Programming and Games Making Course Outline
Aims
Session 1 At the Juicy Drinks Machine
Objectives:
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:
Activities:
Session 3 Game Graphics and Movement
Objectives:
Activities
Session 4 Conditionals
Objectives:
Session 5 Variables to Keep a Score
Objectives:
Activities
Session 6 Games Fair
Objectives:
Activities
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
- 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
- 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
