1. Review and demonstration (2+ minutes):
Begin by asking coders to talk with a neighbor for 30 seconds about something they learned last time; assess for general understanding of the practices and concepts from the previous project.

Explain that today we are going to create custom costumes and code to create a character builder. If coders are not sure what character builders are, ask if anyone has played games that allow them to create their own custom character or avatar (e.g., Sims, Skyrim, and most other RPGs. Display and demonstrate the sample project (or your own remixed version).

Video: Project Preview (1:33)
Video: Lesson pacing (1:48)

This can include a full class demonstration or guided exploration in small groups or individually. For small group and individual explorations, you can use the videos and quick reference guides embedded within this lesson, and focus on facilitating 1-on-1 throughout the process.

Example review discussion questions:

• What’s something new you learned last time you coded?
  • Is there a new block or word you learned?
• What’s something you want to know more about?
• What’s something you could add or change to your previous project?
• What’s something that was easy/difficult about your previous project?

2. Discuss (3+ minutes):
Have coders talk with each other about how they might create a project like the one demonstrated. If coders are unsure, and the discussion questions aren’t helping, you can model thought processes: “I noticed the sprite moved around, so I think they used a motion block. What motion block(s) might be in the code? What else did you notice?”

After the discussion, coders will begin working on their project as a class, in small groups, or at their own pace.

Note: Discussions might include full class or small groups, or individual responses to discussion prompts. These discussions which ask coders to predict how a project might work, or think through how to create a project, are important aspects of learning to code. Not only does this process help coders think logically and creatively, but it does so without giving away the answer.

Example discussion questions:

• What would we need to know to make something like this in Scratch?
• What kind of blocks might we use?
• What else could you add or change in a project like this?
• What code from our previous projects might we use in a project like this?
• What kind of sprites might we see in character builder?
  • What kind of code might they have?
• How might users interact with a project like this?

4. Create custom costumes (40+ minutes)
2 minute discussion
Either pick a theme for everyone, have coders select from a list of themes (see the column on the right), or allow coders to create their own theme for their projects. Discuss with a partner different ways we might create custom sprites for our theme(s).

5+ minute demonstrations
Drag the sprite you would like to add costumes to over Dani. Then demonstrate how to modify a costume by making a copy and then altering it with different tools in the image editor.

Ask for a suggestion of a new costume and create that suggestion from a blank template. Once completed, and using Dani in the stage as a guide, move the newly drawn costume around in the image editor screen (not on the stage) until it is the correct size and position on Dani on the left.

Also demonstrate how to make sprites draggable in the player view (see resources on the right).

33+ minutes to create custom costumes and 1-on-1 facilitating
Give coders plenty of time to create their costumes using the image editor tools. Encourage peer-to-peer assistance and facilitate 1-on-1 as needed. If coders finish their costumes early, encourage them to begin adding code to their project.

Video: How to remix the Character Builder project (1:27)

Video: Create custom costumes (2:20)
Quick Reference Guide: Click here

Video: Make sprites draggable (1:44)
Quick reference guide: Click here

Video: Image editor: Bitmap mode (5:15)
Video: Image editor: Vector mode (5:00)

Theme examples:

• Cosplay
• Video games
• Superheros
• Anime
• Period-specific clothing (historical connection)
• Career opportunities in our community
• Future fashion design
• Funniest outfit contest

Facilitation tip: It might be easier to modify existing costumes then to create new costumes from scratch; use the remix project to quickly get started. Simply have coders make duplicates (click the stamp, click the costume), then modify the duplicate costume to something different.

A note on using the “Coder Resources” with your class: Young coders may need a demonstration (and semi-frequent friendly reminders) for how to navigate a browser with multiple tabs. The reason why is because kids will have at least three tabs open while working on a project: 1) a tab for Scratch, 2) a tab for the Coder Resources walkthrough, and 3) a tab for the video/visual walkthrough for each step in the Coder Resources document. Demonstrate how to navigate between these three tabs and point out that coders will close the video/visual walkthrough once they complete that particular step of a project and open a new tab for the next step or extension. Although this may seem obvious for many adults, we recommend doing this demonstration the first time kids use the Coder Resources and as friendly reminders when needed.

(optional) Review or reverse engineering (10+ minutes each):
If you’ve already introduced the following concepts, simply spend a few minutes asking coders how they might use the concepts in each of their projects. Otherwise, I suggest the following process for introducing how to do the following in a project.

1+ minute intro demonstration
Review one of the following examples:

• Video: Create custom buttons (2:03)
  • Quick reference guide
• Video: Code your buttons (2:41)
  • Quick reference guide
• Video: Indicate a button is pressed (2:55)
  • Quick reference guide
• Video: Hold down a button (2:50)
  • Quick reference guide
• Video: Reset a sprite’s appearance (3:41)
  • Quick reference guide

4+ minute reverse engineering and peer-to-peer coaching
Ask coders to see if they can figure out how to use their code blocks to create an algorithm that makes a sprite do something similar to what was demonstrated. Facilitate by walking around and asking guiding questions.

1+ minute explanation demonstration
If coders figured out how to get their sprite to do something similar, have them document in their journal, share with a partner, or have a volunteer show the class their code and thought processes that led to the code. Otherwise, reveal the code, walk through each step of the algorithm, and explain any new blocks.

4+ minute application and exploration
Encourage coders to try something similar, and leave your code up on display while they work. Facilitate by walking around and asking questions about how coders might change their code so it’s not the same as yours.

Video: Suggestions for reverse engineering (4:25)

Note: It is not recommended to show each of these ideas at once, but to show one idea, give time for application and exploration, show another idea, give time for application and exploration, etc. This process could take multiple classes. Also, some of these examples may be difficult for young coders, so go slow and encourage copying and modifying code as it’s good practice.

Alternative suggestion: If reverse engineering is too difficult for the coders you work with, you could display the source code and have coders predict what will happen.

Suggested guiding questions:

• What kind of blocks do you think you might need to do something like that?
• Do you see a pattern where we might use a repeat?
  • If so, what kind of repeat?
• When combining ideas, what happens if you use multiple events blocks in the same sprite? (Note: this concept is Referred to as parallel computing)
  • What are the benefits/drawbacks of using multiple events blocks?

Potential discussion: There is not always one way to recreate something with code, so coders may come up with alternative solutions to your own code. When this occurs, it can open up an interesting discussion or journal reflection on the affordances and constraints of such code.

Suggested application and exploration questions:

• What other code blocks could you use?
• What other sprites might use similar code?
• What other code could we add to this project?

5. Create a character builder (40+ minutes):
40+ minute coding time and 1-on-1 facilitating
Give coders time to add user interaction to the remix project and continue to create new costumes (as long as they also continue to add code). Encourage peer-to-peer assistance and facilitate 1-on-1 as needed.

Facilitation Suggestion: Some coders may not thrive in inquiry based approaches to learning, so we can encourage them to use the Tutorials to get more ideas for their projects; however, we may need to remind coders the suggestions provided by Scratch are not specific to our projects, so it may create some unwanted results unless the code is modified to match our own intentions.