Introduction
Foster meaningful intergenerational dialogue about climate change through interviews with older generations. Students will gather insights on how climate change has impacted different generations and create an interactive story using Elementari. This digital project will blend personal stories with coding elements, encouraging students to explore climate justice through the lens of older generations while building coding and storytelling skills.
Objectives
Students will...
- Conduct an interview to gather insights on climate change from an older generation.
- Outline and plan an interactive story that conveys intergenerational perspectives.
- Create a digital story on Elementari, incorporating text, images, and coding elements.
- Share the story responsibly, reflecting on the importance of intergenerational dialogue and digital citizenship.
Code Stories and Games with Elementari
Students will use Elementari to express their voice and choice through digital storytelling. By combining text, images, and coding elements, students create interactive narratives that reflect their unique insights while building essential digital literacy skills.
New to Elementari? Click on the orange Start button to jump right into the lesson for free. Check out our Getting Started Guide for an overview of how Elementari works with your class. Get started for free for up to 35 student accounts.
Lesson Resources
Coding Concepts Covered
Functions in Sequence Function in ParallelStudent Instructions
Print the worksheet or edit on Google docs to help draft your research, interview, and story.
Research: Explore the causes and effects of climate change using reliable sources.
Develop Questions: Example questions include:
- "What changes in the climate have you observed over your lifetime?"
- "How did people in your generation address environmental issues?"
- "What do you think is the biggest environmental challenge today?"
Conduct the Interview: Interview an older family member or community member, taking detailed notes or recording the conversation (with permission).
Outline Your Story: Plan your story structure. Use the worksheet to help:
- Introduction: Introduce your interviewee and their background.
- Anecdote: Present a key stories or observation from the interview.
- Comparison: Compare your perspective with that of your interviewee.
- Conclusion: Reflect on the importance of hearing other perspectives.
Storyboard Creation: Sketch a storyboard or plan what text, images, or coded elements you want in your project.
Design a title page. Use the title page from Templates to make it easier.
Introduce your interviewee and set the context for your story.
Write a short story or memory from your interview. Add an image to represent it, then code a speech bubble to appear when clicked.
Compare your perspective with your interviewee's perspective.
Conclude your story with a reflective summary.
Add a sequence of animations (bounce the image and fade in the speech bubble) for the conclusion.
Enhance the Design: Add final touches of design and code. Some ideas:
- Add backgrounds or additional images.
- Code music or voice overs to play for a personal touch.
- Code additional animations and interactions.
Share: Publish your project on Elementari, present it to your class, and share with your interviewee. Reflect on how this process has deepened your understanding of climate change and the importance of sharing intergenerational stories.
Project Example for Students
Play through this lesson's example project created on Elementari. Use this example to guide and motivate your students.
Standards
CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards (2017)
Algorithms & Programming
2-AP-10 - Use flowcharts and/or pseudocode to address complex problems as algorithms.
2-AP-13 - Decompose problems and subproblems into parts to facilitate the design, implementation, and review of programs.
2-AP-17 - Systematically test and refine programs using a range of test cases.
3A-AP-13 - Create prototypes that use algorithms to solve computational problems by leveraging prior student knowledge and personal interests.
3A-AP-16 - Design and iteratively develop computational artifacts for practical intent, personal expression, or to address a societal issue by using events to initiate instructions.
ISTE Student Standards
Creative Communicator
6b - Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
6d - Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences.
6c - Students communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as visualizations, models or simulations.
Computational Thinker
5a - Students formulate problem definitions suited for technology-assisted methods such as data analysis, abstract models and algorithmic thinking in exploring and finding solutions.
Innovative Designer
4a - Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems.
4d - Students exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance and the capacity to work with open-ended problems.
4c - Students develop, test and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process.
4b - Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks.
AASL Standards
Inquire
I.A.2 - Recalling prior and background knowledge as context for new meaning
I.B.3 - Generating products that illustrate learning.
I.C.4 - Sharing products with an authentic audience.
About the Designer
Take Action Global is a leading education non-profit committed to climate education for all. Over five years, TAG has served over 4.7 million students and educators from 160+ countries through online learning programs and has supported over 2 million tree plantings.
Learn about more ways to take action for the planet through climate education, sustainability, and global collaboration:
- EarthProject App: free iOS/Android app for youth to track actions, create teams, and see collective impact for the planet
- Climate Action Project: annual Fall online project for global K-12 classrooms
- Climate Action Day: annual online event for global classrooms celebrating climate education as a solution for climate change
- Climate Action Schools: full school program for 100 schools
- Goals Project: annual winter online project for global PreK-University classrooms focused on the UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Coding for Climate: annual March/April project for global K-12 classrooms