Start here · Grade 6
What to teach in Grade 6
Start at Unit 1. Grade 6 is the first grade where Virginia asks students to identify and describe AI directly (6.CSY.3), and Unit 2 is built for it. If you have limited time, Units 2 and 4 are the core AI sequence. Unit 6 is the only place the Grade 6 Impacts standards on AI and industry (6.IC.6) and career pathways (6.IC.3) are addressed — it is fully unplugged and needs no prior unit.
Recommended sequence
Pacing and adjustments below are the Grade 6 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 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| U1 | From Silicon to Chips | 2 × 40 min | Build AND/OR/NOT only; write the if-statement in plain English or blocks |
| U2 | What Machine Learning Really Is | 2 × 40 min | Use 6 Snack Cards; focus Session 1 on 6.CSY.3 + 6.DA.4; keep neurons to Material E only |
| U3 | Neural Networks by Hand | 3 × 40 min | Use integer weights only (1, 0, -1) and one neuron; do the layer as a teacher demo |
| U4 | Bias, Data Quality, and Evaluation | 2 × 35-40 min | Use the 8-row dataset; compute accuracy as "right out of 8"; teacher leads the error breakdown |
| U5 | Security, Privacy, and Digital Citizenship | 2 × 35-40 min | Focus on risk/benefit sort (6.CYB.1); do the phishing beat as a whole-class spot-the-flag |
| U6 | AI at Work | 2 × 35-40 min | Run the task split and the progression timeline (6.IC.6); do the practice match as a whole class (6.IC.3); skip the verdict round |
Virginia CS SOL coverage for Grade 6
Grade 6: 9 of 20 Virginia CS SOL codes addressed (45%).
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 / 4 |
| Computing Systems | 2 / 3 |
| Cybersecurity | 1 / 2 |
| Data and Analysis | 2 / 4 |
| Impacts of Computing | 3 / 6 |
| Networks and the Internet | 0 / 1 · not covered |
Addressed (9)
| Code | Standard | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 6.AP.2 | The student will plan and implement algorithms that include conditional control structures and collection of numeric data using a block-based or text-based tool. | U1 |
| 6.CSY.2 | The student will identify and explain hardware, software, and connectivity problems and troubleshooting solutions. | U1 |
| 6.CSY.3 | The student will identify and describe Artificial Intelligence (AI). | U2, U4 |
| 6.CYB.1 | The student will evaluate the risks and benefits associated with sharing personal and public resources or artifacts. | U5 |
| 6.DA.1 | The student will utilize computational tools to collect and organize data. | U4 |
| 6.DA.4 | The student will identify ways people curate and provide training data. | U2, U4 |
| 6.IC.1 | The student will assess the impact of computing technologies on local society. | U5 |
| 6.IC.3 | The student will explore career pathways and identify how computer science and computational thinking practices align with these pathways. | U6 |
| 6.IC.6 | The student will investigate and analyze the impact of the progression and advancement of AI technologies on industries. | U6 |
Not covered (11)
These Grade 6 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 |
|---|---|
| 6.AP.1 | The student will apply computational thinking to identify patterns, make use of decomposition to break down problems or processes into sub-components, and design algorithms. |
| 6.AP.3 | The student will use the iterative design process to create, test, and debug programs using a block-based or text-based programming language. |
| 6.AP.4 | The student will demonstrate proper attribution when incorporating ideas and works of others. |
| 6.CSY.1 | The student will define and explain application software and operating systems of a computing device within a computing system. |
| 6.CYB.2 | The student will investigate various usage agreements designed to protect individuals. |
| 6.DA.2 | The student will utilize computational tools to visualize and evaluate data. |
| 6.DA.3 | The student will make predictions and draw conclusions from data visualizations. |
| 6.IC.2 | The student will analyze the impact of screen time on physical and mental health. |
| 6.IC.4 | The student will identify copyrighted and licensed software material. |
| 6.IC.5 | The student will describe the impacts of computing network architecture, including the role of the Internet in society. |
| 6.NI.1 | The student will outline the advantages and disadvantages of transmitting information over the Internet, including speed, reliability, cost, and security. |