Week 30 — Capstone kickoff — pitch your project¶

At a glance


Date	Friday, April 23, 2027
Unit	4 — Ship It
Big idea	A good project starts smaller than your imagination and clearer than your first idea.
Goal	Students choose a solo or team capstone and leave with an approved pitch small enough to finish in three Fridays.
Student accounts needed	None required. Use MakeCode, browser HTML/CSS, or a no-login Python editor.
Prep time	10 minutes

Why this lesson looks the way it does¶

Last Friday students saw a page go live. Today uses that momentum without turning the capstone into chaos. Open-ended choice is motivating, but it can freeze students who want the "right" answer. This lesson gives freedom inside rails: choose a website, MakeCode game, or Python program; pitch it on paper; prove the scope is finishable.

The mantra is simple: if you cannot finish it in three Fridays, it is too big. The older students can handle more architecture, but everyone needs the same constraint.

CSTA 2026 standards¶

Concept area	Connection
Algorithms & Design	Define a user, goal, features, and finish line before building
Programming	Select an appropriate platform and plan the program or page structure
Data & Analysis	Decide what information, inputs, scores, or content the project needs
Systems & Security	Plan how the final artifact can be shared safely on the class site
Computing & Society	Build for an audience while respecting privacy, attribution, and appropriateness

"I can…" objectives¶

By the end of today, students can say:

I can pitch a project with a user, purpose, and finish line.
I can shrink an idea so it fits the time we actually have.
I can choose whether to build a website, game, or Python project.
I can explain how my final project will be shared safely.

Teacher prep — the 5-minute version¶

Print or project the pitch template below — ready-to-print version: Capstone pitch handout
Prepare three example projects:
Website: "Beginner's guide to soccer positions"
MakeCode game: "Collect coins while avoiding ghosts"
Python: "Personality quiz that gives a silly result"
Write on the board:

Capstone rule: if you can't finish it in three Fridays, it's too big.
Decide team rules: solo, pairs, or teams of three maximum. No teams of four.

Minute-by-minute run sheet¶

0:00–0:04 — Anchor¶

Say:

"Last Friday you saw the difference between a file on your screen and a project on the internet. Now you know what shipping feels like.

The final project starts today. You may build a website, a MakeCode game, or a Python program. But today we do not build first. We pitch first."

0:04–0:12 — Mini-lesson: small enough to ship¶

Put three ideas on the board and shrink them in front of students:

Too big	Shippable
A full online store	A product showcase page with three items
Minecraft but better	A one-screen collection game
An AI homework helper	A Python quiz that recommends a study tip

Say:

"Big ideas are not bad. Unfinished ideas are sad. Our job is to make the idea small enough that you can finish, polish, and show it."

Then introduce the pitch template:

Project name:
Builder(s):
Platform: Website / MakeCode / Python
Audience: Who is this for?
Purpose: What should it help them do, learn, or enjoy?
Must-have feature 1:
Must-have feature 2:
Nice-if-time feature:
Public sharing plan: What will go on the class website?
Safety check: What private information must NOT appear?
Finish line: On showcase day, we can say it is done when...

0:12–0:36 — Paired planning: pitch clinic¶

Students draft pitches on paper or in a simple doc. Require teacher approval before any coding.

Use these coaching lines:

"Who is this for? If the answer is 'everyone,' pick one person."

"What is the smallest version that would still feel complete?"

"Which feature can we cut and still be proud?"

"How will a visitor understand your project in ten seconds?"

For students who freeze, offer a menu:

Website: "A beginner guide to something I know"
Website: "A museum page about a person, place, animal, or invention"
MakeCode: "Collect, avoid, and score"
MakeCode: "Maze with one twist"
Python: "Quiz with 5 questions and a result"
Python: "Random generator for names, jokes, workouts, or story ideas"

Approval standard

Approve only pitches with a clear finish line. "Make a fun game" is not approved. "A game where the player collects 10 stars while avoiding 3 enemies, with a win screen" is approved.

Have 4–5 students give a 15-second pitch:

"I am building ___ for ___ so they can . It is done when ."

After each pitch, the class gives one quiet thumb vote: too big, just right, too small. You make the final call.

0:42–0:45 — Teaser + prompt¶

"Next Friday is Build Week 1. If your pitch is approved, you start building immediately. If it is not approved yet, your first job is to shrink it."

Tiered challenges¶

🟢 Starter — grades 5–6¶

Choose one of these ready-sized pitches and fill in the blanks:

I am building a website about __________.
It is for someone who wants to learn __________.
It will have a title, three facts, and one picture or drawing.
It is done when a visitor can learn three things in one minute.

I am building a MakeCode game where the player collects __________ and avoids __________.
It is done when the game has a score, a way to win, and a way to lose.

🟡 Builder — grades 7–8¶

Add a feature list with priorities:

Must have:
1.
2.
Should have:
1.
Could have if time:
1.

Then cut one feature before the teacher asks you to.

🔴 Extender — grades 9–10¶

Write a tiny technical plan:

Files or screens needed:
Variables/data needed:
Main events or functions:
Risks:
First test I will run:

Then mentor one younger student through the "too big → shippable" move.

"What did you cut from your first idea so the final version can actually ship?"

🤔 Think About This¶

Notice one small app, game, or website that does one job well. What does it refuse to do? That refusal is part of good design.

🔌 Unplugged Plan B — if the internet is down¶

This lesson already works well offline. Run it almost unchanged.

Time	Activity
0:00–0:04	Anchor: last week we shipped; now we plan the final build
0:04–0:12	Board mini-lesson: too big vs shippable
0:12–0:30	Paper pitch template work
0:30–0:38	Pair pitch clinic: partner must identify the finish line and one feature to cut
0:38–0:42	Rapid pitches to the class
0:42–0:45	Same teaser and Think About This

No internet is needed. In fact, offline planning may reduce distraction.

Common problems & fixes¶

Problem	Fix
Student says "I don't know what to build"	Hand them the menu and ask which one they would rather show a younger student. Choice between options is easier than blank choice.
Team wants a huge game	Require one-screen, one mechanic, one win condition. Extra levels are "nice-if-time."
Student wants to build with accounts or paid tools	Redirect to website, MakeCode, or Python editor. Free and no required student accounts is the constraint.
Team conflict starts immediately	Split roles: driver, designer, tester. If conflict continues, shrink to solo projects.
Older student proposes backend/database work	Praise the ambition, then scope to static files or client-side behavior. No student cloud accounts.
Pitch has no audience	Ask, "Who would smile, learn, or use this?" Make them name one type of person.

Vocabulary¶

Capstone — a final project that shows what you can do
Pitch — a short explanation of what you will build and why
Scope — how big a project is
Feature — one thing a project does
Finish line — the specific condition that means the project is done

Reflection — fill in after class¶

Which pitches are approved?
Which teams are too large or unstable?
Which projects need a platform decision before build time?
Who froze when given freedom, and what menu option helped?

Next week: Week 31 — Capstone build 1