Virginia Computer Science: 3rd Grade

This course is designed to provide computer science and technology instruction for Virginia 3rd Grade students. Students learn programming and technology concepts, including: computing systems, networks and the Internet, data analysis, algorithms and programming, and impacts of computing.

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Overview & Highlights

Elementary School

3rd

Overview of Lessons

To view the entire syllabus, click here or click to explore the full course.

Getting Started

Welcome to CodeHop!

Students will learn how to log in and use the CodeHop Playground. This short introductory lesson can be used on its own, or right before a full lesson.

Introduction to Computing Systems

Students will be able to identify parts of the computing system and solve simple hardware and software problems.

Safe and Responsible Use of Technology

Students will be able to explain the importance of balancing screen time and responsible technology use by creating a personal screen time plan.

Computational Thinking: Design an Obstacle Course

Students will be able to use Computational Thinking to design an obstacle course.

Scratch Exploration

Scout's Scratch Expedition Part 1

This lesson is part of a sequential story-driven unit. Students will use basic Scratch commands to program a sprite to move and talk.

Scout's Scratch Expedition Part 2

This lesson is part of a sequential story-driven unit. Students will follow along with a story. Students will add sprites in Scratch and create a sequence to animate a story.

Scout's Scratch Expedition Part 3

This lesson is part of a sequential story-driven unit. Students will create an animated Scout story in Scratch using loops, events, looks, and motion blocks.

Scout's Scratch Expedition Part 4

This lesson is part of a sequential story-driven unit. Students will create an animated Scout story in Scratch using events, looks, and motion blocks.

Scratch Drawing Tools

Students will be able to create customized sprites and backdrops using the drawing tools.

Sequences & Events

Sequences: Parallel Programming

Students will be able to create a program using parallel sequences.

Events

Students will be able to create a program using events.

Broadcast Messages: Marco Polo

Students will be able to use broadcast messages to trigger action between sprites in a program.

Modeling Life Cycles

Students will be able to program a model of the stages of a frog’s life cycle using broadcast message events and identify how computing devices can be used to create models of real-world processes.

Creative Storytelling

Students will be able to plan and animate a story using events and sequences.

Remixing Programs

Students will be able to remix digital programs and give appropriate credit to original creators.

Careers in CS: Health and Fitness

Students will be able to explain how fitness and coding can amplify human strengths and create an animation to demonstrate how technology can be used in health and fitness.

Loops & Conditionals

Loops

Students will be able to explain that a loop repeats one or more instructions, and use loops in Scratch.

Debugging: Events and Loops

Students will be able to decompose a program to debug and make the program run as intended.

Introduction to Conditionals

Students will be able to explain what a conditional is in programming and create a program that uses if/then blocks.

Conditionals: Changing Effects

Students will be able to create a program using conditionals.

Complex Conditionals: Balloon Game

Students will be able to explain what an “if/then/else” conditional is and use it in a program.

Variables & Functions

Variables

Students will be able to explain what a variable is and create and change the value of a variable in a program.

Introduction to Comparison Operators

Students will be able to use comparison operators as the condition in an if/else block, and use numbers and variables as values in a comparison operator.

I-Spy with Lists

Students will be able to create an I-Spy style activity using variables and lists in Scratch.

Introduction to Functions

Students will be able to create and use functions in a program.

Culmination Projects

Introduction to Design Thinking

Students will be able to use the design thinking process to make a tool accessible to more users.

Inquiry Project: Survey Bar Graph

Students will be able to follow the inquiry process and modify a program to display the results of their investigation.

Digital Literacy

What Can I Use Online?

Students will be able to search for information to answer questions online and provide proper attribution to sources.

Data Detectives

Students will be able to evaluate data for reliability and then analyze the data to draw conclusions and make predictions.

Strong Usernames and Passwords

Students will be able to develop a strong username and password and explain how a strong password keeps their information safe.

Scout's Cybersecurity Adventure: Part 1

Students will understand basic cybersecurity concepts, identify common cyber threats, and explain practical tips for staying safe online.

Modeling Network Connections

Students will be able to describe how messages move between devices using a network and create a program that shows how data travels from one device to another.

Impacts of Computing: Introduction

Students will be able to explain how technology and culture influence each other and create a Scratch project showing a past technology, its present version, and an improvement idea.

28
Exercises

39
Offline Handouts

Lesson Previews

Introduction to Design Thinking