Computer Science Discoveries

Code.org's most flexible course, allowing each unit to be taught alone, combined into collections that focus on specific areas, or as a full year course. The free curriculum introduces students to building their own websites, apps, animations, games, and physical computing systems.

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Flexible curriculum to meet your needs

  • Flexible introductory curriculum
  • Breadth of topics
  • No prior experience needed
  • Build many different types of projects
  • Exciting and fun
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Curricula at a glance

  • Grades: 6-10

  • Level: Beginner

  • Duration: Month, Semester, or Year

  • Devices: Laptop, Chromebook

  • Topics: Artificial Intelligence, Data, Web Design, Physical Computing, App Design, Games and Animations, Art and Design, Programming

  • Programming Tools: App Lab, Game Lab, AI Lab, Web Lab

  • Professional Learning: Facilitator-led Workshops, Self-paced Modules

  • Accessibility: Text-to-speech, Closed captioning, Immersive reader

  • Languages Supported: English

This curriculum is all inclusive, well organized, and student centered! The incredible organization in the curriculum is what makes me use it year after year.

Maria Sellers CS Discoveries Teacher

Picking the right CS Discoveries course for your classroom

With the diverse set of options offered for CS Discoveries, there is a course for all different needs.


Year-long introductory course

Through 7 units students explore a wide variety of topics.

An introductory computer science course that empowers students to create authentic artifacts and engage with computer science as a medium for creativity, communication, problem solving, and fun.

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Flexible units

Each unit of CS Discoveries can be used on its own with no prior experience required, which allows you to pick the exact units that work for your classroom.


Collections

Dive deeper into one area with a set of units focused on a specific topic.

Resources that support you every step of the way

Sign up for a Code.org account to get access to materials that will help you teach computer science with confidence. Code.org has extensive resources designed to support educators, even those without prior CS teaching experience.

Lesson Plans

Get step-by-step guidance, learning objectives, and assessment strategies for effective teaching.

Helpful resources include slide decks, activity guides, rubrics, and more — all organized in one place. Each lesson plan is accompanied by tips for classroom implementation, differentiation ideas, and extension activities to cater to students of all abilities.

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Introducing How AI Works

Instructional Videos

Watch easy-to-understand overviews of computer science and programming concepts.

Code.org video series are designed specifically to support your classroom and are engaging and fun to watch.

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Slide Decks

We offer educators an organized, visually engaging, and pedagogically sound framework to deliver computer science lessons.

Code.org slide decks provide step-by-step instructions, examples, and interactive activities that align with curricular objectives.

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Assessments

Our curricula includes a comprehensive system of formative and summative assessment resources.

These include rubrics, checklists, mini-projects, end-of-chapter projects, student-facing rubrics, sample projects, and post-project tests — all designed to support teachers in measuring student growth, providing feedback, and evaluating student understanding.

Explore an assessment lesson

Programming Tools

Code.org's integrated development environments (IDEs) cater to students of all skill levels.

We offer a versatile and user-friendly platform that supports a variety of programming paradigms. This enables learners to seamlessly transition from block-based coding to text-based languages, and fosters creativity and innovation.

Try out programming tools
Lesson Plans

Lesson Plans

Get step-by-step guidance, learning objectives, and assessment strategies for effective teaching.

Helpful resources include slide decks, activity guides, rubrics, and more — all organized in one place. Each lesson plan is accompanied by tips for classroom implementation, differentiation ideas, and extension activities to cater to students of all abilities.

Explore example lesson plan
Videos
Introducing How AI Works

Instructional Videos

Watch easy-to-understand overviews of computer science and programming concepts.

Code.org video series are designed specifically to support your classroom and are engaging and fun to watch.

Explore all videos
Slides

Slide Decks

We offer educators an organized, visually engaging, and pedagogically sound framework to deliver computer science lessons.

Code.org slide decks provide step-by-step instructions, examples, and interactive activities that align with curricular objectives.

Explore example slide deck
Assessments

Assessments

Our curricula includes a comprehensive system of formative and summative assessment resources.

These include rubrics, checklists, mini-projects, end-of-chapter projects, student-facing rubrics, sample projects, and post-project tests — all designed to support teachers in measuring student growth, providing feedback, and evaluating student understanding.

Explore an assessment lesson
Programming Tools

Programming Tools

Code.org's integrated development environments (IDEs) cater to students of all skill levels.

We offer a versatile and user-friendly platform that supports a variety of programming paradigms. This enables learners to seamlessly transition from block-based coding to text-based languages, and fosters creativity and innovation.

