Introduction

In this penultimate lesson of the unit, the students will progress through the PRIMM process to begin the final 'Make' part:

• Predict - Students discuss a program and predict what it might do, drawing or writing out what they think will be the output. At this level, the focus is on the function of the code.
• Run - Students run the program so that they can test their prediction and discuss in class
• Investigate - The teacher provides a range of activities to explore the structure of the code; this involves activities such as tracing, explaining, annotating, debugging, but with the scaffolding provided by an existing solution
• Modify - Students edit the program to change its functionality via a sequence of increasingly more challenging exercises; the transfer of ownership moves from the code being not mine to partly mine as students gain confidence by extending the function of the code
• Make -  Students design a new program that uses the same structures but that solves a new problem (i.e. has a new function)

By this point, students will have seen lots of different coding blocks from Scratch in the example files provided by the lessons. By reading and testing and beginning to modify the examples, students should be fairly well aware of a range of 'Looks' blocks, such as speech and thought bubbles and colour and costume changing. They have also seen a variety of Move blocks and different user input blocks for starting the code in different ways (click the green flag, press a key, click a sprite). We have also looked in more detail at some key features such as using coordinates in the motion blocks and various types of loops.

Using that gathered knowledge, they will now plan their own animation project that makes use of, and builds upon the coding features they have learned in Scratch.

Main task

Before the pupils start writing code they should plan what they are aiming for and keep evaluating their project against the plan. To assist them with planning we have created this sheet:

We want a simple scene that involves one or more characters, some movement, perhaps some speech, costume changes or other effects available from the Looks section. They might also make use of loops and sounds.

On their planning sheet, they should only complete the sections in white writing. They should explain in simple terms what they want to happen in their animation and the order in which things will happen. For example:

"I want to make this kite blow out of the character’s hand, fly up into the sky, fly around in a circle three times and then disappear off the screen in the top right. My character should then look sad."

They should also include on their plan the key blocks they think they will need (they don't need to list every block) and what they need to do first. This is most likely to be collecting the sprite and backgrounds they need, then starting to code it.

We have included this example in the lesson slides:

If any students are struggling to come up with an idea for their animation, we have even created a random ideas generator! They can access it at tinyurl.com/ideaspicker

When their plan is complete, they can begin their animation project. Be sure to remind them to save as they go (this is done automatically if they are signed in to a Scratch account).

Plenary

Collect some feedback from some of the class about their ideas and plans. Ask some students to explain what they want to happen in their animation and then ask the rest of the class What key coding blocks will be needed to make this idea work? Then finally ask the student whose plan it is, did you include those blocks on your plan?