3rd Grade Scratch Game Makers

The 3rd graders that have been learning Scratch really came through during Computer Science Education Week and produced 11 goofy and wonderful little math games.  Last week we took the time to reflect and give feedback.  I am really impressed with their coding and want to jot down the lessons that occurred so I can repeat this again if I get the chance.

Here’s the list of lessons:

1. Intro to Scratch (Sprite, Stage, events, move, looks) -the basics introduced, time given to explore.

2. Etch-a-sketch (more events, pen)

3. Trick or Treat (if-then-else, ask-answer)

4. Draw Your Initial (coordinate system, glide, pen)   -for this lesson I had in mind to teach the Scratch coordinate system where (0,0) is the center of the screen.  I had them pick a Sprite of their choice and code it to glide around in the shape of their first (or last) initial.  I modeled gliding in a square while they followed first.

I handed out half sheets with the scratch grid on it so they could draw out their initial, figure out the coordinates then add the glide blocks.  Pen down and repeats were added at the end for extra flair.

5. Math game design outline (design sheet)

6. Math game coding (Pair programming)

7. Sharing and giving feedback

My expectation was that they’d code one math questions with two different outcomes like the Trick of Treat lesson.

Only this time they were working in pairs and had to come up with their own theme and math question.  They worked on it for almost two math sessions and then I put them up on the Scratch website.

 

Last week they got to play all the games and give each other feedback. One student thought they were going to get to rate the games and he declared he always gives bad ratings to online games.  Instead I handed out sheets for them to give each game “2 stars and a wish” (This is something I came across in a FutureLearn MOOC on Teaching Computing)

Giving good feedback is actually a lot of work.  I asked them to play each game twice, one time get the math question correct and then play it again and give the wrong answer.  Then they had to find two things they liked about the game and one thing they wished it would do differently.  I enjoy this feedback part of the game making.

Oh yeah, 4th graders made math games, too. What a difference a year and a bit of Code Club does to the complexity of the games made.  They also worked on giving 2 stars and a wish feedback this week.

Pair Programming

I have been neglecting my blog.  Code Club sessions and other “coding with student” adventures have occurred and I have not sat down and reflected. Now it is Computer Science Education Week or Hour of Code and I’ve more to say than will fit in one post.

Pair programmers

So let me start with how I’ve become a supporter of pair programming.

Coding is generally thought of as one person sitting in front of a computer hacking away at code for hours on end.  Most of my programming is done this way – I’ve been known start a coding session and come away with no sense of what time it is.  As soon as one feature is implemented, there is always another bug or feature to work on.

I have done some pair programming with my spouse, who is a software engineer.  I believe he called it “extreme” programming at first.  He drives and I navigate and this works for us.

My Code Club students can choose to work with partners on their own designs.  I also pair up math students for Scratch Math Games.

This year I used Code.org’s Pair Programming video to introduce the concept.  The video does a nice job modeling pair programming and listing  Do’s and Don’t’s.  I like that the programmers are girls.  My only problem is the one inappropriate bit where one girl tries to stop the other girl from talking by covering up her mouth.  That would not be appropriate behavior in elementary school.

Now that both Code Clubs and both math groups have seen the video and we’ve talked about the concept, the teams seem to work better. It’s not all sunshine and roses, but when an issue comes up, we’ll be able to communicate using the same language and expectations.  So watch out bossy navigators and drivers who hog the mouse, you’ll be switching roles soon.