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The Software Development Cycle

Eleventh graders learn how real software is built, from planning and design through building, testing, deploying, and maintaining, and put the phases of the development cycle in order.

Grade 11The Software Development Cycle50 minutes1 class periodCSTA / ISTEExplicit teaching4 StandardsCSTA
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Name the phases.
  • ✓See why order matters.
  • ✓Place testing and deployment.
  • ✓Order the cycle.
Essential Question

Real software is built in stages, not all at once. What are the phases of the development cycle, and why does their order matter?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Phases

Project this and put the software development phases in order — tap each phase from planning to maintaining.

🔁 Put the software development phases in orderTry it
Tap the phases in order, starting with planning what to build.
The Lesson · Use → Modify → Create (a coding progression with Unplugged practice)

50 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Hook — More Than Coding

5 min

Real software is not just typing code. Teams follow a cycle from idea to launch and beyond. What are the stages?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Ask how big apps get built.
  • List stages.
  • Set the goal.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Think.
  • Share.
  • Get ready.
2

Use — Order the Phases

12 min

Students put the development phases in order.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Phases.
  • Order the phases.
  • Name each one.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Say.
  • Note it.
3

Modify — Place the Task

13 min

Students map tasks to phases.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Read a project task.
  • Name its phase.
  • Say why it belongs there.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Read.
  • Name.
  • Say.
4

Create — Mini Project Plan

15 min

Students plan a project through the cycle.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Pick a small app idea.
  • Note what happens each phase.
  • Make a cycle plan.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Pick.
  • Note.
  • Make.
5

Reflect — Build, Then Maintain

5 min

Students reflect on the full cycle.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Why test before deploying?
  • Why does maintenance come after launch?
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards and the ISTE Standards for Students.

CSTA
3A-AP-21

Describe the phases of software development.

CSTA
3A-AP-22

Plan and document a development process.

CSTA
3A-AP-23

Test and refine software before release.

ISTE
4

Follow a design process to develop solutions.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Phase cards with icons.
  • Sentence frame: “First we ___ , then we ___ .”
  • Order two phases at a time.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with 'plan'.
  • Walk one project through together.
  • Add one phase at a time.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Compare waterfall and agile.
  • Place real tasks into phases.
  • Explain iteration between phases.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 🖼️Phase cards
  • 💻Order the Phases
  • 📐Project-plan sheets
  • ✏️Pencils
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

software development life cyclethe phases software goes through from idea to maintenancerequirementswhat the software needs to dodesignthe plan for how software will worktestingchecking that software works correctlydeploymentreleasing software to its usersmaintenancefixing and improving software after releaseiterationrepeating phases to improve the resultbugan error that makes software behave wrongly
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
Name three phases of the software development cycle.
For example, plan, design, build, test, deploy, and maintain (any three, in order).
QUESTION 2
Why test before deploying?
To find and fix problems before users get the software, so it works and does not cause harm or frustration.
QUESTION 3
Why does maintenance come after launch?
Because software needs ongoing fixes and improvements once real people are using it over time.

Create: a mini project plan.

Have students pick a small app idea and note what happens in each phase of the development cycle, turning the stages into a concrete plan. A printable development-cycle worksheet is in the Computer Science library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 The Software Development CycleFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 The Software Development CycleQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ The Software Development CyclePrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: bug, deployment, design, iteration, maintenance, requirements, software development life cycle, testing
  1. checking that software works correctly
  2. releasing software to its users
  3. repeating phases to improve the result
  4. an error that makes software behave wrongly
  5. the plan for how software will work
  6. fixing and improving software after release
  7. the phases software goes through from idea to maintenance
  8. what the software needs to do

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. Name three phases of the software development cycle.
  2. Why test before deploying?
  3. Why does maintenance come after launch?
Answer key — Part A: 1) testing · 2) deployment · 3) iteration · 4) bug · 5) design · 6) maintenance · 7) software development life cycle · 8) requirements
Part B: 1) For example, plan, design, build, test, deploy, and maintain (any three, in order). 2) To find and fix problems before users get the software, so it works and does not cause harm or frustration. 3) Because software needs ongoing fixes and improvements once real people are using it over time.