๐ฏ Learning Objectives
- ๐ง Students will understand the concept of a program and the importance of planning.
- โ๏ธ Students will be able to identify the sequential steps involved in creating a simple program.
- ๐ป Students will learn to use Google Slides as a digital storyboard tool.
- โ๏ธ Students will effectively plan a program, story, or game using a Google Slides storyboard.
๐ ๏ธ Materials Needed
- ๐ฅ๏ธ Computers or tablets with internet access.
- ๐ Google Accounts for accessing Google Slides.
- ๐ Paper and pencils for initial brainstorming (optional).
- ๐ก Projector or interactive whiteboard to display examples.
๐ Warm-up Activity (5 mins)
Question: "Imagine you want to build the coolest sandwich ever! ๐ฅช What's the very first thing you do? And what comes next?"
- ๐ฃ๏ธ Facilitate a brief discussion about the steps involved in making a sandwich, highlighting the need for a plan.
- ๐ค Introduce the idea that planning helps us make sure we don't forget important steps and that our final 'sandwich' (or program) turns out great!
๐ก Main Instruction: Crafting Programs with Google Slides Storyboards
Introduction: "Today, we're going to become program planners using a super cool tool: Google Slides! Just like movie directors use storyboards to plan their films, we'll use Google Slides to plan our own programs, stories, or even simple games."
๐ง Step 1: Brainstorming Your Big Idea
- ๐ Choose a Theme: Encourage students to think of a simple program idea. Examples: A short story about a pet, instructions for a game, a sequence for a daily routine, or a simple animation idea.
- ๐ Keywords & Concepts: Have them jot down key characters, events, or actions involved in their program. What's the main goal?
๐ Step 2: Defining the Sequence
- ๐ข Order of Operations: Guide students to break their big idea into smaller, sequential steps or scenes. What happens first? What happens next?
- โก๏ธ Flow Thinking: Emphasize that each step should naturally lead to the next, just like making a sandwich or telling a story.
๐ผ๏ธ Step 3: Designing Slides as Storyboard Panels
- ๐ New Slide for Each Step: Instruct students to open Google Slides and create a new slide for each step or scene they identified in Step 2.
- ๐จ Visual Representation: On each slide (panel), they should draw simple shapes, use Google Images (with guidance on appropriate search terms), or insert icons to visually represent what happens in that specific step.
- โ๏ธ Title Each Panel: Add a short, descriptive title to each slide (e.g., "Scene 1: Character Meets Alien," "Step 2: Collecting Stars").
๐ฃ๏ธ Step 4: Adding Details and Dialogue
- ๐ฌ Text Boxes for Action/Dialogue: Below the visual on each slide, students should add text boxes to describe the action, important dialogue, or specific instructions for that step.
- ๐ฏ Key Elements: What needs to happen? Who says what? What sounds might be heard?
โจ Step 5: Review and Refine
- ๐ Walk-Through: Students should 'play' their storyboard from start to finish, imagining their program unfolding.
- โ Add or Remove: Are there any missing steps? Are some steps unnecessary? They can easily add, delete, or reorder slides in Google Slides.
- ๐ Clarity Check: Is the sequence clear? Does it make sense to someone else?
โ
Assessment & Extension
- โญ Presentation: Students present their Google Slides storyboards to the class or a small group, explaining their program plan.
- โ Peer Feedback: Encourage constructive feedback from peers: "What was clear? What could be improved?"
- ๐ Next Steps: Discuss how these storyboards could be turned into actual programs (e.g., using Scratch, simple animations, or even a live skit).