Skip to main content

Week 16: Build and Improve

Digital Project Work — Phase 2

Last week you began your final project.

You chose an idea, created a plan, and built the first version.

Now we move into the next phase of the creative process:

Improvement.

Every inventor, artist, engineer, and programmer improves their work many times.

The big idea this week:

Great projects are built through iteration.

Iteration means:

  1. build something
  2. test it
  3. improve it
  4. repeat

Most professional creators go through many versions before finishing something.

Your project will also grow through experimentation and improvement.

Caregiver Snapshot
  • You do not need to teach every bullet on the page. Use the learning goal and one or two activities for the session you are teaching today.
  • If time is short, teach one guided session well and leave the rest for later. The lessons are designed to stretch across the week.
  • The independent session works best after the learner has already explored the main idea with you once.
Quick Navigation

Teacher Preparation​

Before You Begin
  • Time: Each guided session runs about 30–45 minutes. The independent session is 20–30 minutes.
  • Device: One computer or tablet per learner with keyboard and mouse/trackpad.
  • Accounts: Ensure the student can log in to Scratch and any other project tools.
  • Ensure access to all tools the student may use for their project:
    • Scratch
    • drawing tools
    • writing tools
    • browser
    • AI tools (optional)
  • Confirm the Final Project folder exists in:

My Projects → Final Project

  • Prepare to help with troubleshooting if needed.
  • Have paper or a whiteboard available for quick sketches or planning.
  • Set up the visual timer.
Teaching Mindset

Focus on experimentation and progress.

Avoid correcting too much. Instead ask questions that help the student think:

“What could we try next?”
“What might improve this part?”

Guided Session 1​

Testing the Project​

Learning Goal​

By the end of this session, the student can:

  • evaluate the current project using evidence from testing and review
  • identify strengths, weaknesses, and missing pieces in the work
  • create a focused improvement plan based on what matters most next

Activities​

1. Open the Current Project Version

Open the student’s project from:

My Projects → Final Project

Ask the student to show you what they created last week.

Encourage them to explain:

  • what the project is about
  • what the main idea is
  • what parts they already built

2. Ask Three Creator Questions

Have the student think about three questions:

What part of the project works well?

What part could be improved?

What new idea could be added?

Write the answers down.

This helps students practice evaluating their own work.

3. Identify One Improvement Goal

Choose one clear improvement to work on first.

Examples might include:

  • improving a character drawing
  • adding more movement to a Scratch program
  • writing an additional paragraph in a story
  • creating a background scene
  • adding a second character

Explain that creators usually improve projects one step at a time.

Reflection Questions​

  • “Which part of your project is strongest right now, and what evidence supports that?”
  • “Which part most needs improvement, and why does it matter?”
  • “How does testing and revision make a project stronger over time?”
Sentence Starters for Younger Learners
  • “The strongest part of my project is… because…”
  • “I think I should improve… because…”
  • “Testing helped me find…”

Guided Session 2​

Adding New Features​

Learning Goal​

By the end of this session, the student can:

  • revise an existing feature to make the project stronger or clearer
  • create one meaningful new feature that adds value to the project
  • evaluate and explain how problem solving improved the final result

Activities​

1. Improve One Part

Start by improving something that already exists.

Examples:

  • redraw a character with more detail
  • adjust movement in a Scratch program
  • rewrite a sentence to make it clearer
  • improve colors or layout

Explain that small improvements can make a big difference.

2. Add a New Feature

Next, add one new feature to the project.

Examples depending on the project type:

Scratch Project

  • add a new sprite
  • add speech bubbles
  • add movement patterns
  • add sound

Story Project

  • add a new scene
  • describe a character
  • expand the ending

Drawing Project

  • add a background
  • add additional characters
  • add labels or captions

3. Solve Problems Along the Way

If something doesn't work as expected:

Return to the debugging strategies learned earlier:

Debugging Steps

What is supposed to happen?

What actually happened?

What might be causing the problem?

Change one thing.

Test again.

Explain that this is a normal part of the creative process.

If you feel stuck for more than a few minutes, try the full Troubleshooting Routine.

4. Save the Improved Version

Save the new version of the project.

Example file names:

ProjectName_v2 ProjectName_v3

Explain that version numbers help creators keep track of progress.

Reflection Questions​

  • “Which improvement had the biggest impact on your project, and why?”
  • “How did the new feature add value instead of just making the project bigger?”
  • “What problem did you solve during revision, and how did you solve it?”
Sentence Starters for Younger Learners
  • “The improvement that helped the most was… because…”
  • “My new feature adds value by…”
  • “I solved a problem when I…”

Independent Session​

Creator Lab​

Instruction​

Continue working on your project and make two improvements that matter.

Choose changes that make the project clearer, stronger, more complete, or more interesting.

As you work, ask yourself:

  • Which change will improve the project most?
  • How will I know the change helped?
  • What should I revise if the first attempt does not work?

Save your updated work in:

My Projects → Final Project

Use version numbers if possible.

Skills Reinforced​

  • iterating creatively based on testing and review
  • solving problems during revision and improvement
  • debugging while building and refining a project
  • strengthening ownership through purposeful revision
  • persisting through multiple improvement cycles

Setup​

  • project tools available
  • access to My Projects → Final Project
  • visual timer

🔄 Simplify or Extend​

Simplify:

  • Focus on improving just one part of the project instead of multiple features.
  • Let the student choose between fixing something or adding something — not both.
  • Offer specific improvement suggestions if the student feels stuck.

Extend:

  • Encourage the student to test the project with a family member and collect feedback.
  • Challenge them to save three or more distinct versions and compare how the project evolved.
  • Ask the student to write a short changelog describing what changed between versions.

💾 Save This Week's Artifact​

Save the improved project (version 2 or later) to the portfolio. If possible, keep earlier versions too so the student can see how the project evolved through iteration. This progression is a powerful story to tell during the showcase.

✅ Success Indicators​

By the end of this week, look for signs that the learner can:

  • Test the current project and identify at least one strength and one weakness
  • Create a focused improvement plan based on evidence from testing
  • Make at least one meaningful improvement to an existing feature
  • Add one new feature that strengthens the project
  • Solve a problem during revision using debugging strategies
  • Save an updated version with a version number (e.g., ProjectName_v2)
Vocabulary This Week

Iteration • Version • Prototype • Feature • Test • Revise • Changelog (extension)
See the Glossary for definitions.