Bring coding content into classrooms

Computer Science Foundations enhances core content areas by enabling non-computer science teachers to make curricular connections and explore computer science with their students, from foreign language to science to PE.

Three Computer Science Foundations curriculum books on a table.

A STANDARDS-ALIGNED, SUPPLEMENTAL CURRICULUM

Computer Science Foundations is built on the K12 Computer Science Framework Principles and is aligned to various national and international standards, including the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) standards and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

Computer Science Foundations is designed to be taught in the classroom alongside our Sphero BOLT. Select activities in Courses 2 & 3 work with RVR+

Hands holding an iPad scanning a QR code in the CSF book.

Computer Science Foundations (CSF) Features

  • Printed Educator Guide for step-by-step instructional support 
  • Student-ready lessons, pre-loaded in the Sphero Edu app 
  • 72 scaffolded lessons across nine themes 
  • 45–60 minutes per lesson with handouts 
  • Optional extensions that allow lessons to augment additional class time 
  • Two to three students per Sphero robot and device 
  • Compatible with Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome, and Kindle Fire 
Illustration of student and teacher next to chalk board with code written on it.

Rather than be experts themselves, educators learn to code alongside students while fostering healthy class culture and modeling growth mindsets.

Illustration of students holding hands.

CSF allows learners to grow vital social and emotional learning skills (SEL) as well as 21st century skills, such as creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and responsible decision-making.

Illustration of students of different ages around a lightbulb.

Whether a 3rd grader brand-new to coding or a high school senior who’s looking to start learning JavaScript, CSF is an entry point into problem-solving through programming.

Suitable for your school’s needs

Supports your level of readiness

Perhaps your school desires an entry point for coding and robotics. Or, maybe you have some experience and would like to grow. Or, perhaps you need a creative approach to fostering community. Whatever your unique situation, Sphero CSF can meet you where you are.

Sphero Bolt sitting on a white piece of paper that says START

Flexible implementation

  • School-wide initiatives (STEAM, Computer Science Education, Technology and Robotics) 
  • Single teacher or team-taught 
  • Subject-area teams or grade-level teams 
  • Extracurricular or core content  
Student looking at his code on an Ipad with the Sphero Bolt next to him

Flexible device support

  • Shared devices (classroom cart) 
  • 1:1—a device for every student 
  • BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
  • Stationary devices in Library Media Center or Learning Lab 
Hand reaching into blue bolt power pack case grabbing one of the bolts

Flexible timing

  • Weekly in the classroom or monthly in the Library Media Center/Makerspace 
  • Short “sprints” with a given theme or a year-long marathon 
  • Build deeper skills or broaden application 

Make CS & robots approachable in all content areas

Scaffolded across three courses and 72 lessons, teachers and students build Draw, Block, and Text coding skills. They then integrate these concepts into curricular content: everything from polygons and poetry to logic-puzzlers and compliment-givers.

Chart outlining the coding levels and content themes and number of activities in Courses 1-3 of Sphero Computer Science Foundations.
Chart outlining the coding levels and content themes and number of activities in Courses 1-3 of Sphero Computer Science Foundations.

Flexible Pathways of Learning

Student working with teacher on the Ipad in classroom

“This year in my third grade class, I’ll teach one lesson a week with our shared iPad cart and Power Pack. We can progress through a theme to take on new challenges, but when I sense students need more practice, we will use a different theme to review and master coding concepts.”

Middle School boys working with teacher on laptop and Sphero Bolt

“I look forward to working alongside my colleagues as we tag-team three themes with our students. Across the semester, we will teach collaboratively and—as it suits our content—grow not only our coding abilities, but also our culture as a team.“

Students coding on a Ipad in a library while collaborating with a teacher

“In our Library Media Center/Makerspace, grades 6, 7, and 8 schedule quarterly visits to work on engineering-related challenges. Students bring their own devices, and I can easily pull out two Power Packs and assign a lesson for students to tackle. We cover all three courses amongst the grades.”

Skip around content themes and programming levels

An individual educator chooses a theme to start the class. Students can build conceptually by continuing lessons in that theme or reinforce their practice of a given concept by exploring in a different theme.

Chart showing the difficulty level depending on the activity theme
Chart showing the difficulty level depending on the activity theme

A grade-level team covers a different theme in each class

Students work through a given theme with a content-area teacher, with each teacher devoting a portion of their year to incorporating coding in their content area. Teachers learn programming alongside their students, and together apply their new knowledge to enhance their own curriculum.

Chart showing the difficulty level depending on the activity theme highlighting the nature, empathy, and game design concepts
Chart showing the difficulty level depending on the activity theme highlighting the nature, empathy, and game design concepts

Different grades follow various themes and programming levels

Grade-level students can journey through the supplemental curriculum over the course of multiple years, progressing across the themes and deepening understanding. Newer students can visit previous lessons, while students who need a challenge can choose more advanced concepts.

Chart showing the difficulty level depending on the activity theme highlighting the more advanced concepts
Chart showing the difficulty level depending on the activity theme highlighting the more advanced concepts

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