This is the stretch when students stop being users of technology and start building with it. Students write short programs that loop, make decisions, and break a bigger problem into smaller steps. They also look at how data gets collected online and who it affects, from privacy to fairness. By spring, students can plan, code, and test a small program or project and explain how it works to someone else.
Students start the year learning how their devices and the internet actually work. They practice picking the right tool for a task, troubleshooting common glitches, and protecting their accounts and personal information online.
Students gather information, clean it up, and turn it into charts and tables. They look for patterns and back up what they say with the numbers in front of them, not just a hunch.
Students break bigger problems into smaller steps and write programs that follow those steps. They test their work, fix what breaks, and try again until it does what they meant it to do.
Students work in teams to build something real, such as a game, a simulation, or a small app. They give and take feedback, revise their work, and explain their choices using clear language and visuals.
Students step back and look at how technology shapes daily life. They talk through questions about privacy, fairness, and who gets left out, and think about the impact of the tools they use and build.
Students figure out which device, app, or setting fits the job at hand, then fix what's not working. This covers choosing the right tool for a task and solving basic tech problems when something goes wrong.
Students learn how the internet moves data between devices and why passwords, encryption, and other safeguards keep that data private. They explain how networks let people share files, send messages, and work together from different locations.
Students gather raw data, clean it up, and display it in charts or graphs. Then they use software tools to spot patterns and explain what the numbers actually show.
Students write step-by-step instructions a computer can follow to solve a problem or automate a repetitive task. They test and improve those instructions until the program does what they intended.
Students look at how technology shapes everyday life, from who has access to the internet to how data is collected and used. They consider real tradeoffs, not just benefits.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Identify, select, and apply hardware, software Grades 6-8 | Students figure out which device, app, or setting fits the job at hand, then fix what's not working. This covers choosing the right tool for a task and solving basic tech problems when something goes wrong. | PA-CSDF.C1.6-8 |
| Explain how computer networks and the Internet enable communication… Grades 6-8 | Students learn how the internet moves data between devices and why passwords, encryption, and other safeguards keep that data private. They explain how networks let people share files, send messages, and work together from different locations. | PA-CSDF.C2.6-8 |
| Collect, transform, and represent data Grades 6-8 | Students gather raw data, clean it up, and display it in charts or graphs. Then they use software tools to spot patterns and explain what the numbers actually show. | PA-CSDF.C3.6-8 |
| Design, develop, and analyze algorithms and programs to solve problems… Grades 6-8 | Students write step-by-step instructions a computer can follow to solve a problem or automate a repetitive task. They test and improve those instructions until the program does what they intended. | PA-CSDF.C4.6-8 |
| Investigate the social, ethical, legal Grades 6-8 | Students look at how technology shapes everyday life, from who has access to the internet to how data is collected and used. They consider real tradeoffs, not just benefits. | PA-CSDF.C5.6-8 |
Students learn to work alongside classmates with different backgrounds and viewpoints when solving computing problems. The goal is a classroom where everyone's ideas count and no one is pushed to the sidelines.
Students work with others to plan, build, and improve a computing project, splitting up tasks and using each other's feedback to make the final product better.
Students break a real problem (like sorting a list or tracking a score) into smaller steps a computer could handle one at a time.
Students take a complicated problem and strip it down to what actually matters, then use that simplified version to solve similar problems without starting from scratch each time.
Students build working programs or simulations by writing code, testing it, fixing what breaks, and improving it in repeated rounds until it does what they want.
Students run their program, look for what breaks or confuses users, and fix it. The goal is to keep testing and improving until the program works the way it should.
Students explain how a program, algorithm, or digital tool works by using the right terms, clear visuals, and real examples. The goal is a clear explanation any reader can follow, not just another coder.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Foster an inclusive computing culture that values diverse perspectives and… Grades 6-8 | Students learn to work alongside classmates with different backgrounds and viewpoints when solving computing problems. The goal is a classroom where everyone's ideas count and no one is pushed to the sidelines. | PA-CSDF.P1.6-8 |
| Collaborate around computing — divide work, share ideas Grades 6-8 | Students work with others to plan, build, and improve a computing project, splitting up tasks and using each other's feedback to make the final product better. | PA-CSDF.P2.6-8 |
| Identify and define problems that can be solved with computation and decompose… Grades 6-8 | Students break a real problem (like sorting a list or tracking a score) into smaller steps a computer could handle one at a time. | PA-CSDF.P3.6-8 |
| Use abstractions to simplify complexity, generalise solutions Grades 6-8 | Students take a complicated problem and strip it down to what actually matters, then use that simplified version to solve similar problems without starting from scratch each time. | PA-CSDF.P4.6-8 |
| Create computational artifacts — programs, simulations, models — by applying… Grades 6-8 | Students build working programs or simulations by writing code, testing it, fixing what breaks, and improving it in repeated rounds until it does what they want. | PA-CSDF.P5.6-8 |
| Systematically test computational artifacts and refine them based on evidence… Grades 6-8 | Students run their program, look for what breaks or confuses users, and fix it. The goal is to keep testing and improving until the program works the way it should. | PA-CSDF.P6.6-8 |
| Communicate clearly with appropriate vocabulary, visualizations Grades 6-8 | Students explain how a program, algorithm, or digital tool works by using the right terms, clear visuals, and real examples. The goal is a clear explanation any reader can follow, not just another coder. | PA-CSDF.P7.6-8 |
Students move past basic computer use. They write small programs, work with data, learn how the internet moves information, and talk about the impact of technology on people. The work gets more independent each year.
It helps, but it is not the main thing. Logical thinking, patience with mistakes, and a willingness to try again matter more. Students who like puzzles, building things, or figuring out how stuff works usually do fine.
Ask students to explain what a program does, step by step. Talk about online safety, passwords, and what information should stay private. Free sites like Scratch or Code.org give students 10 minutes of practice that a parent can sit next to without writing any code.
Start with shared vocabulary and small programs so students can talk about loops, variables, and conditions. Build into bigger projects with data and design choices in the middle of the year. End with projects that pull several skills together and ask students to test and revise.
Debugging is the big one. Students often want to rewrite a whole program instead of finding the one broken line. Reading error messages, testing one change at a time, and explaining what they expected to happen are worth coming back to all year.
Coding practice is active, not passive, so it is closer to building a model than watching a video. A short focused session of 20 to 30 minutes is plenty at home. Talk about what was built afterward to keep it from feeling like just more screen time.
Students split a problem into parts, write code separately, and combine it. Roles rotate so everyone writes code and everyone tests. Giving and using feedback is part of the grade, not an extra.
Students can take a real problem, break it into smaller steps, write a working program, and explain their choices. They can read a simple data set and back up a claim with it. They can also discuss who a piece of technology helps and who it leaves out.
Look for students who can debug without panicking, who can plan before they code, and who can describe their program to someone else. Confidence with loops, conditions, and variables matters more than finishing every project. Comfort with revision is the strongest signal.