Creative Coding Lab · Term 4

Planning a Project

Creating a storyboard and project plan for a digital game or animation.

About This Topic

Planning a Project is the bridge between an idea and its execution (AC9TDI4P06). For Year 3 students, this involves creating storyboards and project plans for a digital creation, such as a game or animation. By planning first, students can organize their thoughts, identify the assets they need (like characters and backgrounds), and map out the logic of their code before they start building.

This topic connects to the English curriculum through narrative structure and the Arts through visual storytelling. In the Australian context, students might plan a project that tells a local story or explains a scientific concept relevant to their region. This topic comes alive when students can physically model the patterns of their story, using sticky notes on a wall to move scenes around and see how the 'flow' of their project changes.

Learning Objectives

• Design a storyboard that sequences at least five key scenes for a digital game or animation.
• Identify the essential components (characters, backgrounds, interactions) required for a chosen digital creation.
• Analyze the user flow of a simple digital game or animation by mapping out player choices and outcomes.
• Justify the selection of specific coding blocks for character movement based on desired actions.

Before You Start

Introduction to Digital Game/Animation Concepts

Why: Students need a basic understanding of what digital games and animations are to plan one effectively.

Basic Sequencing of Events

Why: Understanding how to put events or actions in a logical order is fundamental to creating storyboards and project plans.

Key Vocabulary

Storyboard	A sequence of drawings or images representing the shots planned for a digital game or animation, showing key actions and dialogue.
Project Plan	A document outlining the steps, resources, and timeline needed to complete a digital creation, including assets and coding logic.
User Flow	A path a user takes through a digital creation, showing the sequence of screens or actions they encounter.
Assets	The individual components needed for a digital creation, such as characters, backgrounds, sound effects, and images.

Active Learning Ideas

Inquiry Circle: The Giant Storyboard

In small groups, students use large sheets of paper to draw the 'Beginning, Middle, and End' of their digital story. They use arrows to show how a user's choice (e.g., clicking a button) leads to different scenes.

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Generate mission

Think-Pair-Share: The Asset List

Students individually list every 'thing' they will need for their project (characters, sounds, backgrounds). They share their list with a partner who helps them spot anything they might have forgotten, like a 'Game Over' screen.

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Generate mission

Gallery Walk: Plan Peer Review

Students display their storyboards. Peers walk around and leave a sticky note on one part of the story they are excited to see 'come to life' and one question they have about how it will work.

⏱ 40 min·Whole Class

Generate mission

Real-World Connections

Game designers at studios like Nintendo use storyboards to visualize gameplay and character interactions before writing any code for titles like 'The Legend of Zelda'.

Animators at Pixar create detailed storyboards and project plans to map out the narrative arc and visual elements for films such as 'Toy Story', ensuring a cohesive story.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Planning is a waste of time; I just want to code.

What to Teach Instead

Students often want to jump into the 'fun' part. Showing them a 'messy' project with no plan versus a 'clean' one with a plan helps them see that planning actually saves time and frustration in the long run.

Common Misconception

My plan can't change once I start.

What to Teach Instead

Students may feel locked into their storyboard. Emphasizing that a plan is a 'guide' and can be updated as they learn more helps them stay flexible during the building phase.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

Provide students with a blank storyboard template. Ask them to draw and label three key frames for a simple animation (e.g., a character walking across the screen). Check for clear visual sequencing and labeling.

Exit Ticket

On an index card, have students list two essential assets needed for their planned digital game and one user interaction they want to include. Collect these to gauge understanding of project components.

Discussion Prompt

Ask students to explain why planning a project with a storyboard and plan is important before they start coding. Prompt them to share one challenge they might face if they didn't plan first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a Year 3 storyboard look like?

It should be simple! 3-6 boxes showing the main scenes, with a few words underneath explaining what happens and what the 'user' does in that scene.

How do I help students who struggle with drawing their plans?

Remind them that storyboards are about *ideas*, not art. Stick figures and simple shapes are perfectly fine. They can also use printed icons or 'clip art' to help them visualize.

Why is planning part of the Technologies curriculum?

Because professional developers and designers always plan! It's a key part of 'computational thinking', organizing information and logic before solving a problem.

How can active learning help students with project planning?

Active learning, like the 'Giant Storyboard,' makes the project's structure physical and collaborative. When students can move scenes around and talk through the logic with their peers, they catch 'plot holes' or coding challenges early. This social and physical interaction makes the planning stage feel like an active part of the creation rather than a boring chore.