Try out programming tools

Professional learning that meets your needs

Get the support you need as you prepare to teach. Teachers love it, with over 90% ranking it the best professional development ever!

Facilitator-led Workshops

Our highly supportive Professional Learning Program will bring you together with a group of teachers to learn from each other as well as expert facilitators as you take on the first year of teaching the free curriculum to your students. In-person and virtual workshops are starting this summer.

Self-Paced Online Modules

Through reading, viewing videos, completing interactive puzzles, and reflecting on your learning, you will develop your own understanding while preparing to teach computer science in your classroom.


Frequently asked questions

Is CS Discoveries mapped to standards?

CS Discoveries was written using both the K-12 Framework for Computer Science and the 2017 CSTA standards as guidance. Currently, every lesson in CS Discoveries contains mappings to the relevant 2017 CSTA standards. A summary of standards mappings can be found here. A Google Sheets version of the standards can be found at CSD Standards.

How/Where can I get professional development for this course?

Our Professional Learning Program offers year-round support. The program kicks off with a five-day summer workshop where you'll have an opportunity to work hands-on with the curriculum and meet other teachers from your area. Throughout the year, we offer follow up workshops and forum support. You don't need any prior computer science experience to get started. And teachers love it! 90% rank it the best professional development ever. Click here to apply and learn more.

Have questions about professional development? Provide your contact information to a Regional Partner in your area.

I'm teaching CS Discoveries but have less than one semester with my students. What would you recommend?

Teachers who have a restricted schedule, unable to teach all units of CS Discoveries over the course of a school year, can now easily assign a specific set of CS Discoveries units based on what they want to focus on. These collections are still the same exact units found in CS Discoveries, simply grouped together based on our recommendations below to dive deep in a specific area of CS Discoveries. Each collection is approximately one semester or slightly less than one semester. Click here to see our Collections options.

For teachers who have an even more restricted schedule, they have the ability to assign just one unit at a time from CS Discoveries without assigning the entire course. We hope this helps support classrooms that teach units of CS Discoveries embedded as part of larger courses or when teaching computer science on a limited schedule. Click here to see our flexible units.

What materials and supplies are required for CS Discoveries?

One potential cost to consider when teaching this course is printing. Many lessons have handouts that are designed to guide students through activities. While it is not required that all of these handouts be printed, many were designed to be printed and we highly recommend printing when possible.

Beyond printing, some lessons call for typical classroom supplies and manipulatives such as: Student journals, poster paper, markers/colored pencils, scissors, scrap paper, glue or tape, post-it notes or index cards (or similar sized scrap paper), and rulers or a straight edge of some kind.

In addition to those general course materials, the following items are called for in specific units:

Problem Solving and Computing

  • Aluminum foil, container for water, pennies (note that pennies can be replaced with some other kind of weight of the same size). Alternate activities are available if you do not have access to these supplies.

Creating Apps with Devices (Option A and Option B)

  • Option A: Classroom set of Circuit Playgrounds. Check out code.org/maker/circuitplayground for more details.
  • Option B: Classroom set of micro:bit devices. Check out code.org/maker/microbit for more details.
  • Maker supplies, such as empty tissue boxes or cardboard rolls or scratch paper

*Note: The Creating Apps with Devices unit has two implementation options - one for those using circuit playgrounds and one for those using micro:bit. Teachers should not buy both sets of devices or teach both unit options as they are equivalent and cover the same content.

How can I access answer keys?

With an approved teacher account, you can find answer keys in a blue "Teacher Only" panel that shows in the online lessons and activities.

Teachers in our Professional Learning Program will automatically be approved to view answer keys. If you need an approved teacher account, you can apply for access to protected teacher-only materials (answer keys, etc) through this form. Please keep in mind that it may take 3-5 business days to verify your account.

How does CS Discoveries fit with the other Code.org courses?

CS Discoveries is designed to fit naturally between our CS Fundamentals courses and our CS Principles course. While each of these courses is designed to be an age-appropriate entry point to computer science, students with previous experience will find many new topics to explore, and they will revisit familiar topics in novel and more challenging contexts.

For more information about our goals and approach to our courses, please see our Curriculum Values and our Professional Learning Values.

Support and questions

Still have questions? Reach out to us! We are here to help.

Our support team is here to answer any questions you may have about starting teaching with Code.org. You can also ask other teachers about their experience on our teacher forums.

Contact Code.org support Explore teacher forums