Objective:

Students will analyze characters’ traits, motivations, and actions, and illustrate how these traits contribute to the sequence of events in a story by creating storyboards. Through this process, students will learn to break down complex ideas into smaller, organized steps, using computational thinking.

Materials Needed:

• Large paper or whiteboards

• Markers or drawing materials

• Pre-selected short story or chapter with defined characters

• Character trait list for reference

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Begin by reviewing character traits and how they affect the plot of a story. 

  • Ask students to describe a character from a familiar story, noting their traits, motivations, and how these led to key events in the plot. 

  • Explain that students will create storyboards to visually map out the sequence of events based on the characters' traits and actions.

• Group Activity:

  • In small groups, students will choose a character from the story and list their traits and motivations. 

  • They will then select a specific scene from the story where the character’s traits lead to important actions. 

  • Students will draw a storyboard with 3-5 panels to illustrate the character’s actions and how those actions contribute to the sequence of events in the story.

• Modeling the Sequence:

  • Each panel of the storyboard will represent a key moment in the story, showing how the character’s actions drive the plot forward. 

  • For example, if a character is brave, one panel might show the character preparing to face a challenge, while another panel shows the outcome of their bravery. 

  • Encourage students to think step-by-step as they create their storyboards, just like breaking down a problem in computational thinking.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Each group will present their storyboard to the class, explaining how the character’s traits influenced their actions and how those actions contributed to the sequence of events. 

  • Students will discuss how organizing ideas into steps, like creating a storyboard, mirrors computational thinking by helping them structure and communicate their ideas clearly.

Equity and Access:

Provide templates for storyboards and visual aids to guide students through the process, ensuring that all students can participate regardless of artistic ability.

Real-World Application:

Relate the activity to real-world problem-solving by explaining how breaking down a challenge into smaller, manageable steps—just like creating a storyboard—can help solve problems in everyday life. Discuss how organizing ideas helps in many areas, from writing stories to planning projects.

CS Practice(s):

• Developing and Using Abstractions: Students use storyboards to visually represent character actions and their impact on the plot.

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students break down complex story events into smaller steps, similar to computational thinking when solving a coding problem.

Standard(s):

• CA CCSS.ELA-Literacy 3.RL.3

• CA CS 3-5.AP.13

Objective:

Students will use Scratch Jr, Scratch,. or another coding platform to create interactive animations that depict the traits, motivations, and feelings of characters from a story, and explain how these traits drive the sequence of events. By animating key scenes, students will explore relationships between characters' actions and the overall narrative, using coding to illustrate their understanding of the story.

Materials Needed:

• Tablets or computers 

• Pre-selected short story or chapter with well-defined characters

• Character trait list for reference

Steps:

• Introduction:

  • Begin by discussing what character traits are and how they influence the decisions characters make in a story. 

  • Ask students to think of their favorite story characters and describe their traits, motivations, and how these affect the plot. 

  • Introduce a coding platform as a tool to create digital animations to show how characters' actions lead to specific events in the story.

• Group Activity:

  • In pairs, students will choose a key scene from the story and identify the traits and motivations of the main characters in that scene. 

  • Using a coding platform, they will create an animation that depicts the characters' actions and emotions, focusing on how those traits contribute to the sequence of events. 

  • For example, if a character is brave, students might animate that character rescuing another, explaining how their bravery leads to a positive outcome in the plot.

• Creating and Coding:

  • Encourage students to use coding blocks to animate their characters’ movements and interactions. 

  • They will program their characters to perform actions that illustrate their traits and motivations, such as a kind character helping others or a greedy character taking something that doesn’t belong to them.

• Testing and Refining:

  • Once students have completed their animations, they will test their code to ensure that the scenes accurately represent the characters’ traits and how their actions drive the story forward. 

  • They can make revisions as necessary to better align the animations with the story.

• Presentation and Discussion:

  • Each group will present their animated scene to the class, explaining how the character traits and motivations influence the events in the story. 

  • Encourage a class discussion on the importance of character development and how coding helps bring these literary elements to life.

Equity and Access:

Provide pre-made coding templates and character sprites for students who need extra support, ensuring all students can participate in the animation process.

Real-World Application:

Connect the activity to real-life situations by discussing how people’s traits and motivations affect their actions and relationships. Explain that understanding others’ perspectives and motivations is crucial in resolving conflicts and building empathy, just as understanding characters helps with storytelling.

CS Practice(s):

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students use a coding platform to design animations representing the character traits and actions that drive the plot.

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems: Students identify how characters’ actions influence the sequence of events and break down these events into animatable sequences.

Standard(s):

• CA CCSS.ELA-Literacy 3.RL.3

• CA CS 3-5.AP.12

• CA CS 3-5.AP.13

• CA CS 3-5.AP.17