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To download all classroom resources, go to the Samsung mobile app academy microsite at www.scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers.

Guide to Teaching Mobile App Development

Ideate > Plan

classroom lesson plans and Resources • education Standards

2 Samsung Mobile App Academy Teacher Guide

Guide to Teaching Mobile App Development Ideate > Plan

classroom lesson plans and Resources Grades 9–12

ContentsWelcome Educators .................................................................................................................................. 3

Education Standards............................................................................................................................. 4–5

Ideate > Plan > Calculate > Build Process ........................................................................................... 6–7

iterative process comparison ............................................................................................................... 6

description .......................................................................................................................................... 7

Resource Materials—Descriptions and Links ......................................................................................... 8

Set Up ........................................................................................................................................................ 9

Scheduling ......................................................................................................................................... 9

Teamwork ........................................................................................................................................... 9

Brainstorming Goals and Guidelines ................................................................................................. 9

Classroom Lesson Plans .................................................................................................................. 10–17

Lesson Plan 1 The Mobile App Industry .......................................................................................... 10

Lesson Plan 2 What Makes an Idea a Good Idea? ......................................................................... 11

Lesson Plan 3 The Idea: Purpose and Vision ............................................................................ 12–13

lesson 3.1 purpose and Vision .................................................................................................... 12

lesson 3.2 competitive analysis ............................................................................................ 12–13

lesson 3.3 The elevator pitch ...................................................................................................... 13

Lesson Plan 4 Audience and User Profiles ..................................................................................... 14

lesson 4.1 audience Summary .................................................................................................... 14

lesson 4.2 user profiles .............................................................................................................. 14

Lesson Plan 5 User Journey ............................................................................................................ 15

Lesson Plan 6 Wireframes ............................................................................................................... 16

Lesson Plan 7 Final Presentation .................................................................................................... 17

Assessment Tools ................................................................................................................................... 18

Resources and Inspiration ...................................................................................................................... 19

Key Terms .......................................................................................................................................... 20–21



WELCoME To ThE WoRLD of MoBILE APPS!Use the Samsung Mobile App Academy classroom

resources and make your classroom part of the

mobile revolution! This Samsung mobile app academy

Guide to Teaching Mobile App Development:

Ideate > Plan directly relates to science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics (STem) standards with

the overall objective of providing a resource for teaching

high school students the basics of mobile application

development. in providing students with the skills that

developers use when conceptualizing and creating mobile apps, and with the goals of expanding students’

problem-solving abilities, critical-thinking processes, and technical programming skills, the app academy

materials utilize four steps: Ideate > Plan > Calculate > Build. This guide, which does not require technology

to implement, will focus on the first two steps—Ideate > Plan.

The Guide to Teaching Mobile App Development: Ideate > Plan’s step-by-step lesson plans, designed to

get students’ creative juices flowing, includes unit set-up details, teaching tips, discussion topics, key terms, and

additional resources. each lesson includes corresponding references and incorporation tips. The Ideate > Plan

Guide can adapt to a wide variety of settings and accommodate various class schedules. The lessons can be

easily integrated into grades 9–12 classroom STem curricula and broken into segments or modules, and span

across multiple days or weeks. The Ideate > Plan Guide’s lessons can even work as extracurricular activities

such as STem-related clubs, after-school activities, or as an intensive special event.

The Ideate > Plan Guide focuses on the creative processes necessary to refine an app concept. For lessons

related to coding, please see the Guide to Teaching Mobile App Development: Calculate > Build, available

for download on the Samsung mobile app academy microsite.

To download all classroom materials, go to the “Teachers” tab on the Samsung Mobile App Academy

website at scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers. for more information about the Samsung

Mobile App Academies, go to scholastic.com/samsungacademy.

Guide to Teaching Mobile App Development Ideate > Plan

classroom lesson plans and Resources Grades 9–12



education Standards

The following charts connect Samsung mobile app academy student activities to the knowledge, skills, and practices required in science, technology, engineering, and math (STem) disciplines.

educatIon StandardS GrADes 9–12Strand Id ccSS What Students do

reading Science & technical Subjects Samsung Mobile app academy

craft and Structure

rI.11-12.4. determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how madison defines “faction” in Federalist no. 10).

Review industry mobile app–developer documentation format and terms.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

rI.11-12.7. integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.

Read and comprehend technically challenging information from the field of mobile app development.

Writing Science & technical Subjects

text types and Purposes

W.11-12.1.a. introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s); establish the significance of the claim(s); distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims; and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

during the lesson and afterward, write competitive analysis, purpose and vision summaries, and audience and user profiles for original mobile app concepts.

Writing Informational texts

Production and

distribution of Writing

W.11-12.4. produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

W.11-12.6. use technology, including the internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

using Samsung tablet technology or paper, during the lesson and afterward, write an industry-style creative brief of an app concept to solve a specific assigned scenario.

using available technology, present a mobile app creative brief to others for feedback.

Source: national governors association center for best practices, council of chief State School officers, Title: Common Core State Standards, publisher: national governors association center for best practices, council of chief State School officers, Washington d.c. copyright date: 2015.


education Standards(continued)

NExT GENERATIoN SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS)

Science & engineering

nGSS What Students do

engineering design

HS-etS1-2. design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

create a solution in the form of a mobile app designed to address a community problem that an imaginary client has identified. break down the app concept into specific functions that the app will perform and create the code necessary for the app to perform each of these functions.

Source: ngSS lead States. 2015. engineering and design HS-eTS1-2. Next Generation Science Standards: for States, By States. Washington, d.c.: The national academies press.

EDUCATIoN STANDARDS

Speaking & listening

comprehension and

collaboration

Sl.11-12.2. integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.

gain, evaluate, and present complex information, ideas, and evidence specifically through speaking and listening.

Presentation of Knowledge and

Ideas

Sl.11-12.5. make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence, and to add interest.

present the concept for development of an original mobile app in spoken, visual, and written industry formats, assisted by tablet technology.

language

Vocabulary acquisition

and use

l.11-12.6. acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

learn and use industry-specific terminology associated with mobile app development.

Math

Mathematical Practice

MP2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively. interpret numerical and graphic depictions of the expanding mobile app market to understand creative and career opportunities.

Source: national governors association center for best practices, council of chief State School officers, Title: Common Core State Standards, publisher: national governors association center for best practices, council of chief State School officers, Washington d.c. copyright date: 2015.


The Ideate > Plan > Calculate > Build processiterative process comparison

Teaching Tip To effectively implement these lessons, it may be helpful to explore how the ideate > plan > calculate > build process for mobile app development is similar to problem-solving procedures that you and your students already know.

The chart below compares the iterative industry Ideate > Plan > Calculate > Build process to similar step-by-step cycles described for core education disciplines and standards. depending on your course or situation, you may wish to share with your students the comparison to one or more columns.

Ideate > Plan Scientific Inquiry1

engineering design1

Mathematical Modeling

creative Writing

discover everything you can. define

purpose and vision.

Formulate a question Define a human need

Consider a real problem

Focus on a topic or scenario

research competitors

Research how others have answered it

Research how others have solved it

Research existing models

Prewrite

define your idea

Brainstorm hypotheses and

choose one

Brainstorm solutions and select one

Make modeling assumptions

Organize

design a rough sketch or concept

Conduct an experiment

Create and test a prototype

Set up a mathematical model

Draft

calculate > Build Scientific Inquiry1

engineering design1

Mathematical Modeling

creative Writing

develop solutions

Modify hypothesis based on results

Redesign solution based on tests

Analyze model Review and get feedback

Build your codebase

Draw conclusion, write paper

Finalize design, make drawings

Interpret results and compare

with reality

Revise and edit

1 museum of Science. boston. Engineering the Future™. copyright © 2014. It’s About Time®. all Rights Reserved.

ITERATIvE PRoBLEM-SoLvING PRoCESSES CoMPARED


The Ideate > Plan > Calculate > Build processdescription

The Ideate > Plan > Calculate > Build process, as employed in workplace app development, is integral to the instructional sequence and the student support materials provided. The Ideate > Plan > Calculate > Build process guides students in a logical order and identifies the steps of a complex multistep procedure that helps students develop good habits for future problem solving:

Teaching Tip don’t forget that you can use the Guide to Teaching Mobile App Development: Calculate > Build (available under the “Teachers” tab on the Samsung mobile app academy website at scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers) to delve further into the additional steps in teaching students to code an app.

Calculate > Builddevelop solutions• Design algorithms• Map data and dependencies

build your codebase• Build features and screens• Iterate and test as you build

Ideate > Plandiscover everything you can• Define purpose and vision• Research competitors• Who would use the app?

define your idea• Build user Profiles• Build user journeys• Define features for your user profiles

design a rough sketch or concept• Create the primary screens• Focus on interaction and data• Remove friction from your app• Build functional specifications and wireframes• Test your concept with friends, family, and others


Ideate > Plan Resource materialsdescriptions and links

All materials listed below are available for download under the “Teachers” tab on the Samsung Mobile App Academy microsite: scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers.

Ideate > Plan Guide and Lesson Plans: lesson plans are modular and adaptable. activities are aligned with standards and accommodate various schedules for STem curriculum integration in formal or informal education.

Ideate > Plan Classroom Presentation: used by the teacher in class as a student-facing resource, the presentation contains core information and an overview of the app development process. each slide is numbered and keyed to correlate with related lesson plans for ease in implementation.

Ideate > Plan Project Decks: each project deck provides students with step-by-step activity tools, and allows teachers to help guide students through the Ideate > Plan process. The lesson plans provide references to the specific project deck to ensure ease of use and implementation.

User Journey Builder (optional): if android tablets are available, the user Journey builder provides students with tools to create and complete and “sketch” user journeys and to incorporate common elements. [scholastic.com/samsungacademy/userjourney.aspx]

Wireframe Builder (optional): if android tablets are available, the Wireframe builder provides the means to create a professional wireframe. [scholastic.com/samsungacademy/wireframe.aspx]

LCD Projector and Computer (optional): used to project the Ideate > Plan classroom presentation, student processes, and team or individual presentations.

Android Tablets (optional): can be used with user Journey builder or Wireframe builder and in presentations.

Colored Markers and Large Chart Paper or other Spacious Writing Surface (optional): To be used if no android tablets are available.

Resources and Inspiration: a reference list of industry-vetted uRls for mobile app development news, blogs, inspiration, methods, design, and programming resources is located in this guide or can be downloaded at: scholastic.com/samsungacademy/resources.


The curriculum in the Guide to Teaching Mobile App Development: Ideate > Plan is not dependent on technology and works well as a stand-alone unit to give students the opportunity to employ their creativity in developing an app concept. For technology and coding-rich lessons, the Guide to Teaching Mobile App Development: Calculate > Build (also available for download under the “Teachers” tab of the Samsung mobile app academy microsite) is a perfect companion to the lessons in this Ideate > Plan Guide. Focusing on developing apps using block-style coding, the Calculate > Build Guide’s lessons fit well after lesson one or Two in this Ideate > Plan Guide. However, neither Guide is dependent on the other so the lessons in each can be used independent of each other.

