4th Grade Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science
- Level Elementary School
- Number of Lessons 34
- Grade 4th
This course is designed to provide digital literacy and computer science instruction for Massachusetts 4th grade students.
UNITS - 11 (34 lessons)
Students review CodeHop basics, vocabulary, drawing tools, and computational thinking for those who need extra practice before starting 4th grade content.
Students collaborate through pair programming to design and code an interactive band using keyboard inputs.
Students build debugging skills and add engaging game effects based on peer feedback.
Students create and use variables to track score in an interactive pong game project.
Students revisit functions, variables, and conditionals through a four-part, story-driven quest with Scout.
Students apply the design thinking process to improve accessibility and usability in a game.
Students explore computing systems and networks, and use productivity software to organize and present research.
Students learn to attribute online sources, practice secure online habits, manage their digital footprint, and recognize and respond to cyberbullying.
Students follow the inquiry process, use spreadsheet software to organize data, and evaluate data for reliability.
Students explore how technology affects jobs and the environment, investigate careers in sports analytics, and research a computer science innovator.
Students learn about emerging technologies, different machine learning approaches, and how training data affects an AI model's predictions.
Explore a sample lesson from this course!
This course deepens students' programming skills through pair programming, debugging, variables, and a story-based quest revisiting functions and conditionals, culminating in an accessibility-focused design project. Students also build computing systems and productivity software skills, learn online safety topics like digital footprints and cryptography, work with spreadsheets to evaluate data, explore computing's impact on jobs and the environment, and get an introduction to machine learning and training data.
The course is aligned to the Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science (DLCS) standards for grades 3-5, covering strands including Computational Thinking (CT), Computing Systems (CS), Digital Tools and Collaboration (DTC), and Community, Global, and Ethical Impacts (CAS). Lessons that meet specific standards are labeled accordingly in the syllabus.
No, there are no prerequisites. The course is designed to support all learners in 4th grade, regardless of prior computer science experience, and includes an optional review unit for students who need extra practice with CodeHop basics.
The course includes 36 lessons, each approximately 45 minutes long, for a total of 36 hours. It provides a full year of instruction when taught once per week, with some lessons required to meet state computer science standards.
Students use CodeHop, a teacher-led, block-based programming environment with a consistent lesson structure (Introduction, Guided Practice, Independent Practice, Extension, and Reflection). Students write and run programs saved in their own accounts, and also work with productivity tools like spreadsheet, document, and presentation software, plus AI tools like Teachable Machine.
