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Software Development Lifecycle

Twelfth graders learn the software development lifecycle — plan, design, build, test, deploy, and maintain — the professional process teams follow to build reliable software.

Grade 12Software Engineering55 minutes1 class periodUse → Modify → CreateExplicit teaching4 StandardsCSTA
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain the lifecycle.
  • ✓Know each stage.
  • ✓Order the steps.
  • ✓Build like a pro.
Essential Question

Real software isn’t just coded — it’s planned, designed, tested, and maintained by a team. What are the stages of the software lifecycle?

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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 Software Lifecycle

Project this and have students put the software development lifecycle stages in order.

🖥️ Put the software lifecycle in order!Try it
Tap the first stage!
The Lesson · Use → Modify → Create (a coding progression with Unplugged practice)

55 minutes, five moves

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

1

Hook — More Than Coding

6 min

Real software is planned, designed, tested, and maintained — what are the stages?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Show a buggy vs. tested app.
  • Ask what process helps.
  • Set up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Look.
  • Wonder.
  • Get ready.
2

Unplugged — Unplug It

11 min

Students practice.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Plan a simple app on paper.
  • Design its screens.
  • List tests.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Plan it.
  • Design it.
  • List them.
3

Use — Order the Stages

16 min

Students use.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send students to Order the Software Lifecycle.
  • Order them.
  • Note test before deploy.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order.
  • Note it.
  • Explain.
4

Modify — Modify

13 min

Students modify.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Map a project to the stages.
  • Find a skipped stage.
  • Explain the risk.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Map it.
  • Find it.
  • Explain.
5

Create — Create

9 min

Students create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Outline a project’s lifecycle.
  • Explain each stage.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Outline.
  • Explain.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards (Level 3) and ISTE Standards.

CSTA
3B-AP-17

Plan and develop software.

CSTA
3B-AP-18

Explain the development process.

CSTA
3B-AP-21

Evaluate and refine software.

ISTE
5

Computational Thinker.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Stage cards.
  • Sentence frame: “First ___, then ___.”
  • Use a project example.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with plan and test.
  • Order two at a time.
  • Use one project.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Compare Agile vs. Waterfall.
  • Add code review.
  • Run a mini sprint.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📋A project brief
  • 💻Order the Software Lifecycle
  • 📄Design handouts
  • ✏️Pens
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

software lifecyclethe stages of building softwareplandefine requirementsdesignmap how it worksbuildwrite the codetestfind and fix bugsdeployrelease the softwaremaintainkeep improving itrequirementwhat the software must do
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
What is a good FIRST stage of the software lifecycle?
Plan — define what the software must do.
QUESTION 2
Why test before you deploy?
To find and fix bugs before users see them.
QUESTION 3
What happens after deploy?
Maintain — keep improving the software.

Create: build like a team.

Have students outline the lifecycle stages for an app they’d like to build. A printable lifecycle sheet 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.

🃏 Software Development LifecycleFlip
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.

📝 Software Development LifecycleQuiz
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.

🖨️ Software Development LifecyclePrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: build, deploy, design, maintain, plan, requirement, software lifecycle, test
  1. find and fix bugs
  2. map how it works
  3. write the code
  4. the stages of building software
  5. define requirements
  6. what the software must do
  7. release the software
  8. keep improving it

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is a good FIRST stage of the software lifecycle?
  2. Why test before you deploy?
  3. What happens after deploy?
Answer key — Part A: 1) test · 2) design · 3) build · 4) software lifecycle · 5) plan · 6) requirement · 7) deploy · 8) maintain
Part B: 1) Plan — define what the software must do. 2) To find and fix bugs before users see them. 3) Maintain — keep improving the software.