K-12 STEM Catalog
K-12 STEM Course Catalog for Teachers
SoftUni’s innovative K-12 STEM Course catalog includes basic- and advanced-level classes in Programming, Robotics, Electronics, Animation, and Design for children ages 5-12. Over 4+K students have already gone through our programs and open courses. The classes are all practice- and skill-oriented, with emphasis on teamwork and communication. The syllabuses combine traditional formats of teaching with games to encourage kids’ creativity and interest in science.Â
The programs in Robotics and Electronics, and the one in Programming each contain 2 levels of logically consecutive courses. The Design and Animation classes are independent and can be taught in no particular order.
For each course, both as part of the program and an open one, you get:
- Complete lesson plans;
- Teaching presentations;
- Examples and demo code;
- Textbooks and exercise solutions;
- Practical exercises;
- Homework assignments and exams.
You also have the benefit of SoftUni Judge – an automated real-time grading system for all programming-related exercises and exams.​
Skills The K-12 STEM Courses Focus On:
Digital Competency
Creativity
Logical Thinking
Communication
Teamwork
Presentation
Computer Literacy and Programming Course
This introductory course contains is specifically designed to give children ages 5-6 a basic understanding of programming. The curriculum contains many exercises and practical tasks that stimulate teamwork, curiosity, and interest in science. The course ends with a group project in repetition and cycles in everyday life and in Programming.
The duration of the class depends on your schedule. There are 8 lessons planned, 2 astronomical hours each, so with 2 lectures a week, the whole course will take about 1 month.
The topics include:Â Â
- What is a computer;Â
- Main computer parts;
- Incoming and outcoming devices;
- Electricity;
- Software and hardware;
- How computers think;
- Algorithms;
- Repetition and cycles.
K-12 STEM Courses in Programming:
The program’s duration depends on the schedule you set up. Each course consists of 8 lessons, 2 astronomical hours each, so if you conduct them twice a week, it will take 1 month for the introductory course and 5 months for all the advanced classes. Or 6 months for the program in total.
We license two age-appropriate versions of the program – for children ages 7-9 and 10-12.
First Steps in Programming Course
This introductory course contains learning materials needed to teach age-appropriate basic programming knowledge and practical skills that the later, more advanced courses in the program can build on. It lays the foundations of algorithmic thinking, goal setting, and problem-solving. The main principles of the curriculum are teamwork, communication, and motivation.
The topics include:Â Â
- Introduction to visual programming language;
- Algorithm;
- Cycles;
- Own character and problem-solving in the code;
- Extensions in Scratch;
- Events;
- Conditions;
- Communication between events and sprites;
- Ends with a project.
Advanced Courses
The advanced part of the K-12 STEM Programming classes consists of 5 courses – Game of Blocks, Android Apps, HTML and CSS3 Sites, HTML and JavaScript Games, and Programming with Python. The teaching approach in every lesson is to introduce new elements in the context of a game or a project so the children can understand and visualize it better.
Each curriculum builds on the knowledge and skills taught in the previous classes. That’s why we recommend executing the program in a specific order, starting with the First Steps in Programming course and ending with Programming with Python.
All of the advanced K-12 STEM courses include practical exercises and most end with a project as the final exam.
Games of Blocks
- Introduction to Scratch;
- Complex problem solving;
- Operation, variables, and conditions;
- Optimizing and debugging program code;
- Ends with a project – building a game inspired by Scratch experts.
Android Apps
- How to create apps for Mobile on Android;
- How to use the App Inventor platform;
- How to create different screens for apps;
- How to use input and output devices on a mobile phone;
- How to create shapes;
- How to work with user-entered data;
- Ends with a project.
HTML and CSS3 Sites
- Web development;
- How to work with Visual Studio Code;
- Introduction to CSS3;
- How to create static pages;
- How to build a website;
- How to logically structure a page with titles, paragraphs, lists, links, and other components;
- Adding images and multimedia;
- Ends with a project – building a website.
HTML and JavaScript Games
- Introduction to JavaScript;
- How to add dynamic content to a page;
- How users interact with a page;
- How to create basic game content;
- Making game content dynamic with JavaScript;
- Array and index;
- How to turn blocks into functioning code;
- User management;
- Ends with a project – building a game.
Programming with Python
- Introduction to programming with Python;
- Syntax, logic, and environment;
- Data types;
- Basic commands;
- Conditions;
- Practical group exercises;
- Ends with a project.
K-12 STEM Program in Robotics and Electronics:
The program’s duration depends on your schedule. With 2 lectures a week it will take approximately 1 month for the introductory course and 4 months for all of the advanced combined. Or a total of 5 months from start to finish.
To make sure the program is as relevant as possible, we have structured the content of each of the courses for two age groups – 7-9 and 10-12.
Programming with a Micro: bit Board
SoftUni’s K-12 STEM Program in Robotics and Electronics starts with a beginner-level course in creating complex algorithms and the basics of JavaScript programming language. The curriculum is based on Micro: bit – the board used in every school in the UK during programming classes and developed with the support of the BBC. The course includes many exercises and tasks and ends with a practical project the students have to build themselves – “My pet”.
