Engaged Learning Project Draft Template

Title of Project: SCRATCHing Stories!

Subject(s): ELA, Math, Social Studies, Science and STEM
Grade Level(s): 3rd-5th grade

Abstract:
Teachers will educate students on the components of different types of writing and word problems. With collaboration from
the STEM teacher, teachers will practice coding using dialogue and movement. STEM Gems (afterschool STEM program for
3-5) will apply their knowledge on the three different types of writing: narrative, opinion, and informational to create stories
using Scratch, then eventually train Little STEMs (afterschool STEM program for K-2) on storytelling with coding. Each
month in the schoolwide news program, we will have a feature called “Scratch of the Week” in which one of the scratch
stories will be shared in our school community. After publishing a Scratch story, the story will be available for others to view
in a schoolwide shared folder as a resource for content covered in class.

Learner Description/Context:
Ashford Park Elementary is a public PreK-5 Dekalb County School located in Brookhaven, Georgia. This school is the first
German dual immersion program in the state of Georgia and STEM certified. Students range between the ages of 4 and 10.
Most students come from a diverse background, both socially and economically. Teachers are comprised of diverse
backgrounds with various teaching experiences. STEM Gems is in its first year at APES and focuses on girls in the upper
grades who want to explore STEM careers for women. Little STEMS, also in its first year, introduces the world of STEM to
the lower grade levels beyond what they can understand during STEM specials.

Time Frame: This project will span over 2-3 months with students working on their projects approximately 1-2 hours per
week.

Standards Assessed:
ELAGSE3W1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
ELAGSE3W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
ELAGSE3W3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive
details, and clear event sequences.
ELAGSE3W6: With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding
skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
MGSE3.OA.8 Solve two-step word problems using the four operations. Represent these problems using
equations with a letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation
and estimation strategies including rounding.
operations in the conventional order where there are no parentheses to specify a particular order (Order of Operations).
ELAGSE4W1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
ELAGSE4W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
ELAGSE4W3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive
details, and clear event sequences.
ELAGSE4W6: With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish
writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a
minimum of one page in a single sitting.
MGSE4.OA.3 Solve multistep word problems with whole numbers and having whole-number answers using the four
operations, including problems in which remainders must be interpreted. Represent these problems using equations with a
symbol or letter standing for the unknown quantity. Assess the reasonableness of answers using mental computation and
estimation strategies including rounding.
ELAGSE5W1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.
ELAGSE5W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
ELAGSE5W3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive
details, and clear event sequences.
ELAGSE5W6: With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish
writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a
minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
MGSE5.NF.6 Solve real world problems involving multiplication of fractions and mixed numbers, e.g., by using visual
fraction models or equations to represent the problem.
CSS.GC.3-5.7 Use digital tools to expand personal viewpoints and enrich learning by collaborating effectively both locally
and globally.
ISTE 2.3 Citizen: Educators inspire students to positively contribute to and responsibly participate in digital world
ISTE 2. 7: Educators understand and use data to drive their instruction and support students in achieving their learning goals

Jo Williamson, Ph.D., Kennesaw State University

 Engaged Learning Project Draft Template

Learner Objectives:
Students will be able to construct a story by applying coding through Scratch. Students will have to collaborate, use peer
reviews, and rubrics to meet the standard.

The “hook” or Introduction:

Collaborate with your peers to discuss what you have in common. It could be traditions, favorite subjects, or siblings. After
discussion, decide on the top three topics and write them on chart paper. Go to the topic that you relate to the most and
discuss with others at that same topic.

Process:
Teacher Role Student Role
After a brief discussion on the topics, teacher will inform Students will listen and participate in mini lessons with the
students that they are going to create a story, whether writing teacher. They will have their afterschool INB available to
or math story, that includes that topic. Introduce the idea of copy down flowchart. After learning coding, Google Drive,
writing in STEM and the writing process. Teacher will use a and the writing process, students will split up into groups
slideshow presentation that details what each stage of the according to chosen topic to create a Scratch story. First,
writing process is. Using the document camera and teacher students must plan and create a story in each group members’
copy INB, teacher will write copy a flowchart on the writing INB. Once story is finished, students will work on translating
process in the notebook. The presentation that was used in the story into Scratch by assigning roles such as:
the mini lesson will be posted in Google Classroom as a background, character, conversation, coding, etc. Throughout
reference slide for students to refer to later. On a separate the creation, students must collaborate to create a cohesive
day, teacher will have a mini lesson with students on the story that flows and explains the common thing each member
carpet on how to access Google Drive. On the last day of has. After coding, students will use a rubric to rate each
pre-instruction, On the last day of pre-instruction, teacher group member and themselves on their participation and
will teach students how to code and how to transfer the work ethic. Then, each group will upload their story into the
writing process into coding. Once students have submitted shared Google Drive for other STEM Gem participants to
their Scratch story, teacher will use a rubric to provide view. After uploaded and shared, students will take on the
feedback on collaboration, type of writing, and functionality. role as a teacher and teach the little STEMs the writing
process and code to make stories on Scratch Jr. using an
IPAD.

Product:
Students will produce interactive Scratch stories that all grade levels can use as a resource when learning about writing and
word problems. Writing across grade levels will improve because students will have a fun way of expressing their writing
skills that will be recognized through EAGLE News (APES school program). Once published, students will peer review each
other Scratch stories and provide feedback, then the editor will review and change accordingly to publish as a final project.
After going through the process, students will become take on the role as an educator and go through the process of writing
components and using coding to make stories to the lower grade levels.

Technology Use:
The technology crucial to this would be Scratch and Google Drive. Since students will be collaborating on this project and
sharing stories and ideas with each other, they need a productivity tool to assist with that. I would create a “folder” for each
group and share it with the members of that group so that students can have access to everyone’s ideas before designing their
scratch story. The indicators of engaged learning that it will support is collaboration and student-directed learning.

References and Supporting Material:

Teacher will need anchor charts of each type of writing and word problems.
Three rubrics will need to be created (peer, group, and teacher) https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ojUV5eOp17cI9m-
TPr2AOe3r2mjHUm7TKhuhpjbEzis/edit?usp=sharing
Teaching Without Frills Writing Mini-Lesson Video Links https://www.youtube.com/c/TeachingWithoutFrills
Create a Scratch Story Tutorial https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/editor/?tutorial=tell-a-story

Jo Williamson, Ph.D., Kennesaw State University