Lesson 12. Software Development

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Lesson 12: Software Development

Lesson 12

Software Development

Lesson 12, Software Development, is the third lesson in Software Programming and Development, the fourth unit within the AOIT Principles of Information Technology course. Lesson 12 shows students how software products are developed and introduces them to career opportunities as software developers.

This lesson will likely require two of the six class sessions planned for this unit.

Getting Started

This section includes:

• Objectives • Prerequisites • Major Topics • Standards • Key Concepts • Key Vocabulary • Key Skills • Habits of Mind

Objectives

• Describe the typical stages in the software development life cycle and how to successfully implement them

• Recognize career paths within the software development industry

Prerequisites

• Students should be able to create, edit, and print a simple letter using Microsoft Word.

Major Topics

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in software development?

Standards

• Understand how data is organized in software development (States’ Career Clusters: F10.2.3)

• Understand the importance of cross-functional teams in achieving IT project goals (States’ Career Clusters: F05.3.1)

Key Concepts

• Software development process and careers

Key Vocabulary

• Alpha version

• Beta version

• Component software

• Gold master version

• Open source software

• Outsourcing

• Peer review

• Prototype

• Systems development life cycle (SDLC)

• Weblog or blog

Key Skills

• Acquires and uses information

• Shows creativity and innovation

Habits of Mind

• Creating, imagining, and innovating

• Applying past knowledge to new situations

• Gathering data through all senses

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This section includes:

• Teacher Resources

• Student Resources

• Supplies

• Additional Resources

Teacher Resources

• Teacher Resource 12.1, "Rubric: Personal Letter "

• Teacher Resource 12.2, “Test: Unit 4”

• Teacher Resource 12.3, “Rubric: Essay for Unit 4 Test”

• Teacher Resource 12.4, “Bibliography: Unit 4, Lesson 12”

Student Resources

• Student Resource 12.1, “Reading: Grace Hopper: Programming Pioneer”

• Student Resource 12.2, “Reading: The Software Development Process”

• Student Resource 12.3, “Vocabulary: Unit 4, Lesson 12”

• Student Resource 12.4, “Worksheet: What Would Grace Say?”

• Student Resource 12.5, “Worksheet: The Software Development Process”

• Student Resource 12.6, “Worksheet: Careers in Software Development”

Supplies

• Index cards

• Masking tape

Additional Resources

• Computers with Internet access

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Assessment

This section lists the student assessment products for this lesson and the criteria by which they should be assessed.

ASSESSMENT PRODUCT ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

Student Resource 12.4, “Worksheet: What Would Grace Say?”

Teacher Resource 12.1, "Rubric: Personal Letter"

Teacher Resource 12.2, “Test: Unit 4” Teacher Resource 12.3, “Rubric: Essay for Unit 4 Test”

Lesson Steps

STEP MIN. ACTIVITY

CLASS PERIOD 1

1 40 Reading and Writing Activity: Evaluating Programming as a Career

Engage students with an investigation into history that prompts them to consider programming as a career. To prepare for this activity, make copies of Student Resource 12.1, “Reading: Grace Hopper: Programming Pioneer” and Student Resource 12.4, “Worksheet: What Would Grace Say?”

To begin the activity:

• Distribute Student Resources 12.1 and 12.4.

• Ask students to write short, personal letters to a younger cousin with career advice as if they were Grace Hopper. They must use what they know about her to help them write their letter.

• If possible, students should use Microsoft Word to type, edit, and print their letters.

Use Teacher Resource 12.1, “Rubric: Personal Letter” to assess students’ work.

2 15 Group Activity: The Software Development Process

Introduce students to the software development process through a group activity. To prepare for the class, make copies of Student Resource 12.2, “Reading: The Software Development Process” and Student Resource 12.3, “Vocabulary: Unit 4, Lesson 12” sufficient for the entire class.

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STEP MIN. ACTIVITY

should have seven cards—one for each step in the typical process used for software development (envisioning, planning, designing, programming, testing and stabilizing, deploying, and maintaining), also known as the software development life cycle (SDLC). Also,

To begin the activity:

• Create four to five groups of students and distribute a set of index cards to each group.

• Explain that each card represents one of the phases in the “life” of a software product. Tell students they have one minute to try and put the cards in their correct order.

• Tape assembled index cards to the wall or board with masking tape, or ask each group to read their results. Each group must give reasons for their choices, but do not tell them which are correct. After comparing student results, distribute Student Resources 12.2 and 12.3. Assign the readings and tell the students the readings will be on the test on Unit 4 at the end of the next period.

Ask students to complete Student Resource 12.5, “Worksheet: System Development Life Cycle Models” with the notes for each of the SDLC models for homework.

CLASS PERIOD 2

3 15 Reading Activity: Exploring the Software Development Process

Continue the reading activity on the software development process using the reading from the last class period. Ask students to review sections “mistakes to avoid in all models” and “suggested best practices for all models” in Student Resource 12.2, “Reading: The Software Development Process.”

Next, organize students in pairs and to work together to list the do’s and don’ts of computer software development.

4 30 Research Project: Examining Jobs Related to Software Development

Begin a project which students will complete near the end of the Principles of Information Technology course. To prepare for this project, make copies of Student Resource 12.6 “Worksheet: Careers Related to Software Development” for the entire class.

To begin the project:

• Distribute Student Resource 12.6. Suggest that this worksheet provides resource suggestions, samples of job titles, and a place to take notes.

• Ask students to research two or three of the career opportunities related to software development using the Internet and/or other additional sources.

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STEP MIN. ACTIVITY

(Word document) they created in Unit 1.

Tell students that this project will be formally assessed near the end of the course.

5 20 Conclusion: Unit Test

Assess student knowledge. Distribute copies of Teacher Resource 12.2, “Test: Unit 4.” The test consists of three essay questions, one based on each lesson in the unit. Students are given the option to choose one of the questions for which to write an essay.

For assessment, use Teacher Resource 12.3, “Rubric: Essay for Unit 4 Test” and the content from Unit 4 student readings.

Enrichment Extensions

• Ask students to imagine that they’ve been asked to organize a software development team. Which talents and skills that they think are important for people in software development positions such as project manager, systems analyst, software designer/engineer, programmer, technical writer, software tester, and marketing manager? (Some possible answers might be the ability to: utilize computer languages and applications, think logically, work well with others, cope with constant change, work under pressure, be sensitive to multiple perspectives, be thorough and precise, or think in abstract terms.)

• Ask students to suppose they are in charge of testing a beta version of a

word-processing program or a software game. Create a checklist of at least ten items to look for when testing the program.