ACT 3: Scratch Impact
Grades 5–6 Scratch lessons that connect coding with environmental science, data literacy, and real-world community impact.
Unit 1: Learning Scratch
Unit Overview This unit introduces students to the fundamentals of Scratch. At the end of this unit, students can code their own projects with animated characters, add text or voice for narration, import graphics of their choice, and they can time conversations between characters. They can create animated stories and interactive reports on any topic. This unit also briefly introduces students to the computer science concepts of sequence, event, and loop.
Lesson 1.1 Setting Up Scratch Accounts
Learning Objectives
- Create and log into a new Scratch account
- Introduce the Scratch environment
- Learn about role model Ada Lovelace
Lesson 1.2: Introduction to Scratch
Learning Objectives
- Explore parts of the Scratch environment
- Learn how to add their projects to a Scratch learners and how to edit edit and import an image in Scratch
Lesson 1.3: Scratch Charades
Learning Objectives
- Familiarize themselves with coding commands, specialfically in the Scratch language, in an unplugged activity acting the scripts out
- Enjoy playing this version of the familiar charades game
Lesson 1.4: Coding Concepts 1 - Sequence, Algorithm, Program
Learning Objectives
- Introduce the concepts of sequence, algorithm, and program
- Learn the difference between the “glide” and “go to” Scratch block
- Debug an existing project
- Finaly, tinker in Scratch
Lesson 1.5: Coding Concepts 2 - Events, Loops, Animation
Learning Objectives
- Learn about events, loops, and animation
- Learn that animation is a series of images that are in a loop
- Gain an understanding of the concept from a lecture, from videos, from debugging and from making their own flipbook
Lesson 1.6: Broadcasting and Receiving
Learning Objectives
- Learn how to time interactions in Scratch by using the “broadcast” and “receiving” block
- This skill enables time interactions between characters when creating a digital story or when including narration or music in a project
Unit 2: Modeling an Ecosystem
Unit Overview In this unit, students demonstrate their understanding of how all parts in a system are interdependent by coding a connection circle in Scratch. They learn about invasive species and how they disrupt an ecosystem. Through discussion, a card game, videos and by coding a project, students learn the concepts and skills to build a model of a system in the Scratch coding environment.
Lesson 2.1: What is a system?
Learning Objectives
- Explore natural and human systems
- They play a card game with their classmates identifying how parts of the chaparral ecosystem are related
Lesson 2.2 Disruptions in an Ecosystem
Learning Objectives
- About invasive species through the context of the chaparral ecosystem
- Create a public service in Scratch to teach others about what they learn
Lesson 2.3: Demonstrating Interactions in Scratch
Learning Objective
- Understand the computing concept of parallelism, initialization, and loops that needed to complete the connection circle project in the next lesson
Lesson 2.4: Modeling an Ecosystem
Learning Objective
- Code a connection circle in Scratch to model an ecosystem of their choice
Lesson 2.5: Reflect and Share
Learning Objective
- On their Connection Circle projects, then share their projects with a partner
Unit 3: Variables, Conditionals, and Functions
Unit Overview Variables are used to store values (words and numbers) in a computer program. Variables are created by the programmer. They can be set and changed by the computer program. Variable values can be entered into a computer program by a user when the program asks the user a question. Variable values can be used in different parts of a program. In this unit, students explore the concept of variables through examples, discussion, and playing Madlibs. Students interact with the concept of variables by exploring an existing project and modifying it.... 3....
Lesson 3.2: Use, Create, and Set Variables with TIPP&SEE
Learning Objectives
- Do a TIPP&SEE activity to reinforce the concepts from lesson 3.1
- They are guided as they modify an existing project
Lesson 3.3: Plan, Debug, Build and Share
Learning Objectives
- Plan a Madlibs project, do a debugging activity as a class, then build their Madlibs projects
- When finished, learners test each other’s projects
Lesson 3.4: Intro to Loops with if, then, else Conditionals
Learning Objective
- Introduce the computer science concept of if, then, else conditions and play an unplugged, hands-on activity
Lesson 3.5: Exploring Loops with if, then else Conditionals
Learning Objectives
- Explore a Scratch project to identify how if, then else conditions work and the types of operators that are used in conditions
- An existing project
Lesson 3.6: Introduction to Functions
Learning Objective
- Introduce the computer science concept of functions, play an unplugged activity, and explore a Scratch project with functions
Lesson 3.7: Exploring Functions: Quest & Plan
Learning Objectives
- Explore a Scratch project to identify how functions work and how to identify code that can be converted into functions
- An existing project and plan for their Create project
Lesson 3.8: Functions and if, then, else Conditional Loops: Plan & Build
Learning Objectives
- A project using functions and if, then else conditions
- A Debugging Challenge then complete the scripts and create functions for a graphing project
Unit 4 Visualizing Data
Unit Overview This unit examines how essential trees are to a community and then applies data science to examine the distribution of trees in various communities using the Tree Equity Score website. Students discuss different perspectives on trees in their community. Collectively, the class designs a survey to study the perspective of a particular group in their community on the topic of trees. The data is collected, cleaned and visualized in this unit.
Lesson 4.1: We Need Trees
Learning Objective
- Be explain how trees benefit a community and identify reasons the number of trees is decreasing each year
Lesson 4.2: Tree Equity Score
Learning Objectives
- Introduce the treeequityscore website
- Compare the tree equity score and heat disparity scores in different zip codes
- Discuss what data is and how it can be visualized
Lesson 4.3: Quantitative and Qualitative Data
Learning Objectives
- Introduce what data is
- Compare qualitative data versus quantitative data
- Learn the appropriate data visualization to represent data
Lesson 4.4: Creating a Survey on Trees
Learning Objectives
- Develop a survey on the topic of trees to learn the perspectives on a particular part of their community
- Identify people who would be interested in the finding of this proposed research
Lesson 4.5: Collecting and Cleaning Data
Learning Objective
- Conduct interviews to gather their data
Lesson 4.6: Visualizing and Analyzing Data
Learning Objectives
- Create a visualization with their data and discuss what it means
- Discuss pros and cons of different ways that data can be represented
Unit 5 Communicating Science
Unit Overview In this unit, students create a public service announcement on the topic that they have researched in Unit 4. Students craft a message in the Scratch environment that will be supported by a visualization of their research findings. Students choose the appropriate audience for this announcement.
Lesson 5.1: What is a Public Service Announcement (PSA)?
Learning Objectives
- View public service announcements and advertisements as they identify the problems being addressed, the supporting facts, the call to do something, and the kind of persuasion they represent
- (50 min)
Lesson 5.2: Crafting a Message
Learning Objectives
- A relevant message for the community supported with the findings of their survey
- The message will include a behavioral request from the audience
- (90 min)
Lesson 5.3: Build Your Public Service Announcement (PSA)
Learning Objectives
- A PSA in the Scratch environment in small groups that includes a data visualization that was created in Unit 4
- (50 min)
Lesson 5.4: Sharing Your Public Service Announcement (PSA)
Learning Objectives
- Self-reflect on their projects
- They give helpful feedback on classmate’s projects and accept feedback from others
- Desired changes are made
- Projects are shared with members of the community