Creative Coding

Language Functions & Features: ■ Generalized nouns to introduce a topic and entity ■ Opening statements to identify the type of information

■ Verbs to defne career pathways or attributes (eg. have, be, belong to, consist of) ■ Expanded noun groups to defne key concepts, add details, or classify information ■ Reporting devices to acknowledge outside sources and integrate information into the report as in saying verbs and direct quotes ■ Technical word choices to defne and classify the entity ■ Adjectives and adverbs to answer questions about quantity, size, shape, manner ( descriptions) Scaffolding in Action Skill Building ● Game Analysis: Provide students with a variety of computer games across different genres (action, adventure, RPG, simulation, strategy, hybrid) and have them analyze the game elements, player

perspectives, sprites, and coding principles used. They can deconstruct the games and identify the characters, storylines, strategies, dangers, and rewards. ● Game Design Documents: Have students create game design documents for their own game ideas. These documents should outline the game concept, genre, player perspective, characters, storyline, strategies, and other key elements. Encourage them to include detailed descriptions of the sprites (characters, backgrounds, enemies, obstacles, etc.) and their properties. ● Sprite Creation and Animation: Introduce students to game development tools or graphic design software that allow them to create and animate their own sprites. They can practice designing characters, backgrounds, and other game elements, experimenting with different art styles and techniques. ● Coding Challenges: Provide students with coding challenges or exercises that focus on sprite manipulation and game mechanics. These challenges can involve tasks such as moving sprites, changing sprite properties (size, color, position), collision detection, and implementing game logic based on sprite interactions. ● Game Engine Workshops: Conduct workshops or tutorials on popular game engines or frameworks (e.g., Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot, GameMaker Studio). These tools often have visual programming interfaces and allow students to create games by dragging and dropping sprites, setting properties, and writing code to control game behavior. ● Game Modding or Remixing: Encourage students to explore modding or remixing existing games. They can analyze the game's code, modify sprites, and create custom levels or gameplay experiences by applying their knowledge of game concepts and sprite manipulation. ● Game Jams: Organize game jams or hackathons where students work individually or in teams to create a complete game within a limited timeframe. These events foster creativity, collaboration, and the ability to apply game development concepts and skills under time constraints.