This lesson presents multiple pathways for students to share their identity, voice, and creativity through development of a unique asset (a “sprite” in Scratch) that is meaningful to them. Using a combination of written and verbal reflection, digital design, and classroom discourse, learners will practice communication, coding, presentation, and feedback skills that provide an important base for establishing a positive learning community.
The Scratch sprite library is full of a variety of characters. You can use sprites from the library or create your own original sprite using the Scratch Paint Editor tools, by remixing and reimagining the sprites in the library or uploading a drawing.
You can make a Scratch project that's all about you! What are your likes? Dislikes? Favorite foods? Random facts? Favorite character from a TV show? Design an interactive game that expresses who you are!
Making faces using everyday objects and objects of significance to make portraits is an idea that comes from the artist Hanoch Piven, who makes highly expressive portraits using found objects! You can learn more here. Once you have created a face, try bringing them to life in Scratch using stop motion techniques. Moving from unplugged to digital provides the opportunity to expand your creative expression and transform your original creation.
To start this activity, first you’ll want to gather items you feel could make up parts of a face. The items can either have special meaning and/or represent something about you or your life, or they can simply be fun and interesting objects.
Explore the Scratch sound library, which is full of a variety of sound effects, voices, and longer sound loops. Try the music extension blocks that let you use the sounds of a variety of instruments and actual notes with customizable beat lengths to create digital instruments, songs, and more! Using sound in a game, animation, story, or interactive project can add depth and emotion. From the Scratch sound library, recording your own sound, uploading a sound, or using music blocks, experiment with options to make your sound project interactive using inputs like keyboard keys, the mouse, video motion, or even the features of your face or the Makey Makey combined with items like bananas!