What This Activity Is For
You have spent ten weeks studying algorithmic thinking and programming. This activity asks you to look at the proposed 2026 Iowa PK–12 Computer Science Standards for Grades 3-5 and reflect on two questions for each cluster:
- Did this course prepare you for this standard? If so, where did you see it?
- How ready do you feel to actually teach these standards to your students?
There are no wrong answers. Some standards will map clearly to what we did in class. Others will not — and that is important to notice too.
Use the Google Doc below to record your responses. Make a copy of the document so you can save your work and return to it across multiple sessions.
Open the Response Document for Grades 3-5 ›
File → Make a copy — then save your copy to your own Drive before starting.
Course Activities Reference
Use this list as a reference when answering Question 1 for each cluster. Name activities specifically when they apply.
- Code.org
- Graph Paper Programming (sequences)
- Getting Loopy (loops/iteration)
- Conditionals with Cards (conditionals)
- Scratch Programming
- Animations (assignment)
- Harry Potter Extension (practice)
- Tell Me a Story (assignment)
- Mad Libs (practice)
- Personal Introductions (assignment)
- Exploring Text/Keyboard Interaction (practice)
- Debugging (practice)
- Shall We Play a Game (assignment)
- Functional Artwork (assignment)
The Standards Clusters
The standards below cover the Algorithms & Design and Programming strands of the 2026 Iowa CS Standards, organized by subconcept into 7 clusters. Each cluster shows the standards for Grades Grades 3 through 5. Read each cluster, then respond to the three questions in your Google Doc.
Cluster 1 Algorithms & Design Algorithmic Problem Solving
| Identifier | Grade | Standard |
|---|---|---|
E3-ALG-PS-01 |
Grade 3 | Create algorithms that include sequence, events, iteration, and selection to solve a problem or express ideas. |
E4-ALG-PS-01 |
Grade 4 | Create written representations of algorithms that incorporate a combination of sequence, events, iteration, and selection to solve a problem or express ideas. |
E5-ALG-PS-01 |
Grade 5 | Create visual representations of algorithms that include variables and incorporate a combination of sequence, events, iteration, and selection to solve a problem or express an idea. |
Record your responses for this cluster in the Google Doc.
Cluster 2 Algorithms & Design Machine Learning
| Identifier | Grade | Standard |
|---|---|---|
E3-ALG-ML-02 |
Grade 3 | Investigate how machine learning models can change when new data is added to a training set. |
E4-ALG-ML-02 |
Grade 4 | Analyze relationships between the properties of training data and a machine learning model's output. |
E5-ALG-ML-02 |
Grade 5 | Train a machine learning model to make a classification or prediction. |
Record your responses for this cluster in the Google Doc.
Cluster 3 Algorithms & Design Impacts of Algorithms & Design
| Identifier | Grade | Standard |
|---|---|---|
E3-ALG-IM-03 |
Grade 3 | Compare how different algorithms may affect outcomes, situations, and people with a wide range of needs. |
E4-ALG-IM-03 |
Grade 4 | Evaluate how different algorithms for solving the same problem produce outcomes that may benefit or disadvantage different groups of people. |
E5-ALG-IM-03 |
Grade 5 | Articulate how human-centered design principles are incorporated into the development of computing technologies. |
Record your responses for this cluster in the Google Doc.
Cluster 4 Programming Program Development
| Identifier | Grade | Standard |
|---|---|---|
E3-PRO-PD-04 |
Grade 3 | Develop code from a student-created algorithm that includes sequence, events, iteration, and selection to solve a problem or express ideas. |
E3-PRO-PD-05 |
Grade 3 | Use constructive feedback to improve programs. |
E4-PRO-PD-04 |
Grade 4 | Compare different programming solutions to the same problem based on correctness and clarity. |
E4-PRO-PD-05 |
Grade 4 | Collaborate with a team by offering a meaningful contribution to creating a program. |
E5-PRO-PD-04 |
Grade 5 | Create a novel program by modifying or combining elements of existing programs. |
E5-PRO-PD-05 |
Grade 5 | Construct individual components of a program that are collaboratively assembled into a programming project. |
Record your responses for this cluster in the Google Doc.
Cluster 5 Programming Variables & Data Storage
| Identifier | Grade | Standard |
|---|---|---|
E3-PRO-VD-06 |
Grade 3 | Identify the variables being stored and manipulated in a program. |
E4-PRO-VD-06 |
Grade 4 | Trace how data flows and changes variable values in a program. |
E5-PRO-VD-06 |
Grade 5 | Use variables to store, compare, and modify data within a program. |
Record your responses for this cluster in the Google Doc.
Cluster 6 Programming Reading & Documenting
| Identifier | Grade | Standard |
|---|---|---|
E3-PRO-RD-07 |
Grade 3 | Articulate how a specific segment of code contributes to the overall purpose of a program. |
E4-PRO-RD-07 |
Grade 4 | Document a program to clarify its functionality. |
E5-PRO-RD-07 |
Grade 5 | Create embedded or external documentation for a programming project. |
Record your responses for this cluster in the Google Doc.
Cluster 7 Programming Testing & Refining
| Identifier | Grade | Standard |
|---|---|---|
E3-PRO-TR-08 |
Grade 3 | Debug programs that include sequence, events, iteration, and selection. |
E4-PRO-TR-08 |
Grade 4 | Debug programs incrementally and repeatedly as they are developed. |
E5-PRO-TR-08 |
Grade 5 | Debug programs using systematic strategies. |
Record your responses for this cluster in the Google Doc.