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Programming and Games Making Course Outline

Aims

Session 1 At the Juicy Drinks Machine
Objectives:
  • I understand that programs are a set of instructions that a computer follows 
  • I understand that computers follow instructions precisely and literally
  • I understand the need to take an iterative approach to programming
Activities:
  • What is computer programming?
  • If I Were a Computer activity (enables children to learn the difference between how computers and humans understand instructions.) 
  • The Jam Sandwich activity (enables children to learn the need for precision and correct sequencing of instructions)
  • Juicy Drinks Machine activity in pairs on computers (enables children to apply their understanding of giving precise instructions to a real problem) 
  • Children write instructions for the juicy drinks machine and swap with another pair to check. (enables children to see a program as a sequence of instructions)
  • Work between sessions: Find out about the first computer game. Draw a picture of it and write an explanation for how it was played.

Assessment: juicy drinks instruction writing provides an opportunity to identify children that are able to give and follow instructions precisely and understand how computers execute programs.

Session 2 A Dancing Cat
Objectives:
  • I understand what object based programming is
  • I am able to use events in my program
  • I can create a sequence of instructions and recognise how these effect an output
  • I have explored repeats and loops
  • I can adopt an iterative approach and can test and debug 

Activities:
  • You are a Sprite activity (enables pupils to understand the concept of object based programming; each child has a program to follow)
  • Programming your sprite to dance activity (enables children to play with move, sound and wait code blocks within a purposeful activity) 
  • Programming your sprite to dance activity step 2 (Introduction of repeats and loops)
  • What's wrong here activity (enables children to develop debugging skills)
  • How to access Scratch from home
  • You are the games designers, design activity (one child will design the stage the other the sprite)
  • Work between sessions: design sprite or background and bring it to the next session

Session 3 Game Graphics and Movement
Objectives:
  • I can collaborate with a partner to come up with a game design
  • I can use the graphics tools in Scratch to design a stage or sprite.
  • I understand how events can be used to trigger sequences of instructions
  • I understand how to share and access my work on the Scratch website 

Activities
  • Share game design ideas (encourages children to adopt a reusing and remixing approach)
  • Graphics focus activities
  • Events and movement focus children explore alternative ways of making their sprite move in response to keyboard and mouse events (enables children to understand movement as repeated events)
  • How playable is your game activity (encourages children to reflect on their game and others and the features of  a playable game)
  • Tweaking and improving (encourages children to adopt an iterative approach to improving their game)
  • Children upload their work in progress to the Scratch website (once checked by the teacher)
  • Work between sessions: download Scratch on your home computer and access your game

Session 4 Conditionals
Objectives:
  • I understand the concept of parallelism
  • I can use a conditional and explain how it works
  • I understand the difference between an if then and a forever if then conditional
  • I can adopt an iterative approach and test/debug
Activities
  • Stories of conditionals we have come across eg. "if you don't brush your teeth you'll have to have fillings!" (develops an understanding of conditionals through relating to real experiences)
  • Conditional ball sorting activity (illustrates the way computer programs handle conditionals)
  • Conditional forever if then loops for sensing the side of the container/wins the game/touches another sprites)
  • Fault finding, tweaking and debugging challenges
  • Work between sessions: make a note of each conditional statement that you hear. Is it an if then or a forever if then?

Session 5 Variables to Keep a Score
Objectives:
  • I understand how to set a variable and how it can be used to keep a score
  • I can use logical reasoning to explain how my game keeps a score
  • I can explore ways of improving the way my game works

Activities
  • Set up a variable for keeping a score.
  • Explore ways of improving or enhancing the way the game keeps score. 
  • Explore ways of enhancing the game through adding additional perils such as extra sprites, additional screens or levels, sound and costume changes.

Session 6 Games Fair
Objectives: 
  • I can explain how my game works to others.
  • I draw on the work of others to provide ideas for future projects

Activities
  • Writing a pitch for our game/or writing instructions for others
  • Games fair –children in another class have tokens to spend on playing 3 games
  • Award of badges

Loopy Computy
Email: dan@loopycomputy.com
Tel: 07870122959
Twitter: @dwar
(c) 2017 Loopy Computy