Thanksgiving Story Twist | Coding for Kids

Introduction

Write a Thanksgiving-themed story with fun characters, lively dialogue, and an exciting twist that no one will see coming! Students will learn to code background music to match the story’s mood to bring their story to life in Elementari, making their narrative interactive and engaging.

Subjects:

Grades: 3-8

Estimated Time For Completion: 2 classes (each 45 minutes)

Hardware required: Computer or Tablet Speaker

Objectives

Students will:

Write a Thanksgiving-themed story featuring creative characters and dialogue.
Develop an unexpected plot twist to add excitement and surprise to the story.
Code background music to enhance the atmosphere and mood.

Code Stories and Games with Elementari

Elementari’s creative coding platform allows students to craft and code interactive stories effortlessly. They can choose characters from a vast library, create comic dialogues, and use node-based visual coding to add animations and code background music to play. This platform makes coding accessible for all kids and enabling them to share their voice.

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.

Coding Concepts Covered

Background Music

Student Instructions

Elementari lessons combine creativity and structured learning using auto-validating steps. This approach supports students learning at their own pace and engaging all skill levels. Below are the milestone instructions students will follow to complete the lesson. Each milestone can be further broken down into detailed step by step tasks (not shown).

1. Setting the Thanksgiving Scene 🦃 (5 mins)

Select a background and at least 1 character. Write an introductory text.

2. Creating Dialogue 💬 (10 mins)

Write dialogue between two characters discussing Thanksgiving traditions or what they're thankful for.

3. Story Progression with a Twist (10 mins)

Develop the plot by introducing an unexpected twist or surprise element to your Thanksgiving story.

4. Conclusion and Farewells 👋 (10 mins)

Conclude your story and the twist you introduced. Wrap up your story with what your characters learned or how they felt about the day's events.

Once you are done writing, you'll get started with coding!

5. Setting the Tune 🎶 (5 mins)

Code background music to play to set the mood. Code for the music to change at the twist to reflect the new mood.

6. Creative Finishing Touches ✨ (10 mins)

Add your own creative ideas!

More Pictures: Add more images like yummy food.

Extra Words: Write more about what your characters are doing or feeling.

Fun Coding: Code an image to bounce or move when clicked.

Interactive Project Example for Students

Play through this lesson's example project created on Elementari. Use this example to guide and motivate your students.

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Standards

CSTA K-12 Computer Science Standards (2017)

Algorithms & Programming

1B-AP-10 - Create programs that include sequences, events, loops, and conditionals.
1B-AP-11 - Decompose (break down) problems into smaller, manageable subproblems to facilitate the program development process.
1B-AP-12 - Modify, remix, or incorporate portions of an existing program into one's own work, to develop something new or add more advanced features.
1B-AP-15 - Test and debug (identify and fix errors) a program or algorithm to ensure it runs as intended.
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.

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.

Thanksgiving Story Twist 🍂