We teach using a story-based, agile methodology that allows students to learn not only about the technical details of programming but also how to define the requirements (stories) that will be used to develop the application. We introduce students to the programming language by building a game. For example, here is an outline from a recent class
- 9 AM Welcome
- Scratch website overview
- Online safety review
- Signing up for an account on Scratch
- 9.30 AM – Build Asteroids
- Build the Ship
- Spaceship design – pick a sprite or design one
- Rotate – left/right
- Thrust – up
- Choose behavior from 3 options
- On edge bounce
- Off the screen
- Die at screen edge
- Hyperspace
- Build the asteroids
- Pick sprite
- Location – random, same
- Direction – same, random, toward you
- Velocity – none, slow, random
- If you hit asteroid – game over, nothing
- Shooting lasers
- One laser
- Hit the enemy
- Score
- Regenerate enemy
- What else could you do to improve this game?
- High score
- More asteroids at once
- Levels
- 10:30 AM – Student demos of their games
- 11:00 AM – Go forth and create!