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Year 1

Designing an animated program

I can design an algorithm and follow it to create a program.

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New
New
Year 1

Designing an animated program

I can design an algorithm and follow it to create a program.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Planning a programming project involves making a design to record ideas.
  2. When creating a design for a program, algorithms are written to describe the steps the program will need to carry out.
  3. Programs that people use are created from the algorithms that are designed.
  4. The speed of a sprite controls how quickly it moves across the screen.

Keywords

  • Design - a plan for what you want your program to do

  • Appropriate - a choice that fits the design

  • Algorithm - a set of clear instructions that can be followed by a human, which can be used to make a program

  • Speed - how fast or slow a sprite moves

Common misconception

Planning on paper is a waste of time and will slow a project down because extra work needs to be completed.

Planning on paper will make a project better because ideas can be made clear and possible problems later can be avoided.


To help you plan your year 1 computing lesson on: Designing an animated program, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Use real-life examples of how a project in school might have been planned before being completed (gym equipment in the playground or a new pathway, for example). Get pupils to identify the issues that may have been caused if these projects had been completed without any prior planning.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Children will need access to a tablet device with the ScratchJr app installed.

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
What can you do with grow and shrink blocks?
You can make a sprite move in circles.
Correct answer: You can make a sprite bigger or smaller.
You can make a sprite change colour.
Q2.
What happens when you delete a sprite?
Correct answer: It disappears from your project.
It moves to the stage.
It becomes bigger.
Q3.
Where do you go to add a new sprite?
the blocks palette
the stage
Correct answer: the sprite library
Q4.
What do you call a set of clear instructions that can be followed by a human?
Correct answer: an algorithm
a stage
a sprite

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Why is it important to have a design before starting your programming project?
to make your sprites move faster
to add more colours
Correct answer: to help you remember your ideas
Q2.
What happens when you change the speed of a sprite?
The sprite disappears.
The sprite goes back to the beginning.
Correct answer: The sprite moves faster or slower.
Q3.
In ScratchJr, where do you create your program?
the looks menu
the sprite library
Correct answer: the programming area
Q4.
How does a design help you when you create a program?
It helps you by adding extra blocks to your project.
It makes your sprites look different.
Correct answer: It helps you know what to do next.

Additional material

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