Teaching CS Discoveries as an elective and need advice regarding next unit

Last year I taught Unit 2 and 3 to my 7th graders and we didn’t quite finish Unit 3 (partly due to COVID and learning-from-home). This year, with the updated CSD program and fewer students, I am going through the units very quickly. Hence, I need to decide which unit I will add; 4, 5, or 6. I really like the idea of Unit 6, and although I have not taught it before, I do have the funds to purchase the materials.
Can anyone suggest which unit they think would be the most engaging (it will be towards the end of the year).

Hi @tdieck,

That’s a great question. I can give a rundown on each unit, but ultimately the one that is most engaging will depend on your set of students.

  • Unit 4 is about the Design Process. Students propose, design, and prototype a simple app using App Lab.
  • Unit 5 is about Data & Society. This sounds dry but it’s pretty fun. They start by representing information on a punch card, and then they build an app that uses data to make a recommendation (sort of like a simple Buzzfeed-style quiz).
  • Unit 6 is about Physical Computing. This requires the use of Circuit Playground and the app to help it interface with your computer. Because this does require students to use physical materials, I would encourage you to consider how you’d deliver these lessons if your students end up learning remotely due to covid restrictions.

I hope that helps you decide. If any teachers on this forum have ideas, please share them here.

–Michael K.