Arkansas Computer Science: 1st Grade
- Level Elementary School
- Number of Lessons 39
- Grade 1st
This course is designed to provide computer science instruction for Arkansas 1st grade students. Students learn programming and principles of computer science including: computing systems, research, algorithms and programming, and computer safety.
See the full syllabus for all topics and activities, or explore the course to try it out.
UNITS - 12 (39 lessons)
Students get comfortable with the CodeHopJr Playground and review the basics of building a program.
Students use computational thinking and unplugged activities to learn how programs are built from sequences and loops.
Students use events and sequences to program characters, debug their code, and practice the design process.
Students use loops to repeat actions and message events to make characters interact with each other.
Students use pages and the grid to build multi-scene programs and move characters with precision.
Students apply what they have learned to plan and build their own interactive programs and games.
Students learn the basics of creating documents and presentations with productivity tools.
Students identify the parts of a computer and learn how networks and the Internet help people communicate.
Students learn positive online behavior and how to use technology and websites safely and responsibly.
Students explore how technology changes the way people live and work and how computing can help solve community problems.
Students practice research, work with simple data, and learn how computers store information.
Students learn how AI uses data and patterns to make decisions and compare what humans and AI do best.
Explore a sample lesson from this course!
First graders build on block-based programming in the CodeHopJr Playground, using sequences, events, loops, message events, pages, and the grid to create interactive games and animations. They also learn word processing and presentation basics, how computers and networks work, how to stay safe online, how to research and work with data, and how AI uses patterns to make decisions.
The course is aligned to the Arkansas K-4 Computer Science Standards. Lessons that are required to fully meet the state standards list their standard codes beside the lesson title in the course syllabus.
No. There are no prerequisites, and the course is designed to support all learners regardless of prior computer science experience. An optional, story-driven review unit featuring Scout helps students learn or review how to log in, add characters and backgrounds, and build sequences.
The course includes 36 lessons, each about 45 minutes long, designed to be taught across one school year. Concepts spiral across grade levels, so students can revisit and build on them the following year even if every lesson is not completed.
Yes. In the Productivity Software unit, students use word processing tools to write about their favorite season and presentation software to create slides about their favorite things. The presentation lesson models Google Slides, and teachers using other presentation tools can model those instead.
