We designed this instructional unit fourth-grade students. We chose to design our instructional unit for this particular grade level because by the time students reach fourth grade, the majority of them possess the reading skills and basic computer skills necessary to engage in the activities we have planned for each of our five 1-2 hour learning blocks. Our instructional unit is rooted in the assumption that the instructor carrying out this instructional unit has access to a computer lab in their school and/or a classroom set of computers. We are also assuming that students will have already been introduced to certain basic computing ideas before participating in this instructional unit and that their teacher has made time for himself/herself to become familiar with how Scratch works.
The K-12 CS Framework explains how elementary students should understand that computing is a “creative experience and a tool for personal expression” (p. 11). When fourth-grade students engage in creating their All About Me Scratch Project, they are learning how computing and computational thinking can be unique, creative, and a way to express themselves. Through creating their individual scratch projects, not only will students be gaining knowledge about computer science, they will be actively doing computer science. This instructional unit draws from several of the K-12 Computer Science Framework’s computer science concepts and computational practices. For example, our instructional unit integrates the practice of collaborating around computing (K-12 CS Framework). On the first day of this instructional unit, students work in pairs to create step-by-step instructions for washing hands and making a PB&J sandwich. During the second day of this instructional unit, students work in pairs to explore the Scratch website. Day four of the instructional unit is for students to work on their individual projects and students are encouraged to utilize their peers when questions and obstacles arise. A second K-12 Computer Science Framework practice integrated into this instructional unit is the creation of computational artifacts (K-12 CS Framework). By the end of this instructional unit, students will have created their own Scratch project. A third K-12 Computer Science Framework practice integrated into this instructional unit is the testing and refining of computational artifacts (K-12 CS Framework). Throughout the process of creating their individual Scratch projects, students will be identifying errors and problems in their projects and coming up with solutions for those errors and problems.
Watch this quick, 1-minute video to become familiar with what our instructional unit is all about: