Pip reaches the shelter the student chose and described.
Nest Quest: A Young Bird's Journey
How Small Birds Stay Safe in a Storm
Language ArtsCoding
Explore how small birds find shelter from wind and rain as students write an interactive story about Pip, a fledgling navigating obstacles to a safe nesting place.
Pacing
2–3 days · 3 × 45 min
Grade
Grade 3
Coding
Beginner
Students codeCollision (when sprites touch)Speech bubbleWhen page startsRun at the same time
Opens a private practice project in the Studio — no account needed.
How do small birds find shelter and stay safe in a storm?
Students will be able to
Explain how thick vegetation, sheltered perches, and tree holes protect small birds from stormy weather.
Develop a story setting, a fledgling's goal, and an obstacle that creates tension.
Describe how a chosen nesting place shelters Pip and add a detail that conveys comfort.
Configure spoken “up” and “right” commands to move Pip toward a destination and continue the story when he reaches it.
Key vocabulary
fledglingsettingshelter
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.
📖How Small Birds Stay Safe in a Storm
When dark clouds roll in and the wind starts to blow, small birds stop flying around. Stormy air makes flying hard work, so they find a safe place and wait. Many small birds hide inside a thick hedge or a bushy evergreen tree. Thick leaves …
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
TITLE PAGE
Write a title for the cover; readers see it appear as the opening music sets the scene.
Key words — tap to learnOn Pronounce
Each step checks off & advances on its own
All 9 studio steps · dynamic to the project
1TITLE PAGEabout 0 min
2Garden pathabout 5 min
3Pip and a safe placeabout 5 min
4Storm obstacleabout 5 min
5Movement wordsabout 10 min
6Animate Pip when 'up' spokenabout 10 min
7Animate Pip when 'right' spokenabout 10 min
8Advance to landing on collisionabout 10 min
9Safe landingabout 5 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
A microphone (for recording or speech-trigger activities)
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
Small birds stop flying and hide where thick leaves, branches, or a tree hole block the wind and rain. Oily feathers shed the rain, soft down keeps them warm, and their toes lock tight around a branch. In the story, Pip, a fledgling, uses one of these shelters to reach safety before nightfall.
Key terms
fledgling
A young bird that has just left the nest and is still learning to fly.
setting
Where and when a story happens.
shelter
A safe place that protects someone from danger or bad weather.
Watch for these misconceptions
✕
Vague setting detail →Ask the student to point to one visible object (fence post, branch, hollow) and add one describing word.
✕
Movement words unclear or reversed →Have the student say each movement word aloud and demonstrate which direction it should move Pip before testing.
✕
Interaction does not trigger on the spoken word →Play and test the page: say the exact word(s) the student wrote; if it fails, check spelling and that the spoken trigger is linked to the character image.
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
Common Core State Standards — English Language Arts
5 standards
W.3.4
With guidance and support from adults, produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose.
Also addressedL.3.1 · W.3.3 · RI.3.1 · L.3.3
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 2-3 days, 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.
