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🦃 Week 11: Thanksgiving Coding

Lesson Overview
Grade Level Grades 1-2
Duration 30 minutes
Curriculum Year B
STREAM Focus T (Technology), R (Religion), A (Arts)

Week 11: Thanksgiving Coding

🎯 Learning Objectives

STEM Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Create a ScratchJr project with multiple characters 2. Use speech bubbles to express ideas 3. Sequence events in a simple animation 4. Add backgrounds and personalize projects

Faith Integration Objectives

Students will be able to: 1. Express gratitude through digital creation 2. Identify things they're thankful for 3. Connect gratitude to prayer

Week 11: Thanksgiving Coding

🙏 Faith-Reason Integration

Catholic Teaching Connection

Gratitude as Prayer — Thanking God is one of the four types of prayer (praise, thanksgiving, contrition, petition). When we count our blessings and express gratitude, we're praying!

Scripture Connection

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever." — Psalm 107:1

Saint Connection

St. Thérèse of Lisieux — Found joy in small things and was constantly grateful. Her "Little Way" teaches us to thank God for everyday blessings.

📚 Materials Needed

  • iPads with ScratchJr

  • Thankful brainstorm sheets

  • Sample project to show

  • Thanksgiving-themed stickers (optional)

📝 Lesson Procedure (30 minutes)

Opening Prayer (2 min)

"Dear God, thank You! Thank You for families, food, friends, and fun. Thank You for this school and for each other. Help us create projects today that show our gratitude. Amen."

Introduction: Gratitude Coding (5 min)

What are you thankful for?

  • Quick brainstorm: family, pets, food, home, friends, toys, nature

  • "St. Thérèse was thankful for even SMALL things"

  • "She called little blessings 'flowers' for Jesus"

Today's project:

  • Create a "Thank You" animation

  • Characters will SAY what they're thankful for

  • Make it colorful and joyful!

Show sample project:

  • Character with speech bubble

  • "I'm thankful for my family!"

  • Another character appears

  • "I'm thankful for my dog!"

Planning (3 min)

Think about YOUR project: 1. What are 2-3 things you're thankful for? 2. What characters will say these things? 3. What background fits?

Quick sketch:

  • Draw your thankful things

  • Note which character says which thing

ScratchJr Creation (17 min)

Step-by-step guidance:

Step 1: Choose background

  • Find a thankful scene

  • Home, nature, table scene

Step 2: Add character

  • Choose a person, animal, or object

  • Place on screen

Step 3: Add speech

  • Find speech bubble block

  • Type "I'm thankful for ___________!"

  • Add wait time

Step 4: Add more!

  • Another character?

  • Another thankful thing?

  • Movement or animation?

Stretch challenges:

  • Character moves across screen

  • Two characters have a conversation

  • Add sound effects

  • Multiple scenes

Teacher circulates:

  • Help with technical issues

  • Ask "What are you thankful for?"

  • Encourage creativity

Sharing (3 min)

Quick gallery walk or partner share:

  • Show your neighbor your project

  • Tell them what you're thankful for

Celebration:

  • "You coded your GRATITUDE!"

  • "You can share this with your family"

Closing (2 min)

St. Thérèse connection:

  • "She found joy in tiny blessings"

  • "What 'small thing' are you thankful for?"

  • "Gratitude is a kind of PRAYER!"

Closing Prayer: "Thank You, God, for EVERYTHING — big and small. Thank You for the creativity to make projects that share our gratitude. Help us be thankful people every day, not just at Thanksgiving. Amen."

📎 Home Connection

"We created gratitude animations in ScratchJr! Ask your child to show you their project. Ask: 'What are you thankful for?' We learned that gratitude is a form of prayer. At dinner this week, go around and share something each person is thankful for."

✅ Assessment

  • Created ScratchJr project with character(s)

  • Used speech bubbles to express gratitude

  • Identified multiple things to be thankful for

  • Connected gratitude to prayer

Lesson Version: 1.0 — Year B | **