STEM: Coding & HTML Curriculum Guide

Description

Coding and HTML is a choice Middle School elective designed to introduce STEM students to understanding and writing code. Students will work with a variety of contemporary peripheral devices. Students will develop a working proficiency in the language of code and HTML. This course has been designed to address problem solving through hands-on exploration of design ideas and solutions. It will incorporate group learning, authentic assessment methods, and the use of technology as a means of learning throughout the course. Real world problem solving will be an important part of the Coding and HTML curriculum. The computer and its inherent peripherals will be used in the final production of all projects.

Big Ideas

• Individuals develop and follow directions as part of daily life.
• A sequence of steps can be expressed as an algorithm that a computer can process.
• Computers follow precise sequences of steps that automate tasks.
• Complex tasks can be broken down into simpler instructions, some of which can be broken down even further.
• People work together to develop programs for a purpose, such as expressing ideas or addressing problems.
• The development of a program involves identifying a sequence of events, goals, and expected outcomes, and addressing errors when necessary.
• Technology has changed the way people live and work.
• Various tools can improve daily tasks and quality of life.
• Computers store data that can be retrieved later. Data can be copied, stored in multiple locations, and retrieved.
• Engineering design is a creative process for meeting human needs or wants that can result in multiple solutions.
• Different algorithms can achieve the same result.
• Some algorithms are more appropriate for a specific use than others.
• A variety of control structures are used to change the flow of program execution (e.g., sequences, events, loops, conditionals).
• Programs can be broken down into smaller parts to facilitate their design, implementation, and review. Programs can also be created by incorporating smaller portions of programs that already exist.
• Individuals develop programs using an iterative process involving design, implementation, testing, and review.
• The development and modification of computing technology is driven by an individual's needs and wants and can affect individuals differently.

Essential Questions

• What is coding?
• What are directions?
• What are algorithms?
• What is a computer program?
• What is a sequence?
• What is an event?
• What does it mean to debug?
• What is a loop?
• What is a computer? What are examples of computers? How do these computers know what to do?
• What are errors that need to be solved in our classroom? What are ways we can fix these errors?
• Why is learning computer programming important?
• What are tasks or problems in our lives that we can decompose?
• What keyword starts a conditional?
• What are examples of stacks in the real world?
• What are examples of queues in the real world?
• How can we work together in collaborative teams when programming?
• What kind of game do you want to make?
• How can different algorithms yield the same result? How can we determine which algorithm is the best option?
• What are loops, and how do they apply to programming?
• How can we look at a program and determine its different elements? How do we break a program into smaller parts?
• Why do individuals develop programs?
• What is the process necessary to create a functional program? What steps need to be followed to create working code?
• In programming, where there are many possible solutions, how can we choose the algorithm that solves a specific problem more efficiently?
• What are conditional statements, and how do they apply to programming?
• How is a programming language like spoken/written language? How is it different?
• How can we look at a program and determine its components?
• How do we break a program into smaller parts? Why would this be advantageous?