Virginia Computer Science: 3rd Grade
- Level Elementary School
- Number of Lessons 33
- Grade 3rd
This course is designed to provide computer science and technology instruction for Virginia 3rd Grade students. Students learn programming and technology concepts, including: computing systems, networks and the Internet, data analysis, algorithms and programming, and impacts of computing.
See the full syllabus for all topics and activities, or explore the course to try it out.
UNITS - 7 (33 lessons)
Introduces the CodeHop Playground, computing systems, responsible technology use, and computational thinking through designing an obstacle course.
Follows a story-driven Scout expedition teaching sprite movement, sequencing, loops, and events, along with drawing tools for custom sprites.
Builds sequencing and event skills using parallel sequences and broadcast messages to model life cycles, tell stories, and explore remixing and a health/fitness careers connection.
Introduces loops, debugging, and both simple and complex conditionals through interactive effects and a balloon game.
Introduces variables, comparison operators, lists, and functions through an I-Spy style activity and other programs.
Applies design thinking and the inquiry process to build a capstone survey bar graph project.
Covers online research and attribution, data reliability, password safety, cybersecurity basics, networks, and the impact of computing.
Explore a sample lesson from this course!
3rd grade students build programs in CodeHop Blocks using parallel sequences, events, broadcasts, loops, conditionals, variables, lists, and functions, with projects like a frog life cycle animation, a balloon game, and an I-Spy game with lists, and use design thinking to improve a tool. They also explore a health and fitness career, complete a survey bar graph project, create strong passwords, practice cybersecurity, model how data travels across a network, and learn to credit online sources.
The course 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.
No. There are no prerequisites, and the course is designed to support all learners regardless of prior computer science experience. The Getting Started and Programming Introduction lessons introduce CodeHop step by step before students move into more advanced concepts.
Virginia Computer Science: 3rd Grade is aligned to the Virginia Computer Science Standards of Learning. Lessons required to fully meet the standards are labeled in the course syllabus with the standards they address, and all Digital Literacy lessons are required because they cover essential non-programming computer science concepts.
