Lesson 13: Mini-Project: Chase Game
55 minutes
Overview
This lesson combines skill-building around events with a mini-project where students get to build their own animated game.
Purpose
Here, students will further develop their understanding of events using Play Lab. Students will use events to make characters move around the screen, make noises, and change backgrounds based on user input. At the end of the puzzle sequence, students will be presented with the opportunity to share their projects.
Standards
AP - Algorithms & Programming
- 1A-AP-09 - Model the way programs store and manipulate data by using numbers or other symbols to represent information.
- 1A-AP-11 - Decompose (break down) the steps needed to solve a problem into a precise sequence of instructions.
CS - Computing Systems
- 1A-CS-01 - Select and operate appropriate software to perform a variety of tasks and recognize that users have different needs and preferences for the technology they use.
Agenda
Objectives
Students will be able to:
- Create an animated, interactive game using sequence and event-handlers.
- Identify actions that correlate to input events.
Preparation
- Play through the puzzles to find any potential problem areas for your class.
Links
Heads Up! Please make a copy of any documents you plan to share with students.
For the teachers
- CSF - Course C - Slides 2022-2023 - Slides (Download)
- Open-ended Programming Levels - Answer Key
For the students
- Unplugged Blocks (Courses C-F) - Manipulatives
- Pause and Think Online - Video
Vocabulary
- Event - An action that causes something to happen.
Teaching Guide
Warm Up (10 minutes)
Reflect
Display: Show “Reflect slide
Reflect: What events did the "Flappy Game" use?
Vocabulary
Display: Show “Vocabulary” slide
- Event - An event is an action that causes something to happen.
Introduction
Display: Show “Chart” slide
Briefly discuss the Flappy Bird game from the last lesson. Using the chart provided on the slide, ask students to come up with the various events in the game and record their responses on the chart. Events include:
- Flappy hitting the ground
- Flappy hitting an obstacle
- A player clicking the screen
- Flappy passing an obstacle
Now discuss the actions that correspond to these events. Flappy running into something ends the game, but Flappy passing an obstacle wins a point. A player clicking makes Flappy flap his wings. Record student responses on the chart.
Display: Show “Answer Key” slide
Display: Show “Discuss” slide
Discuss: Think about the different events used in the "Flappy Game." What other kinds of games could be built using those events and actions?
Main Activity (30 minutes)
Chase Game with Events
Students will have the opportunity to share their final product with a link. This is a great opportunity to show your school community the great things your students are doing. Collect all of the links and keep them on your class website for all to see!
Remind the students to only share their work with their close friends or family. For more information watch or show the class *Pause and Think Online Video.
This is the most free-form online activity of the course. At the final stage students have the freedom to create a game of their own. You may want to provide structured guidelines around what kind of game to make, particularly for students who are overwhelmed by too many options.
Display: Show “ Introduction to Play Lab” video
Display: Show “Level 2-6 - Skill Building” slide
Display: Show “Level 7-12 - Mini-Project: Chase Game” slide
Display: Show “Lesson Extras” slide
Wrap Up (15 minutes)
Reflection
Display: Show “Reflect” slide
Reflect: What events did you use in your program today?
What did you enjoy most about today’s activity?
Extended Learning
Use these activities to enhance student learning. They can be used as outside of class activities or other enrichment.
Look Under the Hood
When you share a link to your story, you also share all of the code that goes behind it. This is a great way for students to learn from each other.
- Post links to completed stories online.
- Make a story of your own to share as well!
- When students load up a link, have them click the "How it Works" button to see the code behind the story.
- Discuss as a group the different ways your classmates coded their stories.
- What surprised you?
- What would you like to try?
- Choose someone else's story and click
Remixto build on it. (Don't worry, the original story will be safe.)
This work is available under a Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0).
If you are interested in licensing Code.org materials for commercial purposes contact us.
