This unit focuses on cyberbullying, digital drama, and hate speech. Learning in this unit will allow students to:Decide what kinds of statements are OK to say online and which are not.

This unit focuses on sprites and behaviors while enforcing the concept of events. Learning in this unit will allow students to:Describe the importance of the user in the design process.Identify sprites in a running computer program.Create an animation using sprites, and behaviors.Create new sprites and assign them costumes and behaviors.Create an interactive animation using events.Develop programs that respond to timed events.Develop programs that respond to user input.The content of this unit can be taught by implementing the standalone unit resources and reinforced by embedding the cross curricular activity.

This unit focuses on sprites and behaviors while enforcing the concept of events. Learning in this unit will allow students to:Describe the importance of the user in the design process.Identify sprites in a running computer program.Create an animation using sprites, and behaviors.Create new sprites and assign them costumes and behaviors.Create an interactive animation using events.Develop programs that respond to timed events.Develop programs that respond to user input.The content of this unit can be taught by implementing the standalone unit resources and reinforced by embedding the cross curricular activity.

This unit focuses on the use of variables in programming. Learning in this unit will allow students to:Assign a variable a value.Call a variable multiple times in a program.Declare a variable.Determine the relationship between how a variable is defined, stored, and retrieved when we press “Run” on a program.Use variables in conjunction with prompts.Use variables to hold words and phrases.Create an interactive computer program that responds to user input.Create a variable that stores information and changes over timeThe content of this unit can be taught by implementing the standalone unit resources and reinforced by embedding the cross curricular activity.

This unit focuses on the use of variables in programming. Learning in this unit will allow students to:Assign a variable a value.Call a variable multiple times in a program.Declare a variable.Determine the relationship between how a variable is defined, stored, and retrieved when we press “Run” on a program.Use variables in conjunction with prompts.Use variables to hold words and phrases.Create an interactive computer program that responds to user input.Create a variable that stores information and changes over timeThe content of this unit can be taught by implementing the standalone unit resources and reinforced by embedding the cross curricular activity.

In this unit, Students learn how machine learning can be used to solve problems by preparing data, training a machine learning model, then testing and evaluating the model for accuracy and bias. Learning in this unit will allow students to:Create a machine learning model in AI Lab to solve a problem and use App Lab to create an app that uses their model. Understand how machine learning models make decisions from data.Create machine learning models from their own data to solve problems in their community. AI and Machine Learning

In this unit, students explore the relationship between hardware and software. Learning in this unit will allow students to:Design and build a physical computing device that integrates physical inputs and outputs with digital apps. Create app prototypes that use a physical device to solve real-world problems.Use physical computing to solve problems in fun and innovative ways.This unit has two options: Option A uses the Adafruit Circuit Playground, and Option B uses the BBC micro:bit. Teachers should pick whichever option matches the devices they have in their classroom - they do not need to purchase both sets of devices or try to teach both options.Creating Apps with Devices - Circuit PlaygroundCreating Apps with Devices (micro:bit)

In this unit, students explore different systems used to represent information in a computer and the challenges and trade-offs posed by using them. They will also learn how collections of data are used to solve problems and how computers help to automate the steps of this process. Learning in this unit will allow students to:Understand the role of data and data representation in solving information problems. Explain the necessary components of any data representation scheme, as well as the particulars of binary and the common ways that various types of simple and complex data are represented in binary code. Design and implement a data-based solution to a given problem and determine how the different aspects of the problem-solving process could be automated.Data and Society

In this unit, students learn fundamental programming constructs and practices in the JavaScript programming language while developing animations and games. Learning in this unit will allow students to:Create an interactive animation or game that includes basic programming concepts such as control structures, variables, user input, and randomness. Work with others to break down programming projects using sprites and functions.Give and respond constructively to peer feedback, and work with their teammates to complete a project. View themselves as a computer programmer and see programming as a fun and creative form of expression.Interactive Animations and Games

In this unit, students apply the problem-solving process to the problems of others, learning to empathize with the needs of a user and design solutions to address those needs. Learning in this unit will allow students to:See the design process as a form of problem solving that prioritizes the needs of a user. Identify user needs and assess how well different designs address them. Develop paper and digital prototypes, gather and respond to feedback about a prototype, and consider ways different user interfaces do or do not affect the usability of their apps. Understand other roles in software development, such as product management, marketing, design, and testing, and how to use what they have learned about computer science as a tool for social impact.The Design Process

In this unit, students learn to create websites using HTML and CSS and consider questions of privacy and ownership on the internet. Learning in this unit will allow students to:Create digital artifacts that use multiple computer languages to control the structure and style of their content.Create a website as a form of personal expression.Use different programming languages to solve different problems.Examine their role and responsibilities as both creators and consumers of digital media.Web Development

Unit Overview/SummaryThe ELA model units support the implementation of an effective and comprehensive core classroom (Tier I) reading instructional program. It is essential to select and implement instructional practices supported by a body of knowledge derived from scientifically-based reading research. Considering the multidisciplinary research on the science of reading and related instructional components, using evidence-based instructional methods, and learning activities that apply the components of the science of reading (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and listening, reading, and language comprehension) facilitates students’ working knowledge of reading processes and skills. Additional information about foundational reading skills and the sub-skills or prerequisite skills students must acquire to achieve the foundational skills, can be found in the document, Building the Foundation: A Suggested Progression of Sub-skills to Achieve the Reading Standards: Foundational Skills in the Common Core State Standards. This document also contains a variety of instructional examples, organized by foundational skill and grade level.   Unit Focus:This unit will introduce students, who are learning about their environment, to building a community of learners, and the rules and routines of a community. Students will become a community of readers through read-aloud and interactive reading of various topics and genres. They will become a community of writers through shared and interactive writing and independent drawing. Unit Duration:20 days (0 reteach/enrichment days); Based on 180 minutes to 240 minutes per day 

Unit Overview/SummaryThe ELA model units support the implementation of an effective and comprehensive core classroom (Tier I) reading instructional program. It is essential to select and implement instructional practices supported by a body of knowledge derived from scientifically-based reading research. Considering the multidisciplinary research on the science of reading and related instructional components, using evidence-based instructional methods, and learning activities that apply the components of the science of reading (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and listening, reading, and language comprehension) facilitates students’ working knowledge of reading processes and skills. Additional information about foundational reading skills and the sub-skills or prerequisite skills students must acquire to achieve the foundational skills, can be found in the document, Building the Foundation: A Suggested Progression of Sub-skills to Achieve the Reading Standards: Foundational Skills in the Common Core State Standards. This document also contains a variety of instructional examples, organized by foundational skill and grade level.   Unit Focus:This unit is designed for students to understand and explore the specific features of fiction. Students will learn that some texts tell stories (fiction), and some texts give information (nonfiction). They will engage in shared reading and interactive read-alouds that help them learn about characters, settings, and major events and explore how the illustrations represent or enhance the text. Words with multiple meanings will be included. Students will express their opinions about the stories through drawing and dictating/writing.Unit Duration: 25 days (20 instructional days and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Based on 180 minutes to 240 minutes per day

Unit Overview/Summary:The ELA model units support the implementation of an effective and comprehensive core classroom (Tier I) reading instructional program. It is essential to select and implement instructional practices supported by a body of knowledge derived from scientifically-based reading research. Considering the multidisciplinary research on the science of reading and related instructional components, using evidence-based instructional methods, and learning activities that apply the components of the science of reading (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and listening, reading, and language comprehension) facilitates students’ working knowledge of reading processes and skills. Additional information about foundational reading skills and the sub-skills or prerequisite skills students must acquire to achieve the foundational skills, can be found in the document, Building the Foundation: A Suggested Progression of Sub-skills to Achieve the Reading Standards: Foundational Skills in the Common Core State Standards. This document also contains a variety of instructional examples, organized by foundational skill and grade level.   Unit Focus:Students will explore nonfiction texts and draw/dictate/write their own simple informative/explanatory texts. During interactive read-alouds or shared reading, the students will practice asking and answering questions, comparing/contrasting text, and illustrations, and discussing key details and the categories to which they belong. In guided or independent reading, the students can read emergent-level nonfiction books. For writing, they can draw and write about an informational topic and include some details. Unit Duration: 20 days (15 instructional days and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Based on 180 minutes to 240 minutes per day 

