COURSE OVERVIEW
Extending from Google’s CