By the End of the 10th Grade
Safety, Law & Ethics
Generate resourceSocial Interactions
Generate resourceCulture
Generate resourceImpacts of Computing
Generate resourceProgram Development
Generate resourceModularity
Generate resourceControl
Generate resourceVariables
Generate resourceAlgorithms
Generate resourceAlgorithms & Programming
Generate resourceInference & Models
Generate resourceCollection, Visualization & Transformation
Generate resourceStorage
Generate resourceData & Analysis
Generate resourceCybersecurity
Generate resourceNetwork Communication & Organization
Generate resourceNetworks & the Internet
Generate resourceTroubleshooting
Generate resourceHardware & Software
Generate resourceDevices
Generate resourceComputing Systems
Generate resourceCreate a prototype that uses algorithms (e.g., searching, sorting, finding shortest distance) to provide a possible solution for a real‐world problem.
Generate resourceApply the concepts of specific control structures (e.g., sequence, conditionals, repetition, procedures) considering program efficiencies such as readability, performance and memory usage.
Generate resourceBreak down a solution into procedures using systematic analysis and design utilizing functional abstraction.
Generate resourceCreate computational artifacts (file, graphic, video, audio) by systematically organizing, manipulating and/or processing data.
Generate resourceUsing visual aids and documentation, illustrate the design elements and data flow (e.g., flowcharts, pseudocode) of the development of a program.
Generate resourceCreate a program by analyzing a problem and/or process, developing and documenting a solution, testing outcomes, debugging errors and adapting the program for a variety of users.
Generate resourceWhile collaborating in a team, develop, test and refine programs that solve practical problems or allow self‐ expression.
Generate resourceEvaluate and refine computational artifacts to make them more user‐friendly, efficient and/or accessible.
Generate resourceCreate problem solutions that utilize primitive variables (e.g., strings, ints, Booleans, doubles).
Generate resourceDemonstrate the use of advanced variables (e.g., lists, arrays, objects) to simplify solutions, generalizing computational problems instead of repeatedly using primitive variables.
Generate resourceExplain how abstractions hide the underlying implementation details of computing systems embedded in everyday objects.
Generate resourceExplain the abstraction and interactions between application software, system software and hardware.
Generate resourceDevelop, communicate and apply systematic troubleshooting strategies for correction of errors in computing systems.
Generate resourceCreate data visualizations to help others better understand real‐world phenomena.
Generate resourceExplain the insights and knowledge gained from digitally processed data by using appropriate visualizations, notions and precise language.
Generate resourceEvaluate and refine computational artifacts to make them more usable and accessible.
Generate resourceShow the relationships between collected data elements using computational models.
Generate resourceRefine computational models to better represent the relationships among different elements of data collected from a phenomenon or process.
Generate resourceTranslate and compare different bit representations of data types, such as characters, numbers and images.
Generate resourceEvaluate the ways computing impacts personal, ethical, social, economic and cultural practices.
Generate resourceTest and refine computational artifacts to reduce bias and equity deficits.
Generate resourceDemonstrate how a given algorithm applies to problems across disciplines.
Generate resourceDemonstrate through collaboration on a project how computing increases connectivity among people of various cultures.
Generate resourceExplain how the degrees of communication afforded by computing have impacted the nature and content of career fields.
Generate resourceExplain the beneficial and harmful effects that intellectual property laws can have on innovation.
Generate resourceExplain the privacy concerns related to the collection and analysis of information about individuals that may not be evident to users.
Generate resourceEvaluate the social and economic consequences of how law and ethics interact with digital aspects of privacy, data, property, information and identity.
Generate resourceDefine and classify a variety of software licensing schemes (e.g., open source, freeware, commercial) and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each scheme in software development.
Generate resourceIdentify and explain the potential impacts and implications of emerging technologies on larger social economic and political structures with evidence from credible sources.
Generate resourceCompare physical and cybersecurity measures by evaluating trade‐offs between the usability and security of a computing system.
Generate resourceRecommend security measures to address various scenarios based on information security principles.
Generate resourceExplain trade‐offs when selecting and implementing cybersecurity recommendations from multiple perspectives such as the user, enterprise and government.
Generate resourceEvaluate the scalability and reliability of networks by identifying and illustrating the basic components of computer networks (e.g., routers, switches, servers) and network protocols (e.g., IP, DNS).
Generate resourceDescribe the issues that impact network functionality (e.g., bandwidth, load, delay, topology).
Generate resourceBy the End of the 12th Grade
Safety, Law & Ethics
Generate resourceCulture
Generate resourceImpacts of Computing
Generate resourceProgram Development
Generate resourceModularity
Generate resourceControl
Generate resourceVariables
Generate resourceAlgorithms
Generate resourceAlgorithms & Programming
Generate resourceInference & Models
Generate resourceCollection, Visualization & Transformation
Generate resourceStorage
Generate resourceData & Analysis
Generate resourceCybersecurity
Generate resourceNetwork Communication & Organization
Generate resourceNetworks & the Internet
Generate resourceTroubleshooting
Generate resourceHardware & Software
Generate resourceDevices
Generate resourceComputing Systems
Generate resourceCritically examine and trace classic algorithms (e.g., selection sort, insertion sort, binary search, linear search).
Generate resourceImplement an artificial intelligence algorithm to interact with a human or solve a problem.
Generate resourceDescribe how artificial intelligence algorithms drive many software and physical systems (e.g., autonomous robots, computer vision, pattern recognition, text analysis).
Generate resourceEvaluate algorithms (e.g., sorting, searching) in terms of their efficiency and clarity.
Generate resourceTrace the execution of iteration (e.g., loops, recursion), illustrating output and changes in values of named variables.
Generate resourceConstruct solutions to problems using student‐ created components (e.g., procedures, modules, objects).
Generate resourceCreate programming solutions by reusing existing code (e.g., libraries, Application Programming Interface (APIs), code repositories).
Generate resourceAnalyze a large‐scale computational problem and identify generalizable patterns that can be applied to a solution.
Generate resourceUse integrated development environments (IDEs) and collaborative tools and practices (code documentation) in a software project.
Generate resourcePlan and develop programs using a development process (e.g., waterfall, iterative, spiral, rapid application development, agile).
Generate resourceIdentify and compare features of various programming languages that make them useful for solving problems and developing systems.
Generate resourceDevelop and use a series of test cases to verify that a program performs according to its design specifications.
Generate resourceExplain security issues that might lead to compromised computer programs.
Generate resourceEvaluate key qualities of a program through a process such as a code review.
Generate resourceCreate problem solutions that utilize data structures (e.g., lists, arrays, ArrayLists).
Generate resourceIllustrate ways computing systems implement logic through hardware components.
Generate resourceDescribe how hardware components facilitate logic, input, output and storage in computing systems.
Generate resourceGenerate data sets that use a variety of data collection tools and analysis techniques to support a claim and/or communicate information.
Generate resourceEvaluate the ability of models and simulations to test and support the refinement of hypotheses.
Generate resourceCompare different bit representations of data types, such as characters, Booleans and numbers while recognizing when using each data type is appropriate.
Generate resourceEvaluate the impact of equity, access and influence on the distribution of computing resources in a global society.
Generate resourceDebate laws and regulations that impact the development and use of software.
Generate resourceCompare and refine ways in which software developers protect devices and information from unauthorized access.
Generate resourceAnalyze cryptographic techniques to model the secure transmission of information.
Generate resourceAnalyze the relationship between routers, switches, servers, topology and addressing.
Generate resourceDescribe key protocols and underlying processes of internet‐based services (e.g., http/https and Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP)/internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), routing protocols).
Generate resourceExplain how the characteristics of the internet influence the systems developed on it.
Generate resourceEarth and Space Sciences: Grades 9-12
Earth and Space Sciences
Generate resourceDevelop a model based on evidence to illustrate the life span of the Sun and the role of nuclear fusion in the Sun's core to release energy in the form of radiation.
Generate resourceConstruct an explanation of the Big Bang theory based on astronomical evidence of light spectra, motion of distant galaxies, and composition of matter in the universe.
Generate resourceCommunicate scientific ideas about the way stars, over their life cycle, produce elements.
Generate resourceUse Kepler's Law to predict the motion of orbiting objects in the solar system.
Generate resourceEvaluate evidence of the past and current movements of continental and oceanic crust, the theory of plate tectonics, and relative densities of oceanic and continental rocks to explain why continental rocks are generally much older than rocks of the ocean floor.
Generate resourceApply scientific reasoning and evidence from ancient Earth materials, meteorites, and other planetary surfaces to construct an account of Earth's formation and early history.
Generate resourceDevelop a model to illustrate how Earth's interior and surface processes (constructive and destructive) operate at different spatial and temporal scales to form continental and ocean-floor features.
Generate resourceAnalyze geoscientific data to make the claim that one change to Earth's surface can create changes to other Earth systems.
Generate resourceDevelop a model based on evidence of Earth's interior to describe the cycling of matter by thermal convection.
Generate resourceUse a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth's systems result in changes in climate.
Generate resourcePlan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes.
Generate resourceDevelop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.
Generate resourceConstruct an argument based on evidence about the simultaneous coevolution of Earth's systems and life on Earth.
Generate resourceConstruct an explanation based on evidence for how the availability of natural resources, occurrence of natural hazards, and changes in climate have influenced human activity.
Generate resourceEvaluate competing design solutions for developing, managing, and utilizing energy and mineral resources based on economic, social, and environmental cost-benefit ratios.
Generate resourceCreate a computational simulation to illustrate the relationships among management of natural resources, the sustainability of human populations, and biodiversity.
Generate resourceEvaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems in order to restore stability and or biodiversity of the ecosystem as well as prevent their reoccurrences.
Generate resourcePredict how human activity affects the relationships between Earth systems in both positive and negative ways.
Generate resourceAnalyze geoscientific data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.
Generate resourceEngineering, Technology, and Application of Science: Grades 9-12
Engineering, Technology, and Application of Science
Generate resourceAnalyze a major global challenge to specify qualitative and quantitative criteria and constraints for solutions that account for societal needs and wants.
Generate resourceDesign a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
Generate resourceEvaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
Generate resourceUse a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem with numerous criteria and constraints on interactions within and between systems relevant to the problem.
Generate resourceLife Sciences: Grades 9-12
Structure and Function LS1.A
Generate resourceLife Sciences
Generate resourceConstruct a model of how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells.
Generate resourceDevelop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms.
Generate resourcePlan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.
Generate resourceDevelop and use models to communicate the role of mitosis, cellular division, and differentiation in producing and maintaining complex organisms.
Generate resourceUse a model to demonstrate how photosynthesis transforms light energy into stored chemical energy.
Generate resourceUse a model to demonstrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby the bonds of molecules are broken and the bonds in new compounds are formed resulting in a net transfer of energy.
Generate resourceConstruct and revise an explanation based on evidence that organic macromolecules are primarily composed of six elements, where carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms may combine with nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus to form large carbon-based molecules.
Generate resourceExplain how various biotic and abiotic factors affect the carrying capacity and biodiversity of an ecosystem using mathematical and/or computational representations.
Generate resourceConstruct and revise an explanation based on evidence that the processes of photosynthesis, chemosynthesis, and aerobic and anaerobic respiration are responsible for the cycling of matter and flow of energy through ecosystems and that environmental conditions restrict which reactions can occur.
Generate resourceCommunicate the pattern of the cycling of matter and the flow of energy among trophic levels in an ecosystem.
Generate resourceUse a model that illustrates the roles of photosynthesis, cellular respiration, decomposition, and combustion to explain the cycling of carbon in its various forms among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.
Generate resourceEvaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent populations of species while conditions remain stable, but changing conditions may result in new ecosystem dynamics.
Generate resourceDesign, evaluate, and/or refine solutions that positively impact the environment and biodiversity.
Generate resourceDevelop and use models to clarify relationships DNA in the form of chromosomes is passed from parents to offspring through the processes of meiosis and fertilization in sexual reproduction.
Generate resourceCompare and contrast asexual and sexual reproduction with regard to genetic information and variation in offspring.
Generate resourceDevelop and use a model to describe why structural changes to genes (mutations) located on chromosomes may affect proteins and may result in harmful, beneficial, or neutral effects to the structure and function of the organism.
Generate resourceMake and defend a claim that inheritable genetic variations may result from: (1) new genetic combinations through meiosis, (2) mutations occurring during replication, and/or (3) mutations caused by environmental factors.
Generate resourceApply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and distribution of expressed traits in a population.
Generate resourceCommunicate scientific information that common and biological evolution are supported by multiple lines of empirical evidence.
Generate resourceAnalyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy.
Generate resourceConstruct an explanation based on evidence that the process of evolution primarily results from four factors: (1) the potential for a species to increase in number, (2) the heritable genetic variation of individuals in a species due to mutation and sexual reproduction, (3) competition for limited resources, and (4) the proliferation of those organisms that are better able to survive and reproduce in the environment.
Generate resourceApply concepts of statistics and probability to support explanations that organisms with an advantageous heritable trait tend to increase in proportion to organisms lacking this trait.
Generate resourceConstruct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.
Generate resourceEvaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.
Generate resourceCreate or revise a model to test a solution to mitigate adverse impacts of human activity on biodiversity.
Generate resourcePhysical Sciences: Grades 9-12
Physical Sciences
Generate resourceUse the organization of the periodic table to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.
Generate resourceConstruct and revise an explanation for the products of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.
Generate resourcePlan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare physical and chemical properties of substances such as melting point, boiling point, vapor pressure, surface tension, and chemical reactivity to infer the relative strength of attractive forces between particles.
Generate resourceApply the concepts of bonding and crystalline/molecular structure to explain the macroscopic properties of various categories of structural materials, i.e. metals, ionic (ceramics), and polymers.
Generate resourceDevelop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.
Generate resourceApply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.
Generate resourceRefine the design of a chemical system by specifying a change in conditions that would alter the amount of products at equilibrium.
Generate resourceUse symbolic representations and mathematical calculations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction.
Generate resourceUse symbolic representations to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.
Generate resourceAnalyze data to support and verify the concepts expressed by Newton's 2nd law of motion, as it describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration.
Generate resourceUse mathematical representations to support and verify the concepts that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.
Generate resourceApply scientific principles of motion and momentum to design, evaluate, and refine a device that minimizes the force on a macroscopic object during a collision.
Generate resourceUse mathematical representations of Newton's Law of Gravitation to describe and predict the gravitational forces between objects.
Generate resourcePlan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.
Generate resourceCreate a computational model to calculate the change in the energy of one component in a system when the changes in energy are known.
Generate resourceDevelop and use models to illustrate that energy at the macroscopic scale can be accounted for as a combination of energy associated with the motions of particles (objects) and energy associated with the relative position of particles (objects).
Generate resourceDesign, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.
Generate resourcePlan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that the transfer of thermal energy when two components of different temperature are combined within a closed system results in a more uniform energy distribution among the components in the system (second law of thermodynamics).
Generate resourceDevelop and use a model of two objects interacting through electric or magnetic fields to illustrate the forces between objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to the interaction.
Generate resourceUse mathematical representations to support a claim regarding relationships among the frequency, wavelength, and speed of waves traveling in various media.
Generate resourceEvaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning behind the idea that electromagnetic radiation can be described either by a wave model or a particle model, and that for some situations one model is more useful than the other.
Generate resourceCommunicate technical information about how electromagnetic radiation interacts with matter.
Generate resourceEvaluate the validity and reliability of claims in published materials of the effects that different frequencies of electromagnetic radiation have when absorbed by matter.
Generate resource