Create and share a gratitude e-card. Students in grades K-2 will write a thank-you message, decorate their card, and animate it using simple coding blocks.
Pacing
1 class · 30 min
Grade
K
Opens a private practice project in the Studio — no account needed.
Why do specific words reach people more than general ones?
Students will be able to
Write a personal message of thanks for their card.
Decorate their card with various images from the library.
Animate their message using basic coding blocks in Elementari.
Key vocabulary
gratefulmessagetrue
Assessment
Formative
Use milestone checks, organizer responses, and daily test evidence to guide feedback.
Summative
The message identifies one specific action and explains why it mattered to the AUTHOR. The message remains readable, the chosen images support it, and the text animation plays as intended.
The student journey
This is a build — not a worksheet packet
Every lesson runs like the story students are about to make: read it, write it, build it, polish it, publish it. The printables scaffold each stage — the published Elementari project is the destination.
1
📖
Read
Students read a short, high-interest passage — a real-world hook, not a dry textbook definition — to spark ideas for what they'll make.
📖The Man Who Wrote Back
Picture a girl mailing a letter to Mister Rogers, the kind television neighbor. She tells him one true thing: she lost her first tooth, and it felt a little scary. Then an answer comes back. Not a copy sent to everyone — a real letter, abou…
In the studio, students bring the project to life — adding art and following the exact writing and coding steps shown below. The Studio Compass walks them through it, one step at a time.
🧭Studio CompassStep 1 / 3
Say Thanks with Words! 📝
It’s time to type! Write a short message of thanks or what you are grateful for.
Key words — tap to learnon page start block
Each step checks off & advances on its own
All 3 studio steps · dynamic to the project
1Say Thanks with Words! 📝~10 min
2Decorate & Be Creative! 🍁~10 min
3Animate Your Message~10 min
4
🔁
Polish
ongoing
Teacher and peer feedback pin right onto the project — students revise until it's ready to share.
Feedback on the project2 pins
🍎
Add one more sentence here so readers get the full picture.
👍 2Teacher
A
The interaction is clear — it helps the reader follow the project!
A couple of things to gather, a few quick steps to prep — then you're ready to hand it to students.
What you need
A device per student or pair
Internet connection
Prep · about 10 min
1Print the student kits
2Assign this lesson to your students
3Skim the build steps
Teacher background
What you need to know
Students learn that gratitude lands when it is specific: naming one true thing shows the receiver they were truly seen, which is why people keep such notes for years. They apply this by writing a short thank-you that names one real detail, then animating the words so the message feels as warm as it sounds.
Key terms
grateful
feeling thankful for something someone did
message
words you send to someone
true
real, not made up
Watch for these misconceptions
✕
The message names no action or reason. →Use the frame: 'Thank you for ___. It mattered because ___.
✕
Decorations cover the message or do not relate to it. →Move the text to the clearest space and keep only images that support the words.
Standards alignment
Aligned to the standards you teach
Every task maps to a specific standard, so planning and reporting are covered.
Tracking 7 frameworks: Common Core ELA, Common Core Math, NGSS +4
CCSS · ELA3CSTA2ISTE83 frameworks · 13 standards · DOK 3
CCSS · ELA
Common Core State Standards — English Language Arts
3 standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.3
Write narratives that recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details, use temporal words, and provide closure.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.5
With guidance and support from adults and peers, focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by revising and editing.
Also addressedCCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.2.6
CSTA
CSTA K–12 Computer Science Standards
2 standards
1A-AP-12
Develop plans that describe a program’s sequence of events, goals, and expected outcomes.
Also addressed1A-AP-15
ISTE
ISTE Standards for Students
8 standards
ISTE 1.4.a
Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts, or solving authentic problems.
ISTE 1.4.c
Students develop, test, and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.
ISTE 1.6.d
Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.
ISTE 1.5.d
Students understand how automation works and use algorithmic thinking to develop a sequence of steps to create and test automated solutions.
Also addressedISTE 1.1.c · ISTE 1.6.b · ISTE 1.6.c · ISTE 1.5.c
Full task-by-task mapping — including Depth of Knowledge — is in the answer key.
Differentiation & accessibility
Built to reach every learner
One lesson, three built-in paths — with accessibility baked into the materials, not bolted on afterward.
Extra support
Emerging readers & writers
Read-aloud and multilingual support in the Elementari build
Studio Compass highlights one task at a time — including the coding
Sentence frames and a word bank so it is never a blank page
On grade
The core lesson
The passage and storyboard exactly as written
Model answers and “look-fors” in the answer key
Self-check chips at every milestone
Ready for more
Extension & challenge
Challenge vocabulary and a real-world extension question
Deepen one existing page or interaction — without changing the required mechanics
A longer, evidence-based reflection prompt
Accessibility, built inPredictable step-by-step structureOne task at a time · Studio CompassHighlighted response areasLow-stimulation printMovement-friendly pacingDesigned so every student can design, write, and code — with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia in mind.
Questions
Teacher FAQ
Do I — or my students — need to know how to code?
No. Coding concepts are introduced in plain language exactly when students need them, and Studio Compass confirms each milestone so students keep moving without you troubleshooting. The teacher guide walks you through the whole build, answers included.
How long does this lesson take?
About 30, paced into 45-minute class periods. You can spread it out or compress it — students pick up where they left off, so it doesn't have to finish in one sitting.
What devices does this lesson work on?
Students can read, write, code, and publish on Chromebooks, iPads, tablets, laptops, or desktops. All they need is a modern browser — nothing to download or install.
What is Studio Compass?
Studio Compass is the step-by-step guide inside the Studio. It shows students what to do next, identifies the exact coding blocks they need, and confirms completed milestones so they can keep moving independently.
How does this lesson support different learners?
This lesson includes read-to-me with synchronized highlighting, a built-in glossary, and picture-based storyboarding, with writing and coding scaffolds you can dial up or down. Students can work with guided support or more independently — and still finish the same project.
Ready when you are
Bring this lesson to your class
Import your class, assign in one click, and watch them build — the whole kit comes with it.