SChEDULING

The lessons in this guide may be adapted to fit various schedules, such as 45-minute class periods, block periods or units, or a full day.

possible formats for using Samsung mobile app academy classroom resources include: • a module within a course in any STEM discipline • a weekly club or after-school activity • an intensive special-event weekend or summer academy experience

TEAMWoRK

although all the lessons can be completed as individual student work, having the students work in teams does allow for the project to mimic a real-world environment with team members filling specific functions and responsibilities. To add even more industry realism to implementation, role titles that fit the context of mobile app development can be used. The following are some team role title suggestions:

• Project Manager: focuses on goals, leadership, and participation • Marketing Manager: champions target audience and app goals • Communications Manager: develops elevator pitch and presentations • User Experience Strategist: develops wireframes, user journey maps,

and functional specifications • Designer: creates art assets, diagrams, and screens • Researcher: sources art, profiles companies, and provides data expertise• Developer: designs and writes software/computer programs to meet

specific requirements

BRAINSToRMING GoALS AND GUIDELINES

To reduce social inhibitions, stimulate idea generation, benefit from each team member’s skill set, and increase overall creativity within the group, allow ample time for groups to brainstorm and be creative.

• focus on quantity. Let the ideas flow. Crank ideas out quickly; get a lot recorded, one conversation at a time. Be visual.

• Refrain from judgment, criticism, debate, comment, or discussion, but do allow positive-tone questions and comments.

• Encourage all ideas. There are no wrong ideas. Wild ideas inspire creative leaps, but remember to stay focused.

•Blendandimproveideas.Expandandbuildontheideasofothers.

Set up

Teaching Tip

in a “flipped” manner, student team members could do some of the research, decision making, and documentation on their own time as homework. For a team situation, this could reduce team and whole-group meeting time and optimize time together for progress reporting, presentations, discussion, and feedback.

Teaching Tip

brainstorming is a key way teams generate creativity. Have teams google for brainstorming guidelines or techniques for visual aids, styles, idea generating, and team behavior.


Lesson objective: Students will be able to discuss the advantages of mobile apps. Students will also learn about app industry career opportunities.

Materials: The Ideate > Plan classroom presentation [presentation Slides 2–6] available under the “Teachers” tab on the Samsung mobile app academy microsite: scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers.

Total Estimated Time: 45 minutes or one class period (lessons can be adapted to various formats and schedules)

Who IS BUILDING APPS AND WhY? [PRESENTATIoN SLIDES 2–6]

Discussion Topics:

• ask students to reflect on what they know about the concept of an app and to generate definitions of an app. make the point that there are many kinds of apps and ways to interact with those various apps.

• What are the advantages to mobile apps? guide students in recognizing that mobile apps are almost always connected, meaning that apps are usable almost all of the time, from almost anywhere. additionally, hardware features (camera, gpS, gyroscope, etc.) create limitless opportunities for mobile app developers.

• Who is building apps and why? Start-ups and traditional businesses? How are industries leveraging software either to extend their existing business model, in the case of traditional industries, or to disrupt a market, as in the case of start-ups? encourage each student to participate in the conversation.

• also address how start-ups are using apps to compete with traditional businesses, and how they differ and are the same as traditional businesses.

• point out how traditional industries are using apps to change their business models and to improve their products. ask students for specific examples that demonstrate how apps have changed traditional industries and companies and how that has resulted broadly in changing our lives. [presentation Slide 5]

• example: Walmart’s business model focuses on brick-and-mortar retail distribution, but the company built its mobile application to extend its business.

• other industries transformed by mobile applications include government, publishing, news, media, and commerce. [presentation Slide 6]

• Discussion Topics:

• How does the rapidly growing world of mobile apps provide new opportunities?

• With the world of mobile apps growing and changing so rapidly, ask students to list all the known related career possibilities. Then ask students to predict what kinds of careers could be available in the future.

• building apps involves more than just becoming a developer. a wide variety of talents and personalities are necessary to build an application.

• point out to students that the mobile software development industry is thriving, with the number of jobs in the field projected to increase at a dramatic rate.

• address the different roles essential to app development: developers, designers, managers, and industry experts. discuss with students how these different roles might suit people with different interests and talents.

• use Resources and inspiration section or downloadable to help students locate news, innovations, graphics, and other tools.

THe mobile app induSTRyIdeate > Plan classroom presentation Slides 2–6

lesson plan 1

Teaching Tip • To provide students

with more detail about potential careers, suggest they search the internet to obtain STem careers information, such sites as http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/home.htm and http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm.

• If possible, invite a guest speaker from the mobile app industry and/or a related college program to provide firsthand information about career paths, the current job market, and/or college criteria and perspective.


Lesson objective: To explore the process of what goes into taking an idea and making it a viable app—market and competitor research and defining.

Materials: The Ideate > Plan classroom presentation [presentation Slides 7–15]. (materials available under the “Teachers” tab on the Samsung mobile app academy microsite: scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers.)

Total Estimated Time: 45 minutes or one class period (lessons can be adapted to various formats and schedules)

DEfINING AND RESEARChING A GooD IDEA [PRESENTATIoN SLIDES 9–14]

• Introduce students to the notion that getting an app into the marketplace is a well-planned process with specific steps that take time and effort. explain that the best app developers have done their research to fully understand their niche, mastered how the app works for a specific target audience, studied the market and their competitors, and know why their app concept stands out.

• State that the app development process starts with an idea and progresses through each development step as an iterative development cycle.

Discussion Topics:

• discuss how a good idea can be confirmed through research and careful planning. emphasize the importance of well-researched ideas of both the idea itself and the marketplace competition. [presentation Slide 11]

• Reflection—why is it important to do research before jumping into the design and development stages? How will that affect the idea? Help students recognize that research allows learning about potential competitors and effectively competing with them. [Slides 12–14]

• Have students brainstorm about what/how app developers talk about and learn while researching an idea. What steps do they take to ensure their idea is a good one, and why does it matter? How do they distinguish their idea from similar apps in the marketplace? Why would users care?

• use the Resources and inspiration section or downloadable to help students locate news, innovations, graphics, and other tools.

