Utah Computer Science: 3rd Grade
- Level Elementary School
- Number of Lessons 34
- Grade 3rd
This course is aligned to UT standards and is designed to provide computer science instruction for Utah third grade students. It is meant to be taught approximately weekly.
See the full syllabus for all topics and activities, or explore the course to try it out.
UNITS - 10 (34 lessons)
Students get oriented to CodeHop, learn how computers work, and practice computational thinking through hands-on problem solving.
Students write their first programs, building an animated story with sprites, sequences, and creative drawing tools.
Students bring characters to life with parallel sequences, event triggers, animations, and interactive storytelling.
Students learn to repeat instructions efficiently with loops while practicing debugging and collaborative pair programming.
Students explore if/then logic to build responsive programs, from color-sensing games to interactive balloon games, and learn to remix code responsibly.
Students use variables, comparison operators, and lists to store and manipulate data in fun, interactive activities.
Students learn to organize code into reusable functions, culminating in a music-synced dance project.
Students apply everything they've learned to design an original racing game and an inquiry-driven data visualization project.
Students explore how technology shapes society, learn cybersecurity basics, and practice evaluating data for reliability.
Students discover how AI learns from data, explore emerging technologies, and practice writing effective AI prompts.
Explore a sample lesson from this course!
Students build foundational programming skills using block-based coding, progressing through sequences, loops, conditionals, variables, and functions. The course also includes digital literacy and an introduction to artificial intelligence, culminating in original student-designed projects like a racing game.
Yes. The course is fully aligned to Utah computer science standards, with each lesson labeled to show exactly which standards it addresses, so full state standards coverage is achieved across the year.
No prior experience is required. The course has no prerequisites and is designed to support all learners, regardless of computer science background.
The course includes 36 lessons, each about 45 minutes, designed to be taught once a week for a full school year, providing roughly 36 hours of instruction total.
Students use CodeHop, a block-based, browser-friendly programming environment where they write, save, and debug interactive projects, animations, and games in a kid-friendly interface.
