Technologies · Foundation

Active learning ideas

Controlling Digital Characters

Active exploration helps young learners grasp sequencing in coding because movements and changes become visible immediately. When students see their commands play out on screen, abstract ideas like order and timing transform into tangible outcomes they can adjust right away.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC9TDEFP01

• 20–45 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Stations Rotation
• 45 min · Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Path Challenges

Prepare four stations with ScratchJr devices: straight line, zigzag, circle, and obstacle course. Students drag blocks to program a character along the path, test, and adjust. Rotate groups every 10 minutes, then share successful sequences.

Design a sequence of commands to make a character move in a specific path.

Facilitation Tip

During Path Challenges, circulate with a timer so each pair tests only two commands before swapping stations, preventing overload of new sequences.

What to look for

Present students with a simple block code sequence for a character. Ask them to draw the path the character will take on a grid, or write down what the character will say or do next. This checks their ability to predict outcomes.

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Activity 02

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 30 min · Pairs

Pairs: Story Costumes

Partners select a character and three costumes to tell a simple story, like a cat waking up. They program movements and sound changes between costumes. Pairs perform their stories for the class and explain the sequence.

Explain how changing a character's costume can tell a story.

Facilitation Tip

For Story Costumes, provide a simple storyboard sheet so students sketch the costume order before coding, linking visual planning to block logic.

What to look for

Provide students with a digital character and a starting point. Ask them to write down three block commands in sequence to make the character move to a specific spot. This assesses their understanding of designing command sequences.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 25 min · Whole Class

Whole Class: Prediction Relay

Display a mystery program on the interactive whiteboard. Students predict the character's actions in turns, then run the code to check. Discuss surprises and vote on fixes before recreating in pairs.

Predict the movement of a character given a set of instructions.

Facilitation Tip

In Prediction Relay, freeze the shared screen after each prediction round to spotlight one mismatch between code and movement.

What to look for

Show students two versions of a short animation where the character's costume changes. Ask: 'How does changing the character's appearance help tell the story? What would be different if the costumes stayed the same?' This prompts them to explain the role of visual changes.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 04

• Outdoor Investigation Session
• 20 min · Individual

Individual: Sound Dance Debug

Provide buggy code making a character dance with mismatched sounds. Students identify errors, fix blocks, and add their own sound sequence. Share one improvement with a partner.

Design a sequence of commands to make a character move in a specific path.

Facilitation Tip

During Sound Dance Debug, give each student a small set of sound blocks so they must choose deliberately rather than add randomly.

What to look for

Present students with a simple block code sequence for a character. Ask them to draw the path the character will take on a grid, or write down what the character will say or do next. This checks their ability to predict outcomes.

• Remember
• Understand
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start with short, whole-body unplugged sequences where students physically act out each command. This builds muscle memory for step, turn, and wait commands before translating them to blocks. Keep sessions under 15 minutes to match young attention spans, and always close with a quick reflection: 'What changed when you moved this block earlier?' Avoid teaching too many block types at once; stick to move, turn, switch costume, and play sound until students confidently combine them. Research shows that early coders need repeated practice with small, predictable changes to internalize sequencing.

By the end of these activities students will create programs that move characters predictably, change costumes intentionally, and use sounds deliberately. They will explain why each block matters and revise code when paths or stories do not match their plans.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Path Challenges, watch for students who believe blocks activate simultaneously like magic.

  As pairs test each station, have them point to each block in order and say its action aloud before running the code, reinforcing sequential execution.

• During Story Costumes, watch for students who think costumes change by themselves to fit the story.

  During peer sharing, require students to hold up the 'switch costume' block and explain which image it changes to next, making the command explicit.

• During Prediction Relay, watch for students who assume any touching blocks will move the character at all.

  Pause after predictions to run only the direction blocks, then run only the step blocks, separating movement commands so students see each part’s role.

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Methods used in this brief

• Stations Rotation
• Outdoor Investigation Session