Standards Alignment
How the course maps to CSTA Level 2 and NGSS MS-ETS1.
The course aligns to a dual primary target: CSTA K-12 CS Standards, Level 2
(grades 6–8) for the computing content, and NGSS MS-ETS1 (middle-school
engineering design) for the engineering process — with ISTE Standards 4 & 5 and
the K-12 CS Framework practices as a secondary, cross-cutting lens. This reflects
the course’s two halves: what students program (CSTA) and how they engineer
(NGSS-ETS1 + the engineering notebook). Full detail is in
.course/research/standards-alignment.md.
Primary targets
- CSTA L2 — Algorithms & Programming: 2-AP-11 (variables), 2-AP-12 (nested loops & compound conditionals), 2-AP-13 (decompose), 2-AP-16 (use libraries with attribution), 2-AP-17 (systematically test & refine). Plus 2-CS-02/03 (hardware+software projects; systematic troubleshooting) and a partial 2-NI-04 (protocols, via radio/IR).
- NGSS MS-ETS1: MS-ETS1-1 (define a problem with criteria & constraints), MS-ETS1-2 (evaluate competing solutions), MS-ETS1-3 (analyze test data to improve), MS-ETS1-4 (model → generate data → iterate). MS-ETS1-4 is carried by the iterate loop and the engineering notebook.
Topic → standards map
| Module | Standards |
|---|---|
| Foundation: Pair & Drive | sets up MS-ETS1-1 (noticing the problem) |
| Foundation: Author a Button | 2-AP-11, 2-CS-02 |
| Foundation: Add a Servo | MS-ETS1-4, 2-AP-17, 2-CS-03 |
| Sensors & Line-following | 2-AP-12/17, 2-CS-03, MS-ETS1-3/-4 |
| Radio & Infrared Comms | 2-AP-16, 2-NI-04 (partial), 2-CS-02 |
| Attachments & 3D Parts | MS-ETS1-1/-2/-4 |
| Robot Rally Games | 2-AP-12/13/17, MS-ETS1-2/-3 |
Coverage upgrades adopted
To strengthen alignment at low cost, the course will: require parameterized functions (→ 2-AP-14) and in-code comments / block annotations (→ 2-AP-19); and use explicit criteria & constraints rubrics plus a class-wide comparison of test data (→ fully unlocks MS-ETS1-2/-3).
Honest out-of-scope
- Impacts of Computing (2-IC-20/21/22 — ethics, careers): not a goal of this course.
- Network security (2-NI-05/06): the comms module models device-to-device protocols, not Internet security. (Optional enrichment: an “encrypt your radio messages” twist touches 2-NI-06.)
Credential
No formal certification exists for this space. The course awards an internal completion badge (notebook + game + “explain your robot”) and may hook into the Micro:bit Foundation “do your :bit” challenge. Downstream pathways: VEX IQ / FIRST LEGO League (competitions) and PCEP / Certiport IT Specialist – Python (text coding).