4th Grade Computer Science
- Level Elementary School
- Number of Lessons 32
- Grade 4th
This course is designed to provide computer science instruction aligned to CSTA standards for 4th grade students. It is meant to be taught approximately once a week by a designated computer science teacher.
See the full syllabus for all topics and activities, or explore the course to try it out.
UNITS - 12 (32 lessons)
Reviews CodeHop basics, key CS vocabulary, image editing tools, and computational thinking through designing a school.
Builds algorithmic thinking and event-based programming through creating multiple algorithms, collaborative pair programming of a band, and a cultural choose-your-own-path game.
Teaches students to debug a maze program by decomposing code and applying loops to make it run as intended.
Uses conditionals and operators to add engaging effects to a game based on peer feedback and to design and program a maze for a character to navigate.
Teaches students to create and use variables to keep score in an interactive pong game.
Reviews functions with boolean and number inputs, variables, and conditionals through a four-part, story-driven quest with Scout.
Applies the design thinking process to identify real-world problems and redesign a game for improved accessibility and usability.
Explores the parts of a computing system and how networks use packets and rules to transfer information across the internet.
Teaches proper attribution of online sources, secure online habits, and responsible management of one's digital footprint.
Guides students through the inquiry process, spreadsheet basics, and data evaluation to collect, analyze, and visually present data.
Examines how technology affects jobs and the environment through exploring CS innovators like Grace Hopper and researching careers such as sports analytics.
Introduces emerging technologies and machine learning approaches, having students train and evaluate an AI model using Teachable Machine.
Explore a sample lesson from this course!
4th grade students build programs in CodeHop Blocks using algorithms, events, loops, conditionals, operators, variables, and functions. Projects include pair programming a band, a cultural choose-your-own-path game, a pong game, and a four-part quest with Scout, ending with a design thinking project to make a game more accessible. Students also learn how networks send information in packets, practice secure online habits, analyze data, research computer science innovators like Grace Hopper, and train their own AI model.
4th Grade Computer Science includes 36 lessons, each about 45 minutes long, providing a full year of instruction when taught once a week. Every lesson is built in a ready-to-teach format, with step-by-step videos that walk students through the lesson. Lessons are designed to be teacher-led using an "I do, we do, you do" format, and a self-paced option is also available. The course mixes hands-on programming projects with unplugged activities, with module quizzes to check understanding. Optional review lessons at the start of the course can be used as warm-ups and are not counted in the 36 lessons. Teachers have flexibility in pacing, and the lessons required to fully meet CSTA standards are identified in the course syllabus.
No. There are no prerequisites, and the course is designed to support all learners regardless of prior computer science experience. Optional review lessons at the start of the course help students who are new to CodeHop learn the basics before moving into 4th grade content.
4th Grade Computer Science focuses on programming, with most lessons spent building block-based programs, animations, and games, along with lessons on computing systems, online safety, data, impacts of computing, and AI. 4th Grade Digital Literacy & AI focuses on digital skills such as productivity software, online safety, research, and AI, with less time spent on programming. Some lessons appear in both courses, so schools can choose the course that best fits their goals.
4th Grade Computer Science is aligned to state computer science standards and CSTA standards.
