📄 Save or print this lesson:

Lesson 2: Planning Your Project

15-20 minutes

What You Will Learn

In this lesson, you will:

Choose your favorite project idea from your brainstorm list
Draw a storyboard -- a picture plan of what your project will look like
Figure out what sprites, backgrounds, and blocks you will need
Write down the order that things happen in your project

Step 1: Pick Your Idea

In the last lesson, you came up with at least 3 project ideas. Now it is time to pick the one you want to build! Here are some tips for choosing:

Talk About It Together

Look at your list of ideas and ask these questions about each one:

Which idea makes you the most excited?
Which idea could you finish? (Smaller ideas are easier to finish, and finishing feels great!)
Do you know enough Scratch skills to build it? (Think about what you learned in Modules 1-6.)

There is no wrong answer. Pick the one that makes you smile the most!

A helpful tip: If you are not sure, start with a simpler project. You can always make it bigger later. A greeting card or a short animation is a wonderful first project. You will feel proud when you finish it!

Step 2: Draw Your Storyboard

A storyboard is a set of drawings that show what your project will look like, scene by scene. Movie makers use storyboards before they film. Game designers use storyboards before they code. And you will use one too!

Unplugged Activity -- Draw Your Storyboard

Get a piece of paper and fold it into 4 sections (or draw 4 big boxes). In each box, draw what happens in your project:

Box 1: The Beginning
What does the screen look like when your project starts? What background do you see? What characters are there?

Box 2: Something Happens
What happens when someone clicks or presses a key? Does a character move, talk, or change?

Box 3: The Middle
What happens next? Does the story continue? Does the game ask a question? Does the animation change?

Box 4: The End
How does your project finish? Is there a message? Does someone win? Does the music stop?

Your drawings do not need to be fancy. Stick figures and simple shapes are perfect. The goal is to have a picture of your plan!

Step 3: Plan Your Pieces

Now that you know what your project looks like, let us figure out what pieces you need to build it in Scratch.

My Project Planning Sheet

Project Name: (Give your project a fun name!)

What type of project is it? (Story, quiz, animation, virtual pet, greeting card, or something else?)

Sprites I need: (List the characters and objects. Example: a cat, a dog, a ball, a tree.)

Backgrounds I need: (Example: a park, a bedroom, outer space, a beach.)

What happens when you click the green flag? (What is the very first thing that happens?)

What happens when you click on a sprite? (Does it talk? Move? Change costume?)

What order do things happen? (First... then... then... finally...)

Any sounds or music? (Will your project have sounds? Which ones?)

Step 4: Think About the Order

One of the most important parts of planning is figuring out the order that things happen. Remember sequences from Module 3? Your project is one big sequence!

Write Your Steps

On your paper, write down the steps of your project in order. Use numbered steps like this:

When the green flag is clicked, show the park background.
The cat sprite says "Hello! Want to hear a joke?"
Wait for the player to click.
The cat says "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
Wait for the player to click again.
The cat says "To get to the other side!" and does a little dance.
Play a funny sound.
The cat says "The End!"

Your steps do not have to be perfect. You can always change them later. The point is to have a starting plan so you know where to begin.

An Important Reminder

For Parents

This is a wonderful moment to let your child take the lead. Resist the urge to make the plan "better" or "more impressive." A simple plan that your child understands and is excited about is far more valuable than a complicated plan that they need help with every step.

Ask guiding questions like:

"What happens first?"
"And then what?"
"How will someone know what to do?"

Let their creativity drive the project. Your job is to help them organize their thoughts, not to design it for them.

Key Takeaways

Pick the idea that excites you most -- simpler ideas are easier to finish, and finishing feels great
A storyboard is a set of drawings that shows what happens in your project, scene by scene
Before building, list the sprites, backgrounds, and sounds you will need
Write down the order that things happen -- your project is one big sequence
Your plan does not have to be perfect. You can change it as you build!

Ready for More?

Next Lesson

In Lesson 3, you will open Scratch and start building your project for real!

Start Lesson 3

Module Progress

You have finished Lesson 2! Your plan is ready -- time to build.

Back to Module Home