Let's Learn Coding Through Scratch!
Part 3: Creating in Scratch
Scratch Final Project: Build Your Own Game
Challenge: Create a game of your own in Scratch! Your game may be modeled after a pre-existing game design, or it can be an original! Be sure to keep in mind the concept of Balance that we learned about in class, as well as the 5 Elements of game design.
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Scratch Resources
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Scratch Final Project Requirements
- Game must be entirely created in Scratch. All sprites, stages, and other elements of the game must be original creations that you make.
- Game creation must include a scoring element as part of the measurement of success.
- Game creation will need to include a way to increase difficulty as the player moves through the game.
- Game creators will need to construct a Elements of Game Design slideshow that describes the 5 Elements of Game Design in the game that is created.
- Instructions in Scratch must include a Goal statement defining how a player demonstrates success in the game and rules for game play and controls.
Scratch Game Ideas/Inspirations
- Game idea: Space Invaders
- Game Idea: Asteroids
- Game Idea: Arkanoid - Be patient, ads
- Game Idea: Breakout
Saving/Sharing in Scratch
One of the many great features of Scratch is the community of programmers that use this language and how they share with each other! The Scratch website has many ways to share and collaborate. In order to do so, however, it is important to understand the saving and sharing basics. Take a moment to watch the tutorial below on saving and sharing projects in Scratch. You will have a basic understanding of how to save, share, and turn in your creations to Google Classroom.
To practice the sharing aspects, you will need to turn in your finished Scratch project from Diving Into Scratch, Above. Copy the Share link to your Diving Into Scratch project and turn it into the Diving Into Scratch assignment in Google Classroom.
Basic Sprite Movement in Scratch
In this Fundamentals of Scratch activity, we will explore how a sprite can move on a screen by walking, gliding, and spinning. There are 3 videos and 1 tutorial card below that will help you learn these programming fundamentals. Practice what they show you. Once you get the hang of it, complete the Movement Practice Objectives listed below on a Scratch project. Include all sprites on the same project.
Movement Tutorial Videos
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Movement Tutorial Cards
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Sprite Movement Practice Objectives
- Create a sprite that walks across the stage and back at 25 steps at a time..
- Create a sprite that glides from the top of the screen to the bottom and back.
- Create a sprite does a clockwise 360˚ spin, and then a counter-clockwise 360˚spin.
- All actions should start at the same time with the Flag click.
- Title your creation "S21 YLN Movement Fundamentals".
Rhythymic Movement/Dancing in Scratch
Now lets take a look at a way of animating a sprite through rhythmic movement. Follow the tutorial video and 2 starter cards in a new Scratch project. Create a sprite for each, and complete the directions they give. When complete, turn in to Google Classroom.
Rhythmic Movement Tutorial Videos
Sprite Movement Practice Objectives
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Rhythmic Movement Tutorial Cards
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Color Changing in Scratch
One way to add variety, function, and creativity to your Scratch creations is to be able to change colors of sprites. Follow the tutorial video and starter card in a new Scratch project. Complete the objectives below in your Scratch creation. When complete, turn in to Google Classroom.
Color Change Tutorial Videos
Sprite Color Change Practice Objectives
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Color Change Tutorial Cards
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Sprite Animation & Speech in Scratch
Storytelling can be a significant part of a users experience with an program, especially in gaming. Speech/dialogue and animating sprites is are important tools for storytelling in Scratch. Take a look at the starter cards below. Also, you might want to check the Tips section in the top menu of the Scratch UI for more ideas on speech & animation.
Animation & Speech Tutorial Videos
Animation & Speech Practice Objectives
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Animation & Speech Tutorial Cards
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Sprite Control Options
Sprite Control Tutorial Videos
Sprite Control Practice Objectives
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Sprite Control Tutorial Cards
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- What is the difference between a stage and backdrop?
- What is a sprite?
- How does Scratch track where sprites appear on the stage?
Part 3: Creating in Scratch
Create a Maze Game
Phase 1: Lets push ourselves a bit beyond the basics and try to create a game. Take a look at this PDF describing the Maze Game Assignment. Create your own sprite by using Paint Editor and maze design for the sprite to go through. If you need help drawing your sprite, check out the Paint Editor tutorial videos on the Scratch website. Your sprite can be a simple geometric shape, or maybe something a little more. Follow the PDF instructions to help make your Maze Game, including the controls. Save as "S21 YLN mazegame", but we are not turning them in quite yet.
One feature that your maze needs to have is to make your character sprite move back to the beginning of the maze.
Phase 2: Now lets take a look at adding some extra challenge to your maze. We will brainstorm in class how to make our mazes more challenging then the first level. Take at least 2 of the ideas for increasing the challenge and make them into a 2nd level in your game. We will talk about how to make a 2nd level attainable in class.
One feature that your maze needs to have is to make your character sprite move back to the beginning of the maze.
Phase 2: Now lets take a look at adding some extra challenge to your maze. We will brainstorm in class how to make our mazes more challenging then the first level. Take at least 2 of the ideas for increasing the challenge and make them into a 2nd level in your game. We will talk about how to make a 2nd level attainable in class.
Create a Pong Game
Intro: If you ever wondered how video/computer games got started, Pong is the answer. Take a look at a few of the resources below and learn a little more about Pong and its off shoot, Arkanoid.
Phase 1: Now that you have had a chance to check out the original Pong game, lets make our own. Follow the instructions in the Pong Phase 1 Worksheet below. Note that is this a one player game, and the paddles move horizontally instead of vertically. As you build and play your creation, note some of the other differences in this version of the game. Feel free to help each other out if you get stuck!
Pong Phase 1 Worksheet
Phase 2: Now lets build this game into something more. Did you get a chance to play the Arkanoid game in the intro section? Please do so now if you did not already. The reason for this is we are going to take your Phase 1 Pong creation and morph it into an Arkanoid-type game. Read the list of features you need to add to your Pong game below:
Phase 1: Now that you have had a chance to check out the original Pong game, lets make our own. Follow the instructions in the Pong Phase 1 Worksheet below. Note that is this a one player game, and the paddles move horizontally instead of vertically. As you build and play your creation, note some of the other differences in this version of the game. Feel free to help each other out if you get stuck!
Pong Phase 1 Worksheet
Phase 2: Now lets build this game into something more. Did you get a chance to play the Arkanoid game in the intro section? Please do so now if you did not already. The reason for this is we are going to take your Phase 1 Pong creation and morph it into an Arkanoid-type game. Read the list of features you need to add to your Pong game below:
- Add 10 scoring blocks to your game.
- Add a score keeping sprite to your game.
- When the ball touches the blocks, they disappear and the player gains a point.
- When the player scores all 10 blocks, the game will go to the 2nd level.
- There needs to be 15 or more scoring blocks on the 2nd level.
- The player gets 3 attempts in the game. An attempt is lost every time the ball gets by the paddle.