6-8 DLCS Recommendations

 What's the Story?

DESE has reviewed a number of free and paid curriculum options for teaching Digital Literacy and Computer Science to students in grades 6-8. While no curriculum currently attempts to address the entire DLCS framework, we can combine offerings to cover as many standards as possible. Our study of the DESE guide and the curricula themselves has led us to recommend a combination of two well-known courses, which you can read about below.

These courses are extremely flexible. Many lessons can be run individually without adopting the full course. We encourage everyone to browse the resources and try out a comfortable lesson at any time. As always, let us know if you'd like help implementing a lesson!

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Course Name: Computer Science Discoveries

Developer: Code.org

DLCS Strand Coverage: all strands, but emphasis on Computational Thinking

CS Discoveries is Code.org's free-to-use computer science curriculum that spans grades 6 through 10. This course leverage's Code.org's web-based learning and coding platforms ("Game Lab", "App Lab," etc.) as well as an optional physical computing deviced called Circuit Playground. It also mindfully includes many powerful "unplugged" hands-on CS lessons. See this section of the DLCS Curriculum Guide for more details. In recent years, the course has evolved to include a focus on the engineering design process as well as the societal impact of current technologies.

See what DESE reported about this curriculum here.

Links:

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Course Name: Digital Citizenship

Developer: Common Sense Media

DLCS Strand Coverage: emphasis on Computing and Society

Digital Citizenship's 6-8 curriculum addresses real-world, up-to-date skills that our students need to be a positive participant in their community, online and offline. Common Sense Media has been a trusted organization for years, providing leadership and guidance to parents and now educators when it comes to modern media and technology. This course is lightweight and purposefully driven by student input and experience. Flexible lessons allow for students to collaborate either digitally or in person, on paper. Teacher materials are easy to understand and reuse with minimal prep, and topics are updated frequently and don't cross into corny territory.

See what DESE reported about this curriculum here.

Links:

Covering Other DLCS Standards

These two curricula combined don't completely cover the DESE DLCS frameworks. To round out our research, we found lessons from other developers that fit the bill and fill in the final gaps in coverage. As with the resources above, these lessons can be used singly or as part of a longer related unit.

Covers: 6-8.CAS.b.9
A rare lesson on licensing web content that allows students to license some of their own.

Covers: 6-8.CAS.c.3
An excerpt from the mentor text "Blown to Bits" guides students in discussing technology equity in today's world.

Covers: 6-8.CS.a.1, 6-8.CS.a.2
Thorough and engaging quick exploration of what makes a computer work.

Covers: 6-8.CS.c.1, 6-8.CS.c.2
Another very thorough journey through computer networks, one of the more challenging topics for teachers. These resources make teaching it much simpler.

Covers: 6-8.CS.d.1
Helps students understand the home base of the data they access on phones and watches all day long.

Covers: 6-8.CT.b.2
Great for an outdoor, chalk-on-the-pavement activity. Flexible to any math level, and allows students to really step inside a computer's insides and make predictions/observations.

Covers: 6-8.CT.c.1
Simple and fun activity introduces encoding, decoding, and the binary system.

Covers: 6-8.CT.c.2
Expands on the Bracelets lesson to introduce how binary data is stored on a computer.

Covers: 6-8.DTC.a.2
In a dearth of free-to-use lessons on the subject, this teacher-created resource helps unpack the what, why, and how of file types on computers.

Covers: 6-8.DTC.c.5
At this point, Google hasn't created a digital skill lesson on this subject, but the Learning Center provides the most basic walkthrough to support you in the classroom. And yes, this skill is a DLCS standard!

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