CSDE Model Curricula Quick Start GuideImplementing the K-3 ELA Model CurriculumEquitable and Inclusive Curriculum  The CSDE believes in providing a set of conditions where learners are repositioned at the center of curricula planning and design. Curricula, from a culturally responsive perspective, require intentional planning for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the development of units and implementation of lessons. It is critical to develop a learning environment that is relevant to and reflective of students’ social, cultural, and linguistic experiences to effectively connect their culturally and community-based knowledge to the class. Begin by connecting what is known about students’ cognitive and interdisciplinary diversity to the learning of the unit. Opposed to starting instructional planning with gaps in students’ knowledge, plan from an asset-based perspective by starting from students’ strengths. In doing so, curricula’s implementation will be grounded in instruction that engages, motivates, and supports the intellectual capacity of all students.The Science of Reading and the Grades K-3 English Language Arts Model Curriculum  Curriculum is the central roadmap for communicating essential learning outcomes for mastery by the end of a grade or grade band. The K-8 English Language Arts Model Curriculum units serve to support districts in delineating how teachers will organize their instruction and teach to develop skills and content knowledge and assess students’ ability to transfer learning. Furthermore, the CSDE’s model curriculum for Grades K-3, inclusive, aligns with the findings of the body of knowledge called the science of reading and the complementary theoretical frameworks (i.e., The Simple View of Reading and Scarborough’s Reading Rope). These frameworks explain the development of reading and the many subskills that contribute to skilled reading.  The Science of Reading Defined“The science of reading is a vast, interdisciplinary body of scientifically-based research about reading and issues related to reading and writing. This research has been conducted over the last five decades across the world, and…has culminated in a preponderance of evidence to inform how proficient reading and writing develop…and how we can most effectively assess and teach and, therefore, improve student outcomes through prevention of and intervention for reading difficulties.” 1 The Grades K-3 English Language Arts Model Curriculum units present the foundational skills that students must develop to become, and improve, as readers. The units are organized and presented in a manner that supports the development of the interrelated skills that contribute to skilled reading. Through purposeful interactions, students must actively engage in rigorous conversations, refine speaking and listening skills, and build their knowledge of language structures in preparation for the advanced intellectual work required for both listening and reading comprehension. With a carefully arranged sequence of standards within and across the K-3 grade band, the model units present the complex multidimensional nature of the language system, incorporating language components (i.e., phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, pragmatics) and literacy components (i.e., phonological awareness, alphabetic principle, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension) for reading acquisition.  The Science of Reading: How Children Learn to Read and How They Should Be TaughtThe role of instruction and practice, and the emphasis placed on them, emerged after research conducted over a couple of decades was synthesized to reveal that explicit and systematic instruction was key to students acquiring fundamental skills. Together with teachers’ knowledge of scientific research that has shown us how children learn to read and how they should be taught, districts and schools can facilitate students’ proficient acquisition of fundamental reading skills. Although knowing the science of reading is crucial, it is not enough. Educators must understand the various aspects of culture, including identifying a student’s first language if it is not English, understanding how a student’s first language is structurally different from English, determining why students miss school and if there are trauma impacts, as well as many other unnamed variables. Knowing these factors can help support students and their families in ways beyond reading instruction, and in doing so, learning to read may become easier.1   Science of Reading Defining Guide. (The Reading League, 2022), 6.1. Science of Reading Defining Guide (The Reading League,2022),6.  Course Description:  In the English Language Arts Model Curriculum, there is a proportional emphasis on informational and literary texts and writing types across the grade levels. In addition to developing students’ abilities to read and comprehend a variety of texts, it is equally important to devote adequate time to engage students in producing clear and coherent writing. Included in each of the units are the Speaking and Listening Standards and the Language Standards, which are essential for supporting the development of reading and writing skills and abilities. Through purposeful interactions, students will actively engage in rigorous conversations, refine speaking and listening skills, and build their knowledge of language structures in preparation for the advanced intellectual work required for both listening and reading comprehension, and writing in subsequent grades, including writing about their reading. The Kindergarten Reading Foundational Standards are included in each of the instructional units, most of which are categorized as Priority Standards, to support the development of students’ emergent reading and writing skills. The scope and sequence of the prioritized Reading Foundational Standards are to be determined at the lesson level. Many of the skills foundational to language development are prioritized in each of the instructional units to stress the importance and interconnectedness of the development of sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling, and writing. Beginning with the Kindergarten school year, students must have clear and ambitious writing goals, be acknowledged for their accomplishments, and engage in the process of receiving feedback on their writing progress. Aligned Core Programs: The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) in partnership with the State Education Resource Center has engaged with providers of high-quality instructional resources to develop alignment guidance for the CSDE English Language Arts (ELA) Model Curriculum. The guidance documents provide information about how instructional content aligns with and supports the implementation of the ELA Model Curriculum. Instructional materials referenced in the alignment guidance documents meet the expectations of Connecticut legislation and the PreK–3 Reading Connecticut Review Process to Evaluate Curricula and Programs.  