Start here · Grade 2
What to teach in Grade 2
Start at Unit 1. Grade 2 runs the fullest version of the band, including the password beat in Unit 4. Unplugged throughout.
Recommended sequence
Pacing and adjustments below are the Grade 2 rows from each unit’s teacher guide — the same numbers a teacher sees when they open the guide.
| Unit | Title | Active time | Adjust for Grade 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| U1 | Smart Machines Around Us | 2 × 20 min | Sort 8 cards; add "compare two machines" |
| U2 | Patterns Everywhere | 2 × 20 min | Add a "broken pattern" to fix and a "compare two patterns" move; read the chart to predict |
| U3 | Teach the Machine | 2 × 20 min | Teach two groups; add "what do the two groups each have in common?"; sort 8 cards |
| U4 | Being Fair and Safe with Smart Machines | 3 × 18-20 min | Add the password beat (2.CYB.2) and "model a fair + honest rule" sentence |
Virginia CS SOL coverage for Grade 2
Grade 2: 5 of 13 Virginia CS SOL codes addressed (38%).
From Sand to Agents — K-12 Artificial Intelligence is a supplemental AI curriculum, not a complete computer science course. Every code below is listed — the ones this curriculum addresses and the ones it does not. Each claim points to the unit that earns it, so you can open the lesson and check.
| Strand | Addressed |
|---|---|
| Algorithms and Programming | 1 / 3 |
| Computing Systems | 0 / 2 · not covered |
| Cybersecurity | 2 / 2 |
| Data and Analysis | 1 / 2 |
| Impacts of Computing | 1 / 3 |
| Networks and the Internet | 0 / 1 · not covered |
Addressed (5)
| Code | Standard | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 2.AP.1 | The student will apply computational thinking to identify patterns, and design algorithms to compare and contrast objects based on attributes. | U1, U2, U3 |
| 2.CYB.1 | The student will model safe and responsible behaviors when using information and computing technologies. | U4 |
| 2.CYB.2 | The student will explain the importance of using passwords to protect private information. | U4 |
| 2.DA.1 | The student will analyze data to make decisions with or without a computing device. | U2, U3 |
| 2.IC.1 | The student will examine the positive and negative impacts of how using computing technologies has changed the way people live, work, and interact. | U1 |
Not covered (8)
These Grade 2 standards fall outside what this curriculum teaches. Most are programming-tool, networking, or screen-time standards that a general computer science course covers and an AI curriculum does not.
| Code | Standard |
|---|---|
| 2.AP.2 | The student will plan and implement algorithms that consists of events and loops using a block-based programming language. |
| 2.AP.3 | The student will use the iterative design process to create, test, and debug a program containing events and loops in a block-based programming tool. |
| 2.CSY.1 | The student will describe the characteristics of computing systems including hardware, software, input, and output. |
| 2.CSY.2 | The student will demonstrate an understanding of how to troubleshoot simple hardware and software problems that may occur during use. |
| 2.DA.2 | The student will manipulate data, create representations, and evaluate data to solve a problem. |
| 2.IC.2 | The student will explain the need to balance screen time and other activities. |
| 2.IC.3 | The student will explain how computing technologies have an impact on the workforce. |
| 2.NI.1 | The student will demonstrate the use of the Internet in gathering information to accomplish a task. |