Teaching Tip To ensure all students understand the terminology being used, review professional terms before starting the unit, and then again as necessary in context as they arise during discussions, see Key Terms in this guide. consider having the Key Terms available to the students for reference.

WHaT maKeS an idea a GOOD idea?Ideate > Plan classroom presentation Slides 7–15

lesson plan 2

Teaching Tip For a homework assignment or a group class activity, have students pick their favorite app and research its competition. Have them list the ways their favorite app and its competition are different and, in their opinion, why their favorite app is better than its competitors. Students can also brainstorm possible next iterations of the app they feel will keep it competitive and viable in the marketplace.


Lesson objective: Students will define an app idea and discuss what it means to have a “good” idea. Students will discuss the idea generation process, research competitors, understand the importance of going back and revising an idea if necessary, clearly and concisely communicate the concept, and be able to explain how the app would serve as a solution.

Materials: The Ideate > Plan classroom presentation [presentation Slides 16–34], *project deck 1, *Resources and inspiration document, large chart paper (or other spacious writing surface) for student group brainstorming. (*materials available under the “Teachers” tab on the Samsung mobile app academy microsite: scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers.)

Total Estimated Time: approximately four hours, five to six 45-minute class periods, or two to three 90-minute class periods (lessons can be adapted to various formats and schedules)

LESSoN 3.1—PURPoSE AND vISIoN

• Talk about ideas and what constitutes a “good” idea. ask students what they feel goes into coming up with a good idea that would also be marketable.

• discuss defining the terminology for “purpose,” “vision,” and “competition” in context of app development and why it would be important. [See the Key Terms section of this guide.]

• instruct students to remember that understanding their vision early can help serve as a compass later. Have them ask the questions: Why does the world need your app? Who will the app serve and how? What are the goals of your app? are there considerations for how your app could intentionally or unintentionally affect the world? [presentation Slide 18]

• use the petFinder purpose & Vision Summary as an example. explain to teams that they may want to modify the app as they gather information through this process. [presentation Slide 19]

Discussion Topic: • candy crush’s core purpose is to use

mobile devices, social networks, in-app purchasing, and the match-three game format to create an addictive game format. Have students break down the four main ingredients of the app’s purpose and then discuss candy crush’s

vision. are they solving boredom? are they a company whose focus is on entertaining its users, or is there something apparent that shows a larger vision? [presentation Slide 20]

Student Activity: Purpose and vision • Have students break into teams of 3–5

students per team. provide areas within the classroom so groups can meet.

• Set aside a large chunk of time for teams to brainstorm potential app ideas, and then to research those ideas to help them come to a consensus of opinion for their best app idea.

• Have students explore and refine and then have each team complete a purpose and Vision Summary. [use project deck 1 “purpose & Vision Summary” here.]

LESSoN 3.2—CoMPETITIvE ANALYSIS

• using teams’ purpose & Vision Summaries, explain that there is a lot to be learned by understanding existing apps and competitors to an idea. Some considerations in the competitive search and analysis are who the actual competition is, how those competitors summarize their product, what are the product’s strengths and weaknesses, and what strategies do competitors use. [presentation Slide 22]

• use samples from the Ideate > Plan classroom presentation, along with the above considerations. Have students discuss how each of these competitors distinguished themselves. [presentation Slides 23–26]

Discussion Topic: • ask students why they believe specific

games are competitors to candy crush. do those games have similar challenges with technology, the same target market, and/or are they trying to adjust human behavior in a similar way? [presentation Slide 27]

THE idea: puRpoSe and ViSion Ideate > Plan classroom presentation Slides 16–34

lesson plan 3

resources Note Throughout this lesson students will be developing an app idea so it will be useful to provide large chart paper or whiteboard or blackboard space to sketch ideas, which they can share during whole-class check-ins or more formal presentations. These documents can also prove useful for assessment purposes.

Teaching Tip although the following lessons and activities can be easily assigned and implemented as an individual project, forming teams allows for a much broader and stimulating creative and learning interchange. With that in mind, create teams of three to five students who will work together throughout these lessons.

Teaching Tip Remind students that ideation is not linear; instead, app creators must often move back and forth between steps. For example, it’s sometimes necessary to define an app concept, discover more about the competition, and then define the concept further.


Student Activity: Competitive Analysis • after above activities and discussions

have taken place, have teams refine and confirm their app idea and complete a competition search (in-class or as homework). Students should use that research to confirm the app’s viability, and/or to refine how their app differentiates itself. [use project deck 1 “competitive analysis Summary” here.]

LESSoN 3.3—ThE ELEvAToR PITCh

• discuss the definition, concept and importance of an elevator pitch. [See the Key Terms section of this guide.] explain that an elevator pitch forces the speaker to solidify his or her ideas so that the value of the ideas can be quickly conveyed to the listener. [presentation Slide 29]

• as part of their exploration, have teams complete a google search for the term “elevator pitch” or “elevator speech” for how-tos and more ideas. They might also review any of the internet self-help sites discussing “problems with your elevator pitch and how to fix it.”

• State to students that their elevator pitch should be short and include: platform + name + client/Target + problem + Solution. [presentation Slide 30]

• use elevator pitch examples in Ideate > Plan classroom presentation to stimulate discussion. [presentation Slide 31]

Discussion Topic: • use candy crush as another example

to stimulate discussion on the subject. [presentation Slide 32]

Student Activity: The Elevator Pitch • Schedule time (in class or homework)

for team writing and the rehearsal of the students’ elevator pitches (in or out of class). Suggest they use the word-count feature of their software to create shorter and longer pitches. a good rule of thumb is that you can say about 150 words in one minute. [use project deck 1 “elevator pitch” here.]

• point out that part of writing an effective elevator pitch involves creating a great self-descriptive name for the app, which is also important in selling it.

• Remind students that the elevator pitch should include: platform + name + client/Target + problem + Solution.

• Remind students of several basic guidelines for choosing a name, which can also be part of your assessment rubric. choose a name that:

» is short and memorable » is easy to pronounce » indicates the functions associated with

the app » is simple, concise, and relevant » is not too similar to the name of

another product

Source: http://www.ideatoappster.com/how-to-name-an-app-the-dos-donts-of-app-naming/

Student Activity and formative Assessment: Presenting the Elevator Pitch • after the above activities are completed,

have each team present their short elevator pitch, including app name and concept, to the entire class.

• criteria for evaluating an elevator pitch might include whether it is concise, clear, compelling, and conversational. The length of the pitch should also be considered.

• Following each team’s pitch, allow three minutes for feedback and questions from the rest of the class. based on the feedback and questions, teams may find they need to refine their pitches.

THE idea: puRpoSe and ViSion Ideate > Plan classroom presentation Slides 16–34

lesson plan 3 (continued)


Lesson objective: Students will refine and define their app ideas through the identification and description of intended target audience.

Materials: The *Ideate > Plan classroom presentation [presentation Slides 34–44], *project deck 2, *Resources and inspiration document, large chart paper (or other spacious writing surface) for student group brainstorming, android tablet (optional), computers (optional), lcd projector (optional), scissors, glue, magazines, or other visuals. (*materials available under the “Teachers” tab on the Samsung mobile app academy microsite: scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers.

Total Estimated Time: approximately four hours, five to six 45-minute class periods, or two to three 90-minute class periods (lessons can be adapted to various formats and schedules)

LESSoN 4.1—AUDIENCE SUMMARY

• let the students know that successful apps have a clear vision of the app’s intended audience, often referred to as the “target audience.” [See the Key Terms section of this guide.]

• in addition to a broad description of the type of people the students’ apps intend to target, the teams should also be able to state who will benefit the most from their apps. [presentation Slide 36]

• Show students the petFindr audience Summary example in the Ideate > Plan classroom presentation to stimulate discussion. [presentation Slide 37]

Discussion Topic: • challenge teams to find the most

correct information about Snapchat’s user base. as they research make sure they’re investigating and including topics like age-range, gender, geographical locations, income levels, shared content, etc. The information they collect should be checked against several credible sources and should be used to tell a story about the actual app audience. [presentation Slide 38]

Student Activity and formative Assessment: Audience Summary • Have teams work as a group or

individually to create an audience Summary to fit their app idea. The Summary should clearly and concisely communicate their intent. [use project deck 2 “audience Summary” here.]

• Have each team present their short audience Summary to the entire class. criteria for evaluating the audience Summary might include whether a clear picture of the target audience is communicated.

• Following each team’s presentation, allow short feedback and questions from the rest of the class. based on the feedback and questions, teams may find they need to refine their Summaries.

LESSoN 4.2—USER PRofILES

• explain to students that knowing their users helps them make educated decisions about the future of their app.

• describe to students that a strong app will be geared to a very specific audience(s). To help app creators define this audience, it’s often useful to create fictional characters that are the target for the application, and that apps often have several user profiles. [presentation Slide 40]

• go over the variables found in user profiles: name, age, gender, geographical location, occupation, annual income, family structure, free-time activities, eating and health habits, and places the user frequents. [presentation Slide 41]

• explain that the attributes included should represent the larger target audience, and that app features/tone will be built to service the created user profiles.

• Share with students the sample fictional user profile, “Sarah.” ask students to imagine the type of app Sarah might use: What features might she look for? What tone might she find most appealing? How do user characteristics determine an app’s features and tone? [presentation Slide 42]

Discussion Topic: • ask students to watch for examples

of users who are using the platform in interesting ways. platforms like Snapchat, for example, will have dozens of user profiles for their platform, and are used to represent the many ways its user base might utilize the service. [presentation Slide 43]

Student Activity: User Profiles • instruct each team to create at least

two user profiles that depict potential audiences for the app.

• For each user profile, teams should include all the fictional user’s variables. [use project deck 2 “user profiles” here.]

• Have each team present their profiles to the class. presentations should include all specifics outlined above, plus visual/graphic representation of the user profiles.

» (optional) if android tablets or computers are available, have students complete their user profiles by adding graphic/visual aids to representations of their profiles on a computer or tablet. if available, an lcd projector can be used to project each presentation.

» if technology is not available, profiles should be enhanced by the use of print visuals—magazine cutouts, clip art, and representative graphics glued to large chart paper.

• Following each team’s presentation, allow short feedback and questions from the rest of the class. based on the feedback and questions, teams may find they need to refine their user profiles.

audience and uSeR pRoFileS Ideate > Plan classroom presentation Slides 34–44

lesson plan 4


Lesson objective: Students will further refine their app’s concept by resolving and illustrating their app’s user journeys. Students will learn the importance of thinking and mapping through their app’s user experience to create seamless user journeys.

Materials: The *Ideate > Plan classroom presentation [presentation Slides 45–52], *project deck 3, user Journey builder, [scholastic.com/samsungacademy/userjourney.aspx] *Resources and inspiration document, large chart paper (or other spacious writing surface), colored markers, android tablet (optional), computers (optional), lcd projector (optional). (*materials available under the “Teachers” tab on the Samsung mobile app academy microsite: scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers.

Total Estimated Time: approximately three hours, four 45-minute class periods, or two 90-minute class periods (lessons can be adapted to various formats and schedules)

• explain to students that the user journey is a visual depiction of how each user profile will use the app, and how you expect each of your user profiles will be using the app concept. To create an app that is effortless to use, a lot of thought needs to be put into how a user will navigate from screen to screen (user interface—ui).