Additional Course Information:  Incorporated in each of the English Language Arts Model Curriculum units are the Writing Standards, with the expectation that adequate instructional time will be devoted to engaging students in producing and publishing various types of writing. Students need time to perform the intellectual work required for composing, which includes talking about their ideas, analyzing information, and organizing and presenting thoughts precisely and accurately. Developing the ability to analyze author’s craft requires multiple opportunities to engage with texts, so that students can apply literary devices and techniques in writing and make decisions around text structure and language use. When considering writing instruction, it is essential to give attention to the language skills (e.g., spelling, vocabulary, background knowledge, syntax) that directly contribute to writing production. Although writing needs dedicated instructional time, each unit supports an integrated approach to writing instruction by including complementary Speaking and Listening Standards, and Language Standards in service to the writing demands called for in each unit.Students will benefit from additional guidance during writing instruction, especially when spelling, word choice retrieval, fluently generating ideas, and executive functions are challenging. For example, working at the sentence level can help students develop the skills to compose complete compound and complex sentences, and use coordinating, correlative, and subordinating conjunctions in their writing. Sentence expansion activities can support students in writing with greater precision and accuracy. To produce lengthier pieces of writing, students may need support working through the planning and prewriting stages of the writing process and applying specific writing strategies. We must also be mindful of how executive function influences a writer’s capacity to work through the multiple steps and tasks of composing text, and the ability to sustain tasks and efforts to produce the many forms of writing. Navigating linguistically complex texts when conducting research projects and understanding and managing selective attention demands, including in working memory, may require additional scaffolds.Habits of Mind/SEIH/Transferable Skills Addressed in the Course: The integration of social, emotional, and intellectual habits is an important component in a K-12 education and contributes to students’ academic and personal success, and success in college, careers, and civic life. Social, emotional, and intellectual habits set the stage for all future learning, promoting intrapersonal, interpersonal, and cognitive competence. Adult beliefs and mindsets, as well as school experiences, all influence the development of social, emotional, and intellectual competencies (The Education Trust). Since adults are responsible for establishing and sustaining student-centered, inclusive learning environments, they must first take stock of their strengths for establishing and maintaining healthy relationships with adults and students, including individuals across different perspectives and backgrounds (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning [CASEL], n.d.). By understanding and applying social, emotional, and intellectual habits, students effectively negotiate daily tasks and challenges. Social, emotional, and intellectual habits assist students in setting and achieving positive goals, establishing and maintaining healthy relationships, and making responsible decisions. In addition, they support students’ ability to maintain focus and manage their learning irrespective of obstacles. Students must have the capacity to integrate social, emotional, and intellectual skills, attitudes, and behaviors throughout the course of the day.Embedded within each of the English Language Arts Model Curriculum units are the interrelated social, emotional, and intellectual habits, as provided in the Components of Social, Emotional and Intellectual Habits: Kindergarten through Grade 12 document. These habits, over time, will contribute to students’ academic and personal success and are exemplified as areas of development (e.g., identify and understand emotions of self and others; develop logic and reasoning), further organized by learning continua (e.g., empathy; critical and analytical thinking), and clarified by categories of indicators of evidence or developmental milestones (e.g., acknowledge needs of others and act accordingly; agree or disagree with others and give reasons why). By understanding how respect, empathy, responsible behavior, and other social, emotional, and intellectual habits support rapport building, educators can foster trusting relationships with and among students so that each student feels connected and cared for as a member of the classroom community. This sets the stage for all future learning by minimizing the types of social interactions that can activate threats in the brain and impede students’ sense of agency. Students are then empowered to practice self-management and other skills and competencies within their social context (Hammond, 2015).Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (n.d.). How Does SEL Support Educational Equity And Excellence?: Imagine A School Community That Fully Supports Students’ Learning And Development So That All Children Can Thrive. Fundamentals of SEL Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain: Promoting Authentic Engagement and Rigor among Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.The Education Trust. (August 2020).  Social, Emotional, and Academic Development through an Equity Lens.

