Students learn about ocean pollution and create an interactive app using Elementari’s drag-and-drop coding and storytelling tools. Perfect for grades 6–8.
Pacing
4 class periods
Grade
Grade 7
Coding
Beginner
Students codePlayer ActionsDragOn Page StartSequence
Opens a private practice project in the Studio — no account needed.
Research the causes and effects of plastic pollution
Write structured explanations using evidence and examples
Code an interactive app with animations and a drag-and-drop clean up game.
Apply storytelling and user interaction to promote environmental solutions
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
✏️
Write & plan
~15 min
On a scaffold built for the lesson, students plan their writing with sentence frames, a word bank, and a glossary — never a blank page.
1Student Kit · sneak peek
Planning questions for this lesson are included in the storyboard.
Glossary a kid-friendly definition for every key term
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 / 7
Research and Plan Your App 📝
Use the Protecting Our Oceans Organizer to collect your ideas. Explore at least three trusted sources (videos or articles), then use your research to complete each section of your
Each step checks off & advances on its own
All 7 studio steps · dynamic to the project
1Research and Plan Your App 📝~60 min
2Title Page – Introduction 🎬~10 min
3Problem Page – Impact of Plastic ❌~10 min
4Solution Page – How We Can Help ✅~10 min
5Interactive Cleanup – Take Action 🧩~15 min
6Animate Your Scene 🎭~15 min
7Final Details and Polish ✨~60 min
3
🔁
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!
Use flowcharts and/or pseudocode to address complex problems as algorithms.
Also addressed2-AP-13 · 2-AP-17
ISTE
ISTE Standards for Students
8 standards
ISTE 6b
Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.
Also addressedISTE 6d · ISTE 6c · ISTE 5a · ISTE 4a · ISTE 4d · ISTE 4c · ISTE 4b
AASL
AASL National School Library Standards
3 standards
AASL I.A.2
Recalling prior and background
knowledge as context for new
meaning
Also addressedAASL I.B.3 · AASL I.C.4
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 180, 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.
