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Computing Ideas (Lovelace)

The Computing Ideas course is a first year computer science course with a unique focus on creativity and problem-solving. Students explore several important topics of computing, such as programming, digital citizenship, networks, and web design.

Overview & Highlights

Level
High School
Contact Hours
155
Timeframe
Year

Course Overview

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

MODULES - 10

  • Introduction to Programming with Karel the Dog

    Students explore the fundamentals of programming by giving commands to Karel the Dog using JavaScript syntax, functions, control structures, and proper programming formatting.

  • What is Computing?

    Students dive into the history of computing, consider how computing impacts today's world, and learn about the various parts that make up modern computers.

  • Project: Computer Models

    Students create a short presentation about a specific model of a computer from an early model to a computer that is still being developed (phones, robots, drones).

  • Web Design

    Students learn the basics of HTML, CSS, and the processes involved in viewing web pages on the internet. Students create several simple web pages using the CodeHS online editor to gain practice!

  • Project: Your First Website

    Students build their very own homepage, hosted at a custom URL!

  • Digital Information

    Students learn about the various ways we represent information digitally including number systems, encoding data, and creating pixel images.

  • The Internet

    Students explore the structure and design of the internet, and how this design affects the reliability of network communication, the security of data, and personal privacy.

  • Project: The Effects of the Internet

    Students choose an innovation that was enabled by the Internet and explore the effects of this innovation!

  • Digital Citizenship and Cyber Hygiene

    Students learn Internet etiquette, ways to stay safe on the world wide web, potential effects of our digital footprints, how to protect information from online risks, and the implications of cyberbullying.

  • Project: Public Service Announcement

    Students create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) to teach their peers about digital citizenship and cyber hygiene.


107
Lessons
88
Videos
165
Exercises
38
Challenges
201
Offline Handouts

Demo Programs

Explore programs that your students will build throughout this course!

Course Resources

Here are a few examples of teacher resources and materials to use in the Computing Ideas (Lovelace) course

Professional Development

Teaching Computing Ideas (2023)

Prepare to teach Computing Ideas! With this online PD course, teachers gain the skills, pedagogical knowledge, resources, and confidence to lead a excellent introductory computer science class with CodeHS—no programming experience is required.

View Units CodeHS PD Options

Standards Alignment

Showing top aligned frameworks
Standards Framework Alignment
Utah 7 100% View
Utah 6 100% View
Nevada Tech 6-8 87% View

Customizable Assignments

Create and organize Assignments in any CodeHS course that you're teaching. You can even add custom assignments to pre-existing CodeHS courses.

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Actions for Teachers

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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Which standards does this course align to?

It covers 100% of both the Utah 6 and Utah 7 standards, and it maps at 40% or above to more than a hundred other frameworks, the widest coverage of any course in the catalogue. It reaches 87% on Nevada Tech 6-8, 85% on Virginia 8, and 82% on North Carolina Computer Science I.

What does the course cover?

Programming, digital citizenship, networks and web design, framed around creativity and problem-solving. The description calls it a first-year computer science course.

Is there professional development for teachers of this course?

Yes. Teaching Computing Ideas is attached as its professional development course.

Which grades is it for?

CodeHS lists it in the Middle School Pathway for grades 6 through 8, the CodeHS 9-12 pathway at 9th, and the Indiana, New Jersey, Tennessee and Illinois state pathways in the 6th to 9th grade range. It straddles middle and high school.

Do students need any programming experience first?

No. It is a first-year computer science course.

How long is the course?

About 155 contact hours, built to run across a full school year.