Unit Overview/Summary The ELA model units support the implementation of an effective and comprehensive core classroom (Tier I) reading instructional program. It is essential to select and implement instructional practices supported by a body of knowledge derived from scientifically-based reading research. Considering the multidisciplinary research on the science of reading and related instructional components, using evidence-based instructional methods, and learning activities that apply the components of the science of reading (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and listening, reading, and language comprehension) facilitates students’ working knowledge of reading processes and skills. Additional information about foundational reading skills and the sub-skills or prerequisite skills students must acquire to achieve the foundational skills, can be found in the document, Building the Foundation: A Suggested Progression of Sub-skills to Achieve the Reading Standards: Foundational Skills in the Common Core State Standards. This document also contains a variety of instructional examples, organized by foundational skill and grade level.   Unit Focus:This unit will introduce students, who are learning about their environment, to building a community of learners, and the rules and routines of a community. Students will become a community of readers through read-aloud and interactive reading of various topics and genres. They will become a community of writers through shared and interactive writing and independent drawing. Unit Duration:20 days (0 reteach/enrichment days); Based on 180 minutes to 240 minutes per day 

Unit Overview/SummaryThe ELA model units support the implementation of an effective and comprehensive core classroom (Tier I) reading instructional program. It is essential to select and implement instructional practices supported by a body of knowledge derived from scientifically-based reading research. Considering the multidisciplinary research on the science of reading and related instructional components, using evidence-based instructional methods, and learning activities that apply the components of the science of reading (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and listening, reading, and language comprehension) facilitates students’ working knowledge of reading processes and skills. Additional information about foundational reading skills and the sub-skills or prerequisite skills students must acquire to achieve the foundational skills, can be found in the document, Building the Foundation: A Suggested Progression of Sub-skills to Achieve the Reading Standards: Foundational Skills in the Common Core State Standards. This document also contains a variety of instructional examples, organized by foundational skill and grade level.   Unit Focus:Students will explore a book and all its parts and uses. In addition to developing their concepts about print, they will begin to identify the names and jobs of the author and illustrator, the covers and title page, and different types of books (e.g., stories, poems, informational). They will continue to develop their discussion skills, phonological awareness, and letter/sound knowledge. In writing, they will draw and dictate/write stories, or develop their writing using information from their own lives. Unit Duration:10 days (8 instructional days and 2 reteach/enrichment days); Based on 180 minutes to 240 minutes per day 

Unit Overview/Summary The ELA model units support the implementation of an effective and comprehensive core classroom (Tier I) reading instructional program. It is essential to select and implement instructional practices supported by a body of knowledge derived from scientifically-based reading research. Considering the multidisciplinary research on the science of reading and related instructional components, using evidence-based instructional methods, and learning activities that apply the components of the science of reading (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and listening, reading, and language comprehension) facilitates students’ working knowledge of reading processes and skills. Additional information about foundational reading skills and the sub-skills or prerequisite skills students must acquire to achieve the foundational skills, can be found in the document, Building the Foundation: A Suggested Progression of Sub-skills to Achieve the Reading Standards: Foundational Skills in the Common Core State Standards. This document also contains a variety of instructional examples, organized by foundational skill and grade level.   Unit Focus:Students will explore a book and all its parts and uses. In addition to developing their concepts about print, they will begin to identify the names and jobs of the author and illustrator, the covers and title page, and different types of books (e.g., stories, poems, informational). They will continue to develop their discussion skills, phonological awareness, and letter/sound knowledge. In writing, they will draw and dictate/write stories, or develop their writing using information from their own lives. Unit Duration:10 days (8 instructional days and 2 reteach/enrichment days); Based on 180 minutes to 240 minutes per day 

Unit Overview/SummaryThe ELA model units support the implementation of an effective and comprehensive core classroom (Tier I) reading instructional program. It is essential to select and implement instructional practices supported by a body of knowledge derived from scientifically-based reading research. Considering the multidisciplinary research on the science of reading and related instructional components, using evidence-based instructional methods, and learning activities that apply the components of the science of reading (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and listening, reading, and language comprehension) facilitates students’ working knowledge of reading processes and skills. Additional information about foundational reading skills and the sub-skills or prerequisite skills students must acquire to achieve the foundational skills, can be found in the document, Building the Foundation: A Suggested Progression of Sub-skills to Achieve the Reading Standards: Foundational Skills in the Common Core State Standards. This document also contains a variety of instructional examples, organized by foundational skill and grade level.   Unit Focus:This unit returns to fiction and focuses on using the story elements learned in Unit 3 (Understanding Narrative Texts and Sharing an Opinion) to begin retelling stories. The students continue to develop their vocabulary, phonological awareness, and letter/sound knowledge while reading. In writing, they begin to draw and dictate/write narratives. Unit Duration:30 days (25 instructional days and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Based on 180 minutes to 240 minutes per day  

Unit Overview/Summary The ELA model units support the implementation of an effective and comprehensive core classroom (Tier I) reading instructional program. It is essential to select and implement instructional practices supported by a body of knowledge derived from scientifically-based reading research. Considering the multidisciplinary research on the science of reading and related instructional components, using evidence-based instructional methods, and learning activities that apply the components of the science of reading (i.e., phonemic awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and listening, reading, and language comprehension) facilitates students’ working knowledge of reading processes and skills. Additional information about foundational reading skills and the sub-skills or prerequisite skills students must acquire to achieve the foundational skills, can be found in the document, Building the Foundation: A Suggested Progression of Sub-skills to Achieve the Reading Standards: Foundational Skills in the Common Core State Standards. This document also contains a variety of instructional examples, organized by foundational skill and grade level.   Unit Focus:This unit returns to fiction and focuses on using the story elements learned in Unit 3 (Understanding Narrative Texts and Sharing an Opinion) to begin retelling stories. The students continue to develop their vocabulary, phonological awareness, and letter/sound knowledge while reading. In writing, they begin to draw and dictate/write narratives. Unit Duration:30 days (25 instructional days and 5 reteach/enrichment days); Based on 180 minutes to 240 minutes per day