• an app should provide users with a seamless journey (user Journey—uJ) that doesn’t lead to a confusing or hindered user experience (uX). [presentation Slide 46]

• Throughout the conversation, guide students in defining the user Journey, user interface, user experience, and wireframes. [See the Key Terms section of this guide.]

Discussion Topic: Have students discuss the difference between wireframes and user Journeys, and why both are necessary steps to app development.

• Share with students the petFindr and other user Journey samples in the Ideate > Plan classroom presentation and point out how the different colors (common elements) indicate different types of steps. [presentation Slides 47–49]

Student Activity and formative Assessment: User Journey • To fully understand the user Journey and

utilizing the common elements color/shape coding, ask each team to sketch out a user Journey for each user profile.

• Teams should talk through each illustrated step to ensure user Journeys are simple, clear, and achieve the intended goals. [use project deck 3 “user Journey chart” here.]

• use instagram as an example and have teams build a user Journey. [presentation Slide 50]

• Teams should then refine user Journeys in preparation for presenting to the rest of the class. as in the samples, the presentation should fully illustrate the user Journeys in all aspects. Teams should be prepared to fully describe the user Journey, and to defend its rationale.

» (optional) if tablets or computers are available, have students complete their user Journeys for the presentation by “sketching” and adding common elements through the user

Journey builder [scholastic.com/samsungacademy/userjourney.aspx] directly on their tablets or computers.

» if technology is not available, have students use colored markers on large chart paper.

• Have each team present their user Journeys. as part of the presentation confirm that the teams can answer: Have you learned anything unexpected about your user profiles? do all of your users use the app the same way? if not, how do they differ and why?

• Following each team’s presentation, allow short feedback and questions from the rest of the class. based on the feedback and questions, teams may find they need to refine their user Journeys.

uSeR JouRneyIdeate > Plan classroom presentation Slides 45–52

lesson plan 5

Teaching Tip Visit with each team as they formulate their user Journeys and ask questions to challenge their initial plans. For example: Why would this user be likely to interact with the app in this way? Are there any steps that might be missing in order for the user to accomplish a certain action? What variables did you take into account in mapping these User Journeys? What possible scenarios and requirements were considered when designing these User Journeys? How did you determine the start and finish of the User Journeys? How might activities and situations occurring outside the app affect the User Journeys?


Lesson objective: Students will recall the definition, purpose, and make-up of a wireframe. Students will illustrate elements, pathways, interface, and functions of their app. Students will navigate and explore different online design-inspiration resources.

Materials: The *Ideate > Plan classroom presentation [presentation Slides 53–62], *project deck 4, Wireframe builder [scholastic.com/samsungacademy/wireframe.aspx], *Resources and inspiration document, large chart paper (or other spacious writing surface) for student group brainstorming, android tablet (optional), computers (optional), lcd projector (optional), scissors, glue, magazines, or other visuals. (*materials available under the “Teachers” tab on the Samsung mobile app academy microsite: scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers.)


• before apps can be developed and ready for users to enjoy, the road map of how the app works must be completed. creating wireframes allows students to map out how users will experience an app and also ensures that the entire team is on the same page. [See the Key Terms section of this guide.]

• Remind students of the definition of a wireframe, and that the wireframe should show functionality and interface elements. all screens are created as wireframes before design and development takes place, plus each button and action needs to be explained. [presentation Slide 54]

• Review with students the elements that might be indicated on a wireframe, including top/bottom/side navigation, buttons and toggles, menus, tables, sliders, gestures, nested interaction, and models. emphasize to students that they must constantly ask themselves how they can design the app concept in a way that is easy for users to navigate. [presentation Slide 55]

• explain that great apps have a simple logic, allowing users to view and share content in an easy way. Talk about the flow of information and how the wireframes replicate the actual use process.

• Remind students of all previous steps, and how they should inform the wireframe process.

• Show petFindr slides as examples of wireframes, and point out how various navigation and interface elements and details were labeled. ask students where friction could be reduced, or if any of the wireframes contradict the user Journey. [presentation Slides 56–90]

• use Resources and inspiration section or downloadable to help students locate news, innovations, graphics, and other tools.

Discussion Topic—Design Product and Tone: While reviewing examples, use these questions for emphasis and directing the discussion: How should a user feel when he or she uses your app? What visuals appeal to your User Profiles? Should your app be modern? Illustrative? Skeuomorphic (a design principle in which design cues are taken from the physical world)? Simple? Technical? Do your User Profiles present design challenges or considerations? If yes, how will you address?

Student Activity: Design and Tone • use Twitter as an example and have

teams build a wireframe [presentation Slide 50]

• ask teams to search online for design and tone inspiration for their apps. [use project deck 4 “app Wireframes” here.] Students can prepare to share this

inspiration in their upcoming presentation by creating a collage of images on chart paper, computer, or tablets. if android tablets or computers are available, some design elements can be obtained from the Wireframe builder [scholastic.com/samsungacademy/wireframe.aspx]. if students do not have access to tablets or computers they might cut out images from magazines or clip art and make a poster collage on chart paper.

Student Activity and formative Assessment: Wireframes • on chart paper, whiteboard, or

blackboard, instruct students to draw wireframes that visualize how each user profile will use the app. Remind students to constantly ask themselves the following questions: Do these features and screens work for this particular User Profile? Are there opportunities to condense interaction or reduce user friction?

• provide individual assistance to each team by offering your outsider’s view: How well do their illustrations (the User Journey flow diagram and wireframes of key screens) communicate the app’s User Interface and Experience?

• Review each team’s project deck 4 “app Wireframes” or illustration and discuss potential challenges, pitfalls, and possible revisions. Have teams fully evaluate whether the wireframe communicates and accomplishes their goals for their idea and have them revise accordingly. make sure that the app is simple in design and logic. anything that stops the user Journey from running smoothly should be reworked for a good user experience.

