Engage grades K-5 in write and code a story about Josephine Baker and her cheetah. Students learn about her life, write a narrative, and code animations.
Pacing
1 class · 30 min
Grade
Grade 3
Opens a private practice project in the Studio — no account needed.
How do writers blend real facts with imagination responsibly?
Students will be able to
Learn about Josephine Baker and her achievements.
Develop creative writing skills by imagining a story about Josephine and her cheetah.
Write a story with a structured beginning, middle, and end.
Code text animations and background music to enhance their narrative.
Key vocabulary
performerfamousimagine
Assessment
Formative
Use milestone checks, organizer responses, and daily test evidence to guide feedback.
Summative
Verified details remain accurate, imagined parts are clearly framed, and the meeting, dialogue, adventure, and ending form one connected story. The text effect and music support the story, and any added interaction does not imply that fictional events are documented history.
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 Dancer with a Cheetah
Picture a busy street in Paris, almost one hundred years ago. People stop and stare. A famous dancer is out for a walk — and beside her, on a leash, walks a cheetah wearing a sparkling collar. The dancer was Josephine Baker. She grew up poo…
SourcesNational Women's History Museum — Josephine BakerLibrary of Congress — Josephine Baker
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 / 9
Meet Josephine Baker! 🙌🏾
Josephine Baker was a remarkable woman from the 1920s. Not just a famous dancer and singer, Josephine was also known for her bravery as a spy during World War II, her role as a civ
Key words — tap to learnon page start block
Each step checks off & advances on its own
All 9 studio steps · dynamic to the project
1Meet Josephine Baker! 🙌🏾~10 min
2Imagining Chiquita's Journey 🐾~20 min
3Design your Title Page 🌟~3 min
4A First Meeting ❤️~2 min
5Their First Conversation 💬~6 min
6The Adventure 🏞️~2 min
7The End: Forever Friends 🌈~5 min
8Setting the Mood with Music 🎶~2 min
9Adding the Final Touches 🎨~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
Headphones or speakers
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 historical fiction stands on two legs: verified facts about a real person, and clearly invented scenes where the record is silent. History tells us Josephine Baker was a real star with a real cheetah — but not how they met. They apply this by opening with true facts, then imagining the meeting, the first conversation, and an adventure that the facts never wrote down.
Key terms
performer
a person who dances, sings, or acts for an audience
famous
known by very many people
imagine
to make a picture or story in your mind
Watch for these misconceptions
✕
An invented meeting or conversation is presented as something that really happened. →Add explicit fictional framing and keep verified facts in separate sentences.
✕
The adventure is a list of places rather than a problem and result. →Require one setting, one problem, one response, and one changed ending.
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
Test and debug a program or algorithm to ensure it runs as intended.
1A-AP-12
Develop plans that describe a program’s sequence of events, goals, and expected outcomes.
Also addressed1B-AP-13 · 1A-AP-15 · 1B-AP-11 · 1B-AP-17
ISTE
ISTE Standards for Students
11 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 1.3.a · ISTE 1.3.b · ISTE 1.1.c · ISTE 1.6.b · ISTE 1.6.c · ISTE 1.5.c · ISTE 1.3.d
AASL
AASL National School Library Standards
3 standards
AASL I.A.1
Learners display curiosity and initiative by formulating questions about a personal interest or a curricular topic.
Also addressedAASL I.B.1 · AASL I.B.3
C3
C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards
2 standards
C3 D2.His.10.K-2
Compare information provided by different historical sources about the past.
Also addressedC3 D2.His.10.3-5
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 60, 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.
