Start here · Kindergarten
What to teach in Kindergarten
Start at Unit 1. No prior computing vocabulary is assumed — the first session is entirely about noticing machines in the room. Everything is unplugged; no devices, no logins, no student accounts.
Recommended sequence
Pacing and adjustments below are the Kindergarten rows from each unit’s teacher guide — the same numbers a teacher sees when they open the guide.
| Unit | Title | Active time | Adjust for Kindergarten |
|---|---|---|---|
| U1 | Smart Machines Around Us | 2 × 10-12 min | Sort 4 cards only; do the embodiment longer |
| U2 | Patterns Everywhere | 2 × 10-12 min | A-B patterns (red–blue) only; do the clapping longer; chart with 2 choices |
| U3 | Teach the Machine | 2 × 10-12 min | Teach ONE group (all cats); do the confused-machine demo longer; sort 4 cards |
| U4 | Being Fair and Safe with Smart Machines | 3 × 10-12 min | Focus on safe; do the fair/honest beats as a short circle-talk, not a sort |
Virginia CS SOL coverage for Kindergarten
Kindergarten: 7 of 11 Virginia CS SOL codes addressed (64%).
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 / 2 |
| Computing Systems | 1 / 2 |
| Cybersecurity | 2 / 2 |
| Data and Analysis | 2 / 2 |
| Impacts of Computing | 1 / 2 |
| Networks and the Internet | 0 / 1 · not covered |
Addressed (7)
| Code | Standard | Where |
|---|---|---|
| K.AP.1 | The student will apply computational thinking to identify patterns and sort items into categories based on an attribute. | U1, U3 |
| K.CSY.1 | The student will identify the purpose and components of a computing device. | U1 |
| K.CYB.1 | The student will demonstrate safe and responsible use of computing technologies. | U4 |
| K.CYB.2 | The student will describe the importance of protecting personal information online. | U4 |
| K.DA.1 | The student will gather and record data with or without a computing device. | U2 |
| K.DA.2 | The student will create representations of data to make predictions and draw conclusions. | U3 |
| K.IC.1 | The student will identify and discuss how computing technologies impact people's lives. | U1 |
Not covered (4)
These Kindergarten 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 |
|---|---|
| K.AP.2 | The student will plan and implement algorithms that include sequential order. |
| K.CSY.2 | The student will identify when a computing device might not work as expected. |
| K.IC.2 | The student will discuss and describe how different careers use computing technologies. |
| K.NI.1 | The student will describe how people can communicate with others by connected computing devices and the Internet. |