• Teams should then refine wireframe illustrations and utilize graphic elements in preparation for the final presentation to the rest of the class. [use colored markers with project deck 4 “app Wireframes” or chart paper, blackboard, or whiteboard.]

» (optional) if android tablets or computers are available, have students complete their user Journeys for presentation by “sketching” and adding elements through the Wireframe builder [scholastic.com/samsungacademy/wireframe.aspx] directly on their tablets. if available, an lcd projector can be used to project each user Journey.

WiReFRameSIdeate > Plan classroom presentation Slides 53–62

lesson plan 6

Teaching Tip To reinforce how to design apps in a user-friendly way and to enhance your discussions, ask students to look at a variety of apps such as Facebook, instagram, Snapchat, Spotify, Twitter, or other apps popular with students. ask questions such as: How do these apps create effective user experiences? How do users navigate through these apps? What do they all have in common? (For example, app icon, splash screen, home screen, and navigation: primary and secondary, buttons, icons, and gestures.) Students should pay attention to these elements in their wireframes.


Lesson objective: Students will give a professional presentation that communicates/illustrates each phase of the app development processes (elevator pitch, target audience/user profile, user Journey, designed wireframes), and clearly and concisely communicate all items related to their app ideas.

Materials: The *Ideate > Plan classroom presentation [presentation Slides 62–65], *Resources and inspiration document, large chart paper (or other spacious writing surface), visual reference materials, colored markers, android tablet (optional), computer (optional), lcd projector (optional). (*materials available under the “Teachers” tab on the Samsung mobile app academy microsite: scholastic.com/samsungacademy/teachers.)


Student Activity and formative Assessment: final Presentation • give teams time to prepare the final

presentation, which could mean a class period or a combination of in-class time and homework time.

• inform students that, depending on class time allotment, each team should be given approximately nine minutes for a final team presentation.

• use Resources and inspiration section or downloadable to help students locate news, innovations, graphics, and other tools to use in their presentations.

• presentation preparation: » Students should have the app idea,

elevator pitch, competitive analysis, target audience, user profiles, user Journey, and wireframes ready for presentation and visually appealing (a full pitch). [presentation Slide 63]

» let students know that their classmates will function as the “client” and will be asking clarifying questions about the app idea and presentation details. Teams should be ready for a constructive Q&a from classmates, the “client.” [presentation Slide 64]

» The team should use this prep time to designate each team member’s role in the presentation and to collaboratively define the message the team would like to communicate for each aspect of the app process. [presentation Slide 64]

» The presentations should be as aesthetically pleasing as possible. Thought should go into the presentation aesthetics whether or not technology is available.

» (optional) if the classroom has an lcd projector computer, or android tablets, students should create their presentations accordingly so that all students can easily observe each team’s work.

» if this technology is not available, students can share their work on chart paper. in either scenario, presentations should be carefully and creatively pulled together, which will allow all students to easily observe each other’s work.

• emphasize that teams must convince the client (the class) that their app is useful, user friendly, and worthy of developing to version 1.0. The presentation must “sell” the client (the class) on app concept and solution. [See the Key Terms section of this guide.]

• Have each team present at the front of the room. each stage of the app development process should be addressed, with each team member participating in his/her designated role. [presentation Slide 65]

Final pReSenTaTion Ideate > Plan classroom presentation Slides 62–65

lesson plan 7


assessment Tools

For assessment, each team (or individual) should turn in their final presentation. if students are to be evaluated for the overall experience, the following rubric may be helpful:

MoBILE APP DEvELoPMENT TEAM PERfoRMANCE CRITERIA

app name Simple, brief, descriptive

app Idea creative, original, descriptive, plausible, relevant to defined market

elevator Pitch concise, clear, compelling, conversational

target audience/user Profile clear picture of “audience” and the usage

user Journey concise and thoughtful framework, elements, pathways, interface, and functions

Wireframes Visuals and labeled screens that clearly and thoughtfully illustrate the app functions and interface

concept Presentation Full participation/clear roles, effective speaking/listening, visuals, and general presentation organization

In assessing the above, the following sample criteria-scoring sheet might be helpful:

Samsung Mobile App Academy Judging

Breakdown

Coding Points: Excellent=4 Good=3 Fair=2 Poor=1

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Resources and inspiration

creating apps isn’t easy, but there are many resources available to help. The links below are additional useful tools and references to guide and inspire you in teaching your students the path to app development. This document can also be downloaded at scholastic.com/samsungacademy/resources.aspx.

tecH neWS and StorIeS

• www.techcrunch.com

• www.mashable.com

• www.engadget.com

• bits.blogs.nytimes.com

• open.blogs.nytimes.com

• online.wsj.news/technology

• www.readwrite.com

• www.smashingmagazine.com

• www.thenextweb.com

• www.theverge.com

• www.businessinsider.com/sai/mobile

• www.venturebeat.com/category/mobile

INNovATIoN INSPIRATIoN

• www.samsung.com/us/business

• www.ted.com

• www.fastcompany.com

• www.psfk.com

DESIGN INSPIRATIoN

• android.inspired-ui.com

• www.pttrns.com

• www.lovelyui.com/tagged/android

• www.androidpatterns.com

• www.androidux.com

• www.androiduiux.com

• www.behance.net

• www.dribbble.com

• www.bittbox.com

• www.visual.ly

• www.uxmag.com

• www.thisiscolossal.com

• www.design.org

• www.ffffound.com

• www.hackdesign.org

WIREfRAMING AND PRoToTYPING

Keynote and powerpoint can be great tools for creating simple wireframes and prototypes. and you probably already have access to one of them! See more on how to use Keynote as a prototyping tool at:

• www.keynotopia.com/guides

• www.balsamiq.com

• www.omnigroup.com/omnigraffle

• www.proto.io

• www.fluidui.com

• www.uxpin.com

• www.cacoo.com

PRoGRAMMING AND DEvELoPMENT

• www.code.org

• www.codecademy.com

• www.khanacademy.org/cs

• www.teamtreehouse.com

• developer.samsung.com

• developer.android.com/index.html


Key Terms

Advertising (Paid Media): This form of marketing creates exposure for your application and is paid or purchased advertising or promotion. it can take place through various mediums (television, print, internet, etc.).

