Grade 2 – Matter and Energy

Lesson Summary: Students will create an animated story that shows the transformation of liquid into solid or a solid

into a liquid.

Curriculum Expectations: These expectations are intended to highlight the many ways in which this lesson could support

the curriculum. It is neither expected nor necessary for teachers to address all of these expectations at once. Teachers

A2.1 write and execute code in investigations and when modelling concepts, with a focus on decomposing

problems into smaller steps

A2.2 identify and describe impacts of coding and of emerging technologies on everyday life

To paraphrase these expectations and express them in plainer language, students are being asked to:

● write code to demonstrate a science-related concept, focusing on understanding how each problem can be

split into individual steps

● show how coding impacts our lives

1. I can use basic start blocks and movement blocks to code my characters to move

2. I can add appropriate backgrounds and characters to my project

3. I can explain the idea sequence in my own words

4. I can explain algorithms in my own words

5. I can show the stages of a liquid turning into a solid / a solid turning into a liquid

STEM Profile:

Like Erin, we are going to be teaching others the basics of solids and liquids so that they can better understand the world

around them.

Minds On:

2. Introduce the idea of an algorithm, which is a set of steps we can give to a computer so it can perform a task. You

may want to watch this video to further explain the idea.

a. Discussion: Can students think of a time when they did the steps of a task in the wrong order? What

4. Another key concept for students to understand is concurrent events. Concurrent events are when two or more

things are happening at the same time. In coding with Scratch Jr, this can mean two different characters are

performing actions at the same time (i.e., both characters moving across the screen simultaneously), or that a single

character is performing multiple actions at the same time (i.e., moving across the screen while spinning). There are

also many real life examples of concurrent events, such as walking and talking or eating and watching TV.

5. Brainstorm with students to come up with ideas for their project. This can be done in small groups or as a whole

class. Some sample prompts include:

● What is a solid?

Planning Our Project: Provide students with the animated story project planner. The number of scenes needed for

students to represent their transformation may vary. Students should create a rough sketch of what will happen in each

scene by writing a few words or a sentence describing what happens in the scene. Teachers may wish to provide a list

of words from which to choose, a scribe, or other assistive technology to support students.

Creating Our Project: Please see the “Sample Code” section of the lesson for screenshots and a full video showcasing a

sample project and all its code.

1. If you have not used Scratch Jr before, please consider watching the videos at the following links in order to

3. Choose the main character and begin writing the code to move and animate the character. Students are

encouraged to use the “Say” block from the purple “Looks” menu to add dialogue to their story or to record

and add a sound from the green “Sounds” menu to add audio files to communicate orally. Students can also

add multiple characters, and even design their own characters using the Paint Editor if they wish. Make sure

that all of their blocks of code are connected to a trigger block, such as the “Start on Green Flag” block.

4. When students are ready to create their second scene, add another page.

5. In the second scene, add a background, characters, and write the code. Remember that the code for each

character and on each page is created separately. Students can copy a character and its code, if needed.

7. Repeat for any additional scenes.

8. To play the story, press the Green Flag button. Students are encouraged to use Presentation Mode to make

their story full screen.

Extensions:

● Students can explore how changes from solids to liquids/liquids to solids affect the environment

● Students can use the camera on their device to take photos to serve as the background or as a character using

the Paint Editor.

● To learn more about Erin Pettit and about the impacts of melting ice on our environment, consider the following

books and videos:

and verbal. A variety of feedback options and templates are available in Appendix A.

2. An important aspect of assessing student understanding is focusing on the process, not the product. While it is

important to have a final product that functions as intended, students are often asked to produce something within

a limited time frame; therefore, it may be the case that, given more time, a student would be able to produce a

fully functional product.

To assess learning, teachers can conference with students throughout the creation of their projects using the

anecdotal prompts in Appendix B and documenting these discussions using an anecdotal observations chart.

Teachers are encouraged to consider the troubleshooting strategies used by students throughout the project, their

● While it is ideal to have one device per student, this is not the reality for many classrooms. If you are planning to

have students work in groups, consider a maximum group size of 2 students to ensure as much “hands-on” time

with coding as possible. If access to devices is limited, you may wish to implement this lesson as part of a station

rotation within your classroom or use another strategy to work with small groups.

● Scratch Jr does not require access to the internet beyond downloading the app.

● If you have no access to devices, you can:

o print these cards from Scratch Jr, cut them out, and have students create their code with the paper blocks

o use these templates to create printable stickers and use the stickers to allow students to create their code

o Thumbs Up

o WIN

o Two Stars and a Wish

when it comes to coding, so this is key to truly understanding a student's understanding.

Key Concepts

Suggested Prompts:

1. Can you tell me what you know about ______?

2. Can you show me where in your code you used _____? How does it work?

Application

There may be times when students “stumble” into the “right” answer in their code without fully understanding how

they got there, while another student may have a project that isn’t working the way they intend, but they know exactly

why and are able to very clearly articulate the steps they would take to fix the issue, if they had more time. Just because

a student’s project is not working exactly as they want it does not necessarily mean that they don’t understand so it is

important to take the time to discuss with students.

Suggested Prompts:

professional computer programmers all the time), but it is actually HOW we learn to code. To move from making the

mistake into learning from it, students need to develop and utilize effective troubleshooting strategies. If a student just

sits there staring at their code for a week trying to figure out an issue without ever asking for help, they are not

demonstrating effective troubleshooting strategies. Effective troubleshooting strategies that students may demonstrate

include:

● Reading their code out loud to themselves to attempt to identify errors

● Sharing their code with a peer to ask for help in identifying an error

● Dealing with frustration by taking a break from their code

● Searching the web for answers to their questions

Suggested Prompts: