Enrolling Now for 2026-27 School Year.
Enrolling Now for 2026-27 School Year.
Middle School Coding Learning Coach Guide Contents Part C Unit Information11 The Engineering Design Process Unit12 MakeCode and micro:bit Unit13 Part AWelcome to Middle School Coding Welcome Letter Dear Learning Coach, Thank you for partnering with CCA and investing in your learner’s education. This Learning Coach Guide is intended to help you support your learner in their Middle School Coding course. Within this guide, you will find the goals, components, and features of the online course. Please take time to read and review this information so you understand how to help your learner interact with all the course’s elements. The Learning Coach Guide also includes information about each of the units in this course. On each page of unit information, you will discover the following. The Unit Overview will tell you what the focus, content, and skills of the unit will be. The Unit Assessment section is a place for you and your learner to preview the graded work in the course. At the start of each unit, work with your learner to look at the unit in edio and find out which types of graded work are in this unit. These assessment types are provided as a checklist. You can check off each one as your learner completes it. The Unit Materials section tells you the materials your learner will need to complete the activities in this unit. You will also find the materials list repeated within each lesson so that your learner has exactly what they need at the right time. The Unit Discussion Questions are optional questions that you may want to ask your learner during the unit to increase home and school connections about what your learner is studying. The Unit Notables are highlights from the unit. It helps you to understand what your learner is studying, and the tips enable you to reinforce and support at home. CCA wishes you and your learner a terrific school year! Supporting Your Learner Your role as a Learning Coach is very important. Here are a few ways you can help your learner do their very best in the course. Help your learner know what time guided or live class instruction is scheduled for, and prompt them to attend sessions or watch recordings. Remember, it is okay for your learner to get stuck. Learning new material takes time. Encourage them to take breaks, keep trying, and even ask the teacher for help. Help your learner navigate technology. That may mean helping them type information or upload work into edio. Always encourage your learner to do their very best. Review the course syllabus for your learner’s course. Maintain communication with your learner’s teacher. Part BCourse Information Course Goals In Middle School Coding, your learner will use logic, communication, creativity, and problem-solving skills. By the end of the year, your learner will be able to: Understand and apply the Engineering Design Process. Differentiate between various coding types (procedural, object-oriented, functional). Explore different roles and careers in the coding industry. Investigate how computational thinking and algorithms create code understood by computers. Grasp the importance of input, output, memory, and processing to a computer. Create computer programs with variables, constants, conditionals, and loops. Construct challenges to create projects using household items. Develop micro:bit programs using Microsoft MakeCode. Design a game with micro:bit. Define debugging and why it is important to coding. Identify ways coding can be applied to a variety of careers. Course Format Lesson Components: Your learner will spend 45–60 minutes completing a Middle School Coding lesson. Some days may take less time, while other days may take a little more time. The lesson does not need to be completed in one sitting. Encourage your learners to take short breaks as they need. This section will help you to understand how your learner’s course is structured in edio. Lesson Bundling: Within the lesson bundles, there are different components your learner will interact with. These components will not be used every day. 1. Getting Started Lesson: There is one Getting Started Lesson in this course. It can be found on Day 1 of Unit 1. This lesson includes important information about the course and contact information for your teacher. 2. Unit Overview: Each unit will include a Unit Overview. This describes what your learner will learn in the unit and how many assessments the unit will have. 3. Prep for Success: At the beginning of each unit, your learner will find a Prep for Success. This component offers learners tips to be successful in the course, such as study tips, important software information, safety reminders, and more. 4. Knowledge Check: There will be one Knowledge Check in each unit. The Knowledge Check is designed to check prior learning and understanding of skills and concepts that will be taught in the unit. The Knowledge Check is not a graded assessment. Each lesson has its own components to help guide your learner through the lesson. 1. Lesson Overview: At the beginning of every lesson, your learner will see the Lesson Overview. This section contains lesson objectives, lesson vocabulary, materials your learner will need for the lesson, and the suggested lesson length. 2. Engage: The first section of the lesson is Engage. In this section, learners will be introduced to the lesson by making a connection to past and present knowledge and will get ready for the lesson’s instruction. 3. Discover: New content and instruction is presented in the Discover section. Your learner will interact with the lesson content through defined vocabulary terms, videos, audio, and Pause and Think activities. Your learner will be able to practice and answer questions as they work through the lesson. 4. Show: Learners will demonstrate what they have learned in the lesson through a series of practice questions. 5. Wrap Up: This section recaps the day’s objectives and prepares learners for a future lesson or assessment. The course includes assignments and projects. These graded assignments allow your learner to show what they have learned and apply their new skills. All CCA assignments and projects include these components. 1. Assessment Overview: At the beginning of each assessment, your learner will see the Assessment Overview. This section contains the goals of the assessment, materials your learner will need, the length of the assessment, and directions for completion. 2. Plan: In the Plan section, learners will be introduced to the assignment or project. Learners may be provided with a review of content from the previous lessons, strategies for completing the activity, graphic organizers, and grading rubrics. 3. Do: Learners put their plan into action and work to complete the assignment or project successfully. This section also provides the grading expectations and/or rubric the teacher will use to grade the work. 4. Reflect: In Reflect, learners will think back to the work they completed. They will reflect upon the experience and analyze how well they completed the task. These moments of reflection are important and allow learners to think about their learning and their work habits. In addition to assignments and projects, this course also includes tests. Quiz Review: Before a quiz, learners will have the opportunity to review the content they will be assessed on in a quiz. Quiz: A quiz may be given at the end of a topic or the end of a unit. A Quiz will usually be worth 10–15 points. Course Features This course includes and uses unique features, such as: Hands-on Coding Application: Hands-on coding and application with micro:bit allow learners to directly engage with programming concepts and create tangible projects using the micro:bit platform. Engineering Challenges: Engineering challenges that present real-world requirements and constraints foster problem-solving skills and creativity while preparing learners to tackle complex problems within set parameters. Part CUnit Information The Engineering Design Process Unit Unit Overview In this unit, learners will explore the engineering design process through hands-on challenges like the Tower and Bridge challenge. They will apply engineering principles to solve problems and gain a deeper understanding of how engineers impact the world. Unit Discussion Questions What do you think is the most important step in the engineering design process, and why? Can you think of any real-world examples where engineers have used the engineering design process to solve complex problems? Unit Notables One helpful tip for completing engineering challenges is to encourage brainstorming and collaboration to generate innovative ideas and approaches. Kit Materials index cards, paperclips, popsicle sticks, tape Household Materials paper, pencil Materials will vary depending on what is being used to complete this challenge. Unit Assessments Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Test _________________________ Assignment _________________ Project ______________________ Quiz _________________________ Exam ________________________ MakeCode and micro:bit Unit Unit Overview In this unit, learners will learn explore the power of coding with the MakeCode platform and micro:bit, learners delve into the world of computational thinking and programming, mastering concepts through hands-on challenges and projects. Unit Discussion Questions What do you think are the key benefits of learning coding and computational thinking? How do you see coding skills being useful in various career paths, and which careers intrigue you the most? What types of projects or activities would you like to explore further with coding after completing this unit? Unit Notables A helpful tip for coding activities with MakeCode and micro:bit simulator is to encourage experimentation and exploration, as trial and error are great learning experiences. Kit Materials Household Materials paper, pencil Materials will vary depending on what is being used to complete this challenge. Unit Assessments Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Test __________________________ Assignment _________________ Project _______________________ Quiz _________________________ Exam _________________________
Enrolling Now for 2026-27 School Year.