Analytics: developers set up analytics to collect data on various aspects of app usage. This information allows them to analyze the app to evaluate where the app is successful, and how the app can be improved in future updates.

Animation: giving movement to digital objects.

API (Application Programming Interface): a system of routines, protocols, and tools used for building software applications.

App Inventor (MIT): a block-based programming tool that allows anyone to start programming and building fully functional apps for android devices.

Audience Summary: broad description of intended or assumed audience, and the kinds of people using applications.

Beta Test: a trial of software in the last phases of its development, conducted by someone not associated with its development.

Button: allows a user to perform a specific action. examples are tapping a button to travel to a different screen, or tapping a “submit” button to send information through the app.

Competitor/Competitive Analysis: Review of applications in the market with similar concepts, functionality, and capabilities. includes competitor strengths/weaknesses, and strategies used by competitors.

Concept or Creative Brief: a document used by creative professionals and agencies to develop a broad creative concept and a time line for application development. The creative brief also allows for internal approval and is required before work can commence.

Connected Services: offers developers the ability to access resources that may otherwise be too difficult or expensive to build (features, data, apis or SdKs, etc.).

Cryptography: Securing a network’s or program’s most valuable assets.

Debugging: process of finding and removing bugs, errors, and abnormalities from code that would otherwise cause unexpected behaviors in software.

Developer: designs and writes software/computer programs to meet specific requirements.

Documentation: The information that describes the product to its users.

Elevator Pitch or Elevator Speech: a short summary used to quickly and simply define a person, product, service, or organization and its value, in the time span of an elevator ride, or approximately 30 seconds to two minutes.

Encryption: maintains data confidentiality and requires the use of a secret key to return to plain text.

friction: app developers aim to reduce friction by reducing the number of steps it takes a user to accomplish a task within the app.

Gestures: a hand movement used to control software on a mobile device.

hashing: Validates the integrity of content by detecting all obvious changes to the hash output.

home Screen: This is the first screen that appears when the app has loaded. The screen can be a log-in screen or an overview of the app contents such as navigation buttons and icons.

Icon: often the symbol on which users click. Represents information and action, and helps users understand an app and what it can accomplish.

Iterative Development Cycle: The process of coding in repeated cycles of designing, developing, and testing. in this way, programmers create new versions of software.

Language or Code: How the developers program the app. There are multiple options, all of which allow different functions and experiences.

Market: For the purposes of this program, the term refers to the app market, and where apps enter and exist for consumers to download and use.

Minimum viable Product (MvP): a product with just those core features that allow the product to be deployed and no more.

Mobile: Relating to cell phones, tablets, and other portable, wireless, handheld devices.


Key Terms (continued)

Mobile Application (App): Software that runs on a mobile device such as a smartphone and other mobile devices, and allows the device to perform specific tasks that are typically restrictive to computers.

Motion Animations: animations that react to device hardware such as gpS, gyroscope, compass, etc.

Native App: an app written for a specific hardware platform. it will always run faster than a web app because there is no translation processing taking place.

Navigation: How a user travels through the app. This usually remains in a fixed spot within the user interface as buttons, and allows users to tap and go from screen to screen.

Nested Interaction: When a user interacts with an app via submenus. in other words, the user accesses a menu from a more general menu.

Pair Programming: Two programmers working side-by-side at a single computer. one person, the programmer or driver, writes code, while the other person, the navigator, guides and reviews each part of the code.

Physics Engines: allows for dynamic interaction and animate objects with physical properties, and within unique environments, such as games and Sprite animations.

Platform (hardware): Various electronic devices such as a notebook computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, music or video player, or handheld tablet.

Platform (operating System Software): an application can be released on various platforms, such as an android platform, blackberry, or Windows. The more platforms an app is released on, the more exposure and potential downloads an app will have.

Primary Navigation: drives access to the app’s core features.

Proof of Concept: a prototype of an app, meant to serve as a limited test of a concept or idea.

Purpose & vision Summary: answering basic goal, audience, and intent questions, this summary serves as the basic scaffolding on which an app and its solutions will be built. The summary is used throughout the process to define pathways.

Secondary Navigation: additional navigation points.

Software Development Kit (SDK or “devkit”): a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar development platform.

Software Engineer: Responsible for the complete cycle of new or updated software products. also designs, develops, and installs software solutions.

Splash Screen: The image that appears as the app is loading.

Sprite Animations: a two-dimensional image that is used within a larger scene to add motion to static objects.

Target Audience: a group of people in a desired market that a product or message is aimed toward.

Toggle: a key or command that switches between two electronic options.

Tone: How the design makes the user feel about the app.

Toolkit: Software included in an SdK that is designed to perform a specific function, especially to connect or control hardware or out-of-the-box functions.

User Experience (Ux): The way a user interacts with the app, how he or she feels about the app, how easy it is to use the app, and how the app runs and functions.

User Interface (UI): How a user interacts with the visual experience of an app, which permits the user to navigate and use the application.

User Journey (UJ): labeled flow diagram of steps that users take to complete tasks within an app.

User Profile: creation of types (characters) with assigned attributes that represent target market, and can be referenced throughout the process. app features and tone are built to service the user profile, and assist in making future decisions.

Wireframe: a visual tool depicting labeled screens of the mobile device. Wireframes illustrate the functions, experience, and interface of the app.

version 1.0: The first release of a software program. The software may not be entirely reliable at this point, and the developer may intend to add more features in the future.

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