This cipher was invented for the Hebrew alphabet, but it can work with any alphabet.  Many people believe it was used in the Bible and is older than Hieroglyphics! It was later adopted by other cultures, such as the Greeks and Romans, and used to encode messages in their respective languages. This lesson leads students the basics of cryptography.

This video explores autonomous cars with a research scientist, engineer, and team lead at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI).

Foster students’ creativity as they pretend to be weather reporters using a green screen.

This lesson is designed to engage students in a meaningful and fun coding experience. Students will experience binary code as they write their name using 0s and 1s in the binary code alphabet.

This lesson combines ELA story elements and coding on a student-friendly BrainPOP Jr. Platform. Students can take a book they have read and use the BrainPOP Jr. platform for a variety of story map to demonstrate their comprehension of the material chosen.

Students will practice their use of dialogue by creating a thrilling story.  They will use Scratch to create sprites and a setting that drives their story with an emphasis on writing proper dialogue.   

This video explores how GigaBeam Networks is expanding and improving the quality of internet access in rural Virginia by providing fiber optic internet connectivity to its customers as well as highlighting some of the jobs available in this industry.

One of the fundamental computer science concepts is that everything we do on a computer is really just turning binary digits on and off. Even though this sounds simple, it can be a concept that is hard to wrap one's head around. This activity brings the binary concept to reality through the creation of binary bracelets or bookmarks.

Cross curricular lesson plan integrating both Computer Science and English Standards CS 8.12 English 8.6, 8.9

Students will examine the history and culture of the Choctaw Native Americans, as well as the story of the Code Talkers in WW1, in order to memorialize one of the Choctaw Code Talkers. 

Cross Curricular Lesson Plan Integrating Computer Science and English Standards CS 6.3, Eng. 6.1, 7, 8

Create an American Revolution adventure story with your class! Students will be able to step back into time and think of the various perspectives of the American Revolution by creating scenarios the different characters might have gone through.

Students will be competing to win a “grant.” Students will be creating a Canva presentation about what battle of the Civil War was the most important. Students should include important dates, people, and details about the specific battle. The students will use a planning paper prior to starting their presentation to create a step-by-step plan for their presentation. Their presentation should give clear information (dates, people, and details) about why the battle site they chose is the most important battle of the Civil War. Students will share the load in their project and split tasks among group members. Each group will be assessed with a rubric.

In this CS First lesson, students will engage in hands-on coding activities to illustrate an energy transformation scenario of their choice, identifying and explaining at least four different types of energy involved in the process.

Students will use Bee-bots to code the robots to a value matching their selected coin card. They’ll count the coins, create a code with arrow cards, and navigate the Bee-bot from the start box to the designated value. After reaching the target, they’ll explain their coding and counting choices. Then, they’ll return to start, allowing their partner to take a turn. This activity is also compatible with the Learning Resources Code and Go Mouse.