Session 1 · DESIGN: Explore
Selection, iteration and binary
- 15 minCode a catch game: a falling object inside a forever loop, and an if block: if touching the player, add 1 to score.
- 10 minAdd lives with a second variable and an if–else: if lives = 0, game over, else keep going.
- 20 minBinary cards: show numbers with five cards (16, 8, 4, 2, 1). Then find out how the score is stored as zeros and ones.
- 5 minExit card: name one sequence, one selection and one iteration in your code.
Session 2 · DESIGN: Sketch
Game design on paper
- 10 minChoose your context. Write a brief with your junior teacher's goals: who, what they practise, how long a game lasts.
- 20 minStoryboard your game in six panels: start screen, how to play, playing, scoring, winning, ending.
- 15 minPaper prototype: move paper sprites by hand while a classmate 'plays'. What confused them?
- 5 minPūkeko asks one question about your plan. Write your answer on the storyboard.
Getting started
Use the six-panel storyboard sheet with one rule per panel.
Stretch
Write your score in binary on the start screen, then design a level that is twice as fast.
Checkpoint
A working catch game with score and lives, and a storyboard for your own game.
Activities for this week
- Catch game with score and lives: How do loops and if–else decisions make a game work?
- Binary card magic: How can a computer show any number with only zeros and ones?
- Paper prototype play-test: Will your game idea make sense to someone who has never seen it?
Useful this week
- Binary numbers ↗ Card activities that show how computers count with zeros and ones.
- Scratch ↗ The free block-coding tool you will build your game in.
- Code Club Aotearoa ↗ Free step-by-step coding projects and volunteer-led clubs for kiwi kids.
- Introduction to Scratch projects ↗ Starter game projects you can follow, then change.