2. Personal Narrative

Welcome storytellers and computer scientists to day 7 of CS First Storytelling!

Today you’ll build a personal narrative that incorporates many of the computer science concepts you’ve learned throughout CS First. A personal narrative is a story about yourself.

Typically, personal narratives are stories about true events that happened in a person’s life, but you can also use fictional elements in today’s project.

In previous clubs, you were introduced to a concept and guided through some coding.

Today’s project is a little different. Rather than being guided through the coding, you will explore Scratch on your own and incorporate everything you’ve learned so far.

To create your story, choose one of three premises: My perfect day... My life if I were famous… If I had a superpower... Once you’ve chosen a premise, consider these questions before you start programming: Where is the setting for your story? If your superpower is to talk to animals, where might you find animals?

What are the main events in your story’s plot? What happens to you during your perfect day? How will your story end? Is there a problem that must be resolved? Do you learn something? Now, it’s your turn. Choose one of the story premises listed on this page. Then click the link next to this video to open Scratch and begin programming your story. Consider the following questions: Where is the setting for your story? What are the major plot events in your story?

How will your story end? If you’re having a difficult time coming up with ideas for your story, that’s okay. Sometimes it’s helpful to just start coding, and see where your ideas take you. You can also try mapping out your ideas on paper.