. Since games are so broad and often times fictional, our approach is to Copy, Embellish, and Modify. We start by creating a basic game and learning programming prototypes. The students primarily copy instructions to learn algorithms, which results in students having the same game. However, the next two steps have really transformed the Game Design unit for students. The next step is the Embellish the game. For us, embellishments may include change the terrain from grass to snow or aliens to zombies. Largely, the students work in groups to determine the path of their game at this point. Once the students gain confidence in the programming concepts, they are encouraged to Modify the game. This entails creating something new and different from the original prototype. Sometimes, students program new and different obstacles to overcome. Other times, students rework levels to increase the difficulty. The common theme is students work together to create something new and interesting to them.
Click the links below to investigate finished products made by students.
Click the links below to investigate the lessons that lead up to the final game.
Click the links below to investigate finished products made by students.
- Teacher Superhero Games created by Student Groups
- Winners from the Homecoming Game Contest
- Balloon Game Student Examples
Click the links below to investigate the lessons that lead up to the final game.
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