We are thrilled to announce the latest addition to our (free) Educator Resources: Ozobot Vertical Pacing Guides!
Ozobot Pacing Guides have been a big hit with educators since their initial release in 2021, and for good reason–they provide educators of all grade levels with a roadmap for guiding students as they begin their Ozobot journey.
But we also know that, like most tools in education, there is not a one-size-fits-all solution when planning instruction. Our new Pacing Guides are tailored to STEM educators who see students across grade levels over several years so that instruction can be both paced out and scaffolded. We know your time is precious–no more browsing through the 800+ lessons in our library wondering where to start. Ozobot pacing guides include the best lessons so you don’t get lost in the search bar.
Most lessons found in our Pacing Guides also feature student-facing instructional videos, and all lessons are standards-aligned to CSTA, ISTE, NGSS, CCSS Math/ELA.
Ozobot Elementary STEM Vertical Pacing Guide
We created a comprehensive vertical scope-and-sequence for Ozobot in Elementary School that builds a strong foundation starting in Kindergarten with Ozobot Color Codes, going all the way through 5th-grade robotics programming. We heard loud and clear that many of our Elementary STEM programs use our bots in every grade and wanted a recommended Ozobot curriculum map. With these guides, coding skills build on one another each year to expose students to new content at increasing levels of complexity. We have included Color Codes as the focus for Kinder, 1st and 2nd grade and Blockly as the focus for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade to pace over several years of instruction with Ozobot. The introductory lessons have been laid out for each coding type while ensuring students get multiple at-bats with both color coding and block-based coding.
Ozobot Middle School Computer Science Pacing Guide
Our Middle School Pacing Guide is a blueprint for Middle School teachers who have students with varying degrees of skill, interest, and expertise in coding and robotics – all in one class section.
Level 1 takes students through the basics of both types of coding students can do with Ozobot: color codes and Ozobot Blockly.
Level 2 allows students to practice their color code and blockly skills in various contexts and build on their computational thinking and technical skillsets.
Level 3 is for advanced students who are ready to push their programming with more sophisticated blocks of code. Coding skills build on one another within and throughout the levels to expose students to new content at increasing levels of complexity.
If your state has recently adopted CS standards then this guide is an ideal resource and demonstrates how Ozobot can meet CS requirements for middle school.
How to Use the Pacing Guides
Our new Pacing Guides come in both PDF and Google Sheets format and include direct links to lessons. To access the lessons, log in or create an account at classroom.ozobot.com (it’s FREE for educators!)
With up to 30 lessons per grade level, Pacing Guides are designed to keep students and teachers engaged for an entire school year, but they’re also flexible and can be tailored to the needs of your school, class, or camp. Your actual lesson pacing can include a regular cadence of:
- One lesson per week for a year
- 2-3 lessons per week for a semester or unit
Each lesson runs 45-60 minutes. Featured lessons include Introduction to Color Codes and Introduction to Blockly lessons, which provide a solid, grade-level-differentiated CS foundation for your students with and without screens. Student-facing instructional videos make it easy to lead instruction, whether you’re a STEM Teacher or an English teacher with zero computer science or coding experience! These lessons are aligned with CSTA standards, meaning they can help you reach new goals if your state has adopted CSTA standards or has state-specific CS standards that can be mapped to CSTA.
What’s Included?
When it comes to teaching the lesson content, check out the Full Lesson Plan to find everything you need and the flexibility to teach as you choose. There you’ll find:
- Synchronous Lesson Plan (with Direct Instruction Steps)
- Instructional Video
- Student Activity Guide
- Student Activity Sheets
- Teacher Answer Key/Potential Solution
Almost all lessons in the Pacing Guides, including all the Introduction to Color Codes and Introduction to Blockly lessons, feature student-facing instructional videos. These are a great solution for remote and hybrid models, and even in the classroom some educators find that using the instructional videos gives them time to check in on students and provide individualized support and instruction as needed. If you prefer to lead instruction yourself, follow the Direct Instruction steps also included in each Lesson Plan.
Meet the Curriculum Development Team
Ozobot Pacing Guide lessons, scope, and sequence were all designed by the Ozobot EDU team. Meet this group of passionate, credentialed teachers with real classroom experience and specializations in instructional tech, curriculum development, and PD.
Michaela Baruch, Vice President of Education Strategy
M.Ed. Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education – University of Colorado Denver
B.A. – Secondary Education and English Literature – University of Colorado Boulder
Certification – Special Education Leadership – Relay Graduate School of Education
Prior to stepping into her role as the head of Ozobot’s Education team, Michaela spent 15 years working in public education, primarily in the middle school space. Most recently, she oversaw teacher development for a district of 16 secondary schools in the city of Denver. She taught 6th, 7th, and 8th grade ELD, Literacy, and Composition and was an instructional coach and school leader for seven years.
Jen Maher, Curriculum Developer & Professional Development Specialist
M.Ed. Curriculum & Instruction – Weber State University
B.A. – Brigham Young University
Jen’s journey in education has been multifaceted, spanning roles as a teacher, tutor, artist-in-residence, and professional development specialist. She is a dedicated educator with over 12 years of classroom experience and an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction. For nearly five years, she has immersed herself in the world of Ozobot, bringing innovation and excitement to various learning environments.
Jordan Hanna, Curriculum Developer
Masters in Elementary Education and Teaching – University of Southern California
B.A. – California Polytechnic State University
Jordan focuses on developing Ozobot curriculum and marketing content for Ozobot. She has taught both kindergarten and 5th grade, and spent 3 years tutoring elementary and middle school students. Jordan previously worked at a marketing agency, providing social media and public relations support to technology companies.
