Description

Bring coding into your spring read-alouds with four ready-to-teach Scratch Jr coding activities for kindergarten, first grade, and second grade!

ScratchJr & a Story: Spring Bundle combines elementary computer science, digital storytelling, and literacy. After listening to a beloved picture book, students use the ScratchJr app to code an animated scene inspired by the story.

Instead of practicing coding blocks in isolation, students use sequencing, events, timing, speed, page changes, messages, testing, and debugging to solve meaningful challenges. Visual student directions and instructional videos make each project approachable for young coders—even if they are still learning how to use ScratchJr.

WHAT CODING PROJECTS ARE INCLUDED?

FROG ON A LOG
Inspired by Frog on a Log?
Students choose a spring background, create multiple sprites, and use timing blocks to control when different actions happen. The bonus challenge invites students to use a “hide” block to make the frog catch a fly!

SCORE A SOCCER GOAL
Inspired by The Field
Students create a soccer field with a ball and goal, then use set speed blocks to make the ball score a goal at different speeds. As a bonus challenge, students add a “start on bump” event to create a celebration when the ball reaches the goal!

3…2…1… BLAST OFF!
Inspired by Counting on Katherine
Students select an outer-space background and add a rocket, astronaut, and shooting star to their project. They use control blocks to coordinate the astronaut entering the rocket and the rocket blasting off. The bonus challenge invites students to use shrink blocks to make the rocket appear smaller as it travels through space.

DAY AT THE BEACH
Inspired by How to Code a Sandcastle
Students choose multiple beach backgrounds and characters, then use “go to page” blocks to create a digital story about a day at the beach. The bonus challenge introduces message blocks so students can control when different events happen throughout their story.

WHAT IS INCLUDED?

This 39-slide resource is provided in Google Slides and includes:

• • 4 spring ScratchJr coding challenges
• • Teacher lesson plan
• • Kindergarten–second grade coding skill progression
• • Teacher modeling and discussion prompts
• • Whole-class teaching slides
• • Visual, step-by-step student directions
• • Links to picture-book read-aloud videos on YouTube
• • Student-friendly instructional videos hosted in Google Drive
• • Differentiation and support options
• • Bonus coding challenges and extension ideas
• • Student reflection prompts
• • Student-friendly 3-point rubric

COMPUTER SCIENCE SKILLS

Students practice:

• • Sequencing
• • Algorithms and step-by-step directions
• • Events and start commands
• • Motion blocks
• • Timing and control blocks
• • Setting the speed of a sprite
• • Coordinating multiple sprites
• • Page changes and scene transitions
• • Sending and receiving messages
• • Cause and effect
• • Testing and debugging
• • Computational thinking
• • Creative problem-solving
• • Digital storytelling

LITERACY CONNECTIONS

These picture book coding activities also reinforce:

• • Story sequencing
• • Identifying characters, settings, and important events
• • Connecting an animation to a text
• • Describing character actions
• • Discussing cause and effect
• • Creating events in a logical order
• • Responding creatively to literature
• • Explaining and reflecting on a finished project

DESIGNED TO GROW ACROSS K–2

The same ScratchJr challenges can be adjusted to fit the developmental needs of kindergarten, first-grade, and second-grade students.

Kindergarten students can focus on:

• • Giving directions in the correct order
• • Creating simple paths
• • Using movement and turn blocks
• • Identifying the beginning and end of a program

First-grade students can focus on:

• • Building a sequence
• • Using start events
• • Repeating actions
• • Adding sounds or multiple characters

Second-grade students can focus on:

• • Controlling when actions happen
• • Coordinating multiple sprites
• • Experimenting with timing and parallel actions
• • Adding interactions, new scenes, or alternate endings

SUGGESTED LESSON FORMAT

Each project can be completed in approximately one class period:

• • Read and discuss the story: 8–10 minutes
• • Introduce the coding skill: 3–5 minutes
• • Model the challenge: 3–5 minutes
• • Student coding time: 10–15 minutes
• • Share and reflect: 3–5 minutes

You can extend the projects across additional class periods for students who want to add characters, sounds, dialogue, new scenes, or more complex code.

EASY TO DIFFERENTIATE

Support beginning coders by:

• • Using partner programming
• • Setting up part of the project in advance
• • Limiting the project to one character
• • Modeling the code as a class
• • Giving students a visual example of the blocks

Challenge experienced students to:

• • Add another character
• • Include dialogue or sound effects
• • Coordinate multiple sprites
• • Create a second scene
• • Change the background
• • Add additional movement
• • Tell a new or alternate ending

PERFECT FOR:

• • Elementary computer labs
• • Technology classes
• • STEM classes
• • Library and media centers
• • Coding clubs
• • Literacy and technology integration
• • Spring STEM activities
• • End-of-the-year technology activities
• • Hour of Code
• • Whole-group coding lessons
• • Partner programming
• • Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade enrichment

IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION

Students need access to the free ScratchJr app on compatible devices. The ScratchJr app is not included with this resource and should be installed before beginning the lessons.

The picture books are not included. Links to publicly available read-aloud videos on YouTube are provided for convenience. Because external videos and school filtering settings can change, please preview all YouTube and Google Drive videos on a student device before using the lessons with your class.

Internet access is required to open the Google Slides and view the linked instructional and read-aloud videos.

Turn familiar spring stories into purposeful coding experiences! These ScratchJr projects help young students move from listening and discussing to planning, coding, testing, and improving animations of their own.