The main topics include:Â Â
- Connection between hardware and software;
- What is Micro: bit board;
- How to work with events;
- Input and output devices;
- Conditions and variables
- Conditional constructions;
- How to create complex algorithms;
- Ends with a project.
Advanced Courses
The 4 advanced courses of the program are Sensors with Digital Sandbox, Micro: bit Robotics, Arduino Basics, and Arduino Advanced. The syllabuses combine age-appropriate theoretical knowledge with practical exercises and tasks. At focus are group projects that stimulate teamwork and communication.
We recommend you follow the Robotics and Electronics Program structure and not rearrange the order because each curriculum is specifically built to rely on and expand the skills given by the previous courses.Â
Sensors with Digital Sandbox
- How to handle different sensors and LEDs;
- How to build programs with ArduBlock language;
- How to program the board to read values ​​from the environment like temperature, light, and noise;
- How to visualize the resulting data with LEDs and RGB lights;
- Ends with a team sensory project.
Micro: bit Robotics
- Advanced capabilities of the Micro: bit board;
- Differences between block programming and JavaScript;
- How to create complex projects by connecting external sensors and devices;
- Functions and conditions;
- Ends with a big class project that recreates a real-world technology.
Arduino Basics
- Introduction to Arduino;
- C ++ basics;
- Pixel array, RGB palette, coordinate system, supersonic sensor, and distance;
- How to create electronic images by writing code;
- Includes mainly group exercises and tasks that students create for other teams to stimulate teamwork, creativity, and communication;
- Ends with a project – writhing a program.
Arduino Advanced
- Advanced functions of microcontrollers;
- Internet of Things technologies;
- Deeper knowledge of electricity and various electronic components;
- Connecting input and output devises to the board;
- Managing added devices by writing a code;
- Connecting the Arduino to a smartphone;
- How to create a “smart” room;
- Ends with a project.
K-12 STEM Design and Animation Courses
All courses are open and not organized into a program, and that gives you flexibility in creating your educational offerings. You can combine the classes in shorter modules or teach them individually depending on your schedule, availability, and student enrollment.
The K-12 STEM Design and Animation courses are constructed around the idea of combining creative, age-appropriate games and activities with basic design knowledge and technical skills. The curriculums include an introduction to graphic design software tools, developing vector and raster graphics, creating and processing animation, combining visualizations with colors, and more.
The courses utilize the free versions of Canva, WIX, and WordPress, so you don’t have to include software licensing costs when planning your operating budget.
- For children ages 10-12;
- Introduction to WordPress;
- Dashboard, sidebar, and toolbar;
- Menu overview;
- WordPress plugins;
- How to create and format a page;
- Gallery in WordPress;
- Creating, formatting, and labeling publications;
- How to place a link;
- How to create a button for quick access to various applications;
- Ends with a project – blog.
- Two versions of the course: for children ages 7-9 and 10-12;
- What is Digital Design;
- How to choose a theme for a site;
- Color palette and logo;
- Canva basics;
- Creating textual and visual content;
- Design basics;
- Domain and hosting;
- How to create a Home page;
- Design and composition of a website;
- Site gallery;
- Creating a contact form;
- Ends with a project.
- For children ages 7-9;
- What is animation;
- Stop animation;
- Animating a presentation with Canva;
- Comics;
- Video editing with Canva;
- Ends with a project.
- Two versions of the course: for children ages 7-9 and 10-12;
- Introduction to WIX;
- Domain and hosting;
- Home page;
- Navigation;
- Gallery;
- Contact form;
- Typography;
- Site presentation.
- Two versions of the course: for children ages 7-9 and 10-12;
- Introduction to Graphic Design;
- 2D and 3D figures;
- Colors, color pallets, and nuances;
- Composition and style;
- Typography;
- Ends with a project.
Open K-12 STEM Courses
The open classes in our K-12 STEM Course catalog follow the same methodology as the programs – they combine games, exercises, and practical tasks to stimulate teamwork, curiosity, and interest in science. Each course ends with a project as a way for you to further engage your students with the material and to provide them with real-life experience.
- For children ages 10-12;
- Python basic review;
- Combined logical conditions;
- String and list data types;
- Cycle operations;
- Working with build-in Python functions;
- Ends with a project.
- For children ages 10-12;
- First steps in Programming;
- Simple operations;
- Logical expressions and checks;
- Comparison operators;
- Conditional constructions;
- Variables;
- If constructions;
- More complex logical conditions;
- Problem-solving;
- Ends with a project.
- For children ages 10-12;
- Introduction to ethical hacking and information gathering;
- How to protect yourself from internet fraud;
- Main methods, technologies, and viruses for software and hardware manipulation;
- Digital hygiene;
- First steps in Cybersecurity;
- Operating systems and environment;
- Legal and safe platforms for hacking training;
- Ends with a project.