Fifth through Eighth Grade

During middle school, all CS learning is project-based and integrated into other disciplines. New CS skills are learned based on the needs of the projects. Students gain confidence using a variety of programming platforms and physical computing devices to bring their ideas and projects to life.

Fifth Grade

In fifth grade, students are given several opportunities to create technology projects across disciplines. These projects expand their computational thinking and design skills as students are given creative freedom within the framework of the learning objectives of the classroom project. As their projects gain complexity, fifth graders will also begin making independent decisions about when and where to incorporate variables, boolean logic, and procedures to create their own solutions.

Platforms: Scratch, TurtleArt, MakeyMakey, Micro:Bit, Mindstorm Robotics

Projects:

• Teach a chemistry concept (Science)
• Build a virtual habitat (Science)
• Create a Wright brothers inspired game (Science)
• Explore simple machines through coding and physical computing (Science)
• Explore angles through code (Math)
• Create a family album in Spanish (World Languages)
• Haunted Library (FABLab)
• Wild Robot (FABLab)

Sixth Grade

In sixth grade, our hope is that students will begin to recognize that they can use their computer science skills to create tech projects that reflect their learning across other curricular areas. We will challenge them to consider the usability of their designs and to begin to iterate their solutions.

Platforms: Scratch, Twine, Google Sites, MakeyMakey, Micro:Bit, Mindstorm Robotics

Projects:

• Coding the Renaissance (Social Studies and English)
• Choose your own adventure (World Languages)
• Model motion with code (Science)
• Design a video game (FABLab)
• Haunted Library (FABLab)
• Wild Robot (FABLab)

Seventh Grade

 In seventh grade, students begin to understand more fully the impact of computer science and technology on the world around them including the way we educate, govern, work, and communicate. Through science and math, students explore the power of big data and computer modeling. They must also begin to weigh the ethical consequences of using their power to create tech for good or ill.

Platforms: Scratch, NetLogo, Thimble (HTML/CSS/JavaScript), Weebly, Processing, MakeyMakey, Micro:Bit, Hummingbird Robotics

Projects:

• Animating Landforms (Science)
  
• Model climate change (Science)
• Simulate earth’s atmosphere and oceans (Science)
  
• Create a website to share rock knowledge (Science)
• Create a video game to teach a math concept (Math)
• Video Game Design (Quest)
• Digital Arts

Eighth Grade

In eighth grade, students learn methods of design that will help them decompose large problems into functional units. They will continue to explore the unifying numerical constructs that underpin all of computer science and the fundamentals of computation, as they determine what next steps they want to take in their computer science education in the Upper School.

Platforms: Scratch, Thimble (HTML/CSS/JavaScript), Weebly, Processing, MakeyMakey, Micro:Bit, Hummingbird Robotics

Projects:

• Design thinking and robotics (Science)
• Animate Shakespeare (English)
• Explore functions (Math)
• App making (World Languages)
• Video Game Design (Quest)
• Digital Arts