Dance Party
Experience: 1st year, 1st quarter
Practice: Developing and Using Abstractions, Creating computational artifacts, Testing and refining computational artifacts, and Communicating about computing
Concept: Control and Algorithms
Length: 40+
Overview and Purpose
Coders use the start on green flag block to create a silly dance party using motion blocks. The purpose of this project is to introduce young coders to adding sprites in code and triggering algorithms with the green flag in ScratchJr.
Lesson plan
Overview videoProject Extensions
Suggested extensions
Adding even more (5+ minutes):
If time permits, encourage coders to explore what else they can create in ScratchJr. Although future lessons will explore different features and blocks, early experimentation should be encouraged.
While facilitating this process, monitor to make sure coders don’t stick with one feature for too long. In particular, coders like to edit their sprites/backgrounds by painting on them or taking photos. It may help to set a timer for creation processes outside of using blocks so coders focus their efforts on coding.
Resources, suggestions, and connections
Standards reinforced:
- 1A-AP-10 Develop programs with sequences and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem
Practices reinforced:
- Testing and refining computational artifacts
- Creating computational artifacts
Concepts reinforced:
- Algorithms
- Control
Suggested Questions:
- What else can you do with ScratchJr?
- What do you think the other blocks do?
- Can you make your sprites do _____?
- Where else might your sprites dance?
- What other sprites can you add to your project?
Similar projects:
Have coders explore the sample projects built into ScratchJr (or projects from other coders), and ask them to find code similar to what they worked on today.
Standards reinforced:
- 1A-AP-10 Develop programs with sequences and simple loops, to express ideas or address a problem
Practices reinforced:
- Testing and refining computational artifacts
Concepts reinforced:
- Algorithms
Note: Coders may need a gentle reminder we are looking at other projects to get ideas for our own project, not to simply play around. For example, “look for five minutes,” “look at no more than five other projects,” or “find three projects that each do one thing you would like to add to your project.”
Generic questions:
- How is this project similar (or different) to something you worked on today?
- What blocks did they use that you didn’t use?
- What do you think those blocks do?
- What’s something you like about their project that you could add to your project?
Differentiation
Less experienced coders
ScratchJr is simple enough that it can be picked up relatively quickly by less experienced coders. However, for those who need additional assistance, pair them with another coder who feels comfortable working cooperatively on a project. Once coders appear to get the hang of using ScratchJr, they can begin to work independently.
Dance Party - More experienced coders
Because ScratchJr is not inherently difficult, experienced coders might get bored with simple projects. To help prevent boredom, ask if they would like to be a “peer helper” and have them help their peers when they have a question. If someone asks for your help, guide them to a peer helper in order to encourage collaborative learning, and remind them the helper is “hands off” and does not take over working on another person’s project.
Another approach is to encourage experienced coders to experiment with their code or give them an individual challenge or quest to complete within a timeframe (e.g., a reverse engineering challenge, a dance to a song).
Debugging Exercise (1-5+ minutes)
Debugging exercises
Resources and suggestions
Standards reinforced:
- 1A-AP-14 Debug (identify and fix) errors in an algorithm or program that includes sequences and simple loops
Practices reinforced:
- Testing and refining computational artifacts
Concepts reinforced:
- Algorithms
- Control
Display a dance where one of the sprites is not dancing, but all of the other sprites are when we tap the green flag. Ask the class: Why is the sprite not dancing? How can we fix it?
Think out loud which sprite isn’t dancing, and click on the sprite to look at the code. Explain that mistakes in code are called bugs. To fix the bugs, coders need to find the bug and get rid of it. This is called debugging. Include in the code motion blocks that do not have a start on green flag block. Ask the class to talk with a neighbor about how to fix the code so the sprite starts dancing again. Test out ideas until the bug is found and fixed in the code.
Unplugged Lessons and Resources
Standards reinforced:
- 1A-AP-08 Model daily processes by creating and following algorithms (sets of step-by-step instructions) to complete tasks
Although each project lesson includes suggestions for the amount of class time to spend on a project, BootUp encourages coding facilitators to supplement our project lessons with resources created by others. In particular, reinforcing a variety of standards, practices, and concepts through the use of unplugged lessons. Unplugged lessons are coding lessons that teach core computational concepts without computers or tablets. You could start a lesson with a short, unplugged lesson relevant to a project, or use unplugged lessons when coders appear to be struggling with a concept or practice.
Suggested unplugged lessons:
- Events are a great way to add variety to a pre-written algorithm. Sometimes you want your program to be able to respond to the user exactly when the user wants it to. That is what events are for.
- New and unsolved problems are often pretty hard. If we want to have any chance of making something creative, useful, and clever, then we need to be willing to attack hard problems. This lesson teaches that failure is not the end of a journey, but a hint for how to succeed.
Reflection and Sharing
Dance Party - Reflection and Sharing Colum
Coders can either discuss some of the following prompts with a neighbor, in a small group, as a class, or respond in a physical or digital journal. If reflecting in smaller groups or individually, walk around and ask questions to encourage deeper responses and assess for understanding. Here is a sample of a digital journal designed for Scratch (source) and here is an example of a printable journal useful for younger coders.
- Sample reflection questions or journal prompts:
- How did you use computational thinking when creating your project?
- What’s something we learned while working on this project today?
- What are you proud of in your project?
- How did you work through a bug or difficult challenge today?
- How did you help other coders with their projects?
- What did you learn from other coders today?
- What’s a fun algorithm you created today?
- What’s something you could create next time?
- What questions do you have about coding?
- What was challenging today?
- What should you do when your code doesn’t work the way you expected it to?
- What are some events you think your ipad/laptop might use to trigger code?
- What are some other events you could use in ScratchJr besides the green flag?
- What do you think they do?
- More sample prompts (may need adapting for younger coders)
Sharing suggestions
Standards reinforced:
- 1A-AP-15 Using correct terminology, describe steps taken and choices made during the iterative process of program development
Practices reinforced:
- Communicating about computing
- Fostering an inclusive culture
Concepts reinforced:
- Algorithms
- Control
- Modularity
- Program development
Peer sharing and learning video: Click here (1:33)
At the end of class, coders can share with each other something they learned today. Encourage coders to ask questions about each other’s code or share their journals with each other. When sharing code, encourage coders to discuss something they like about their code as well as a suggestion for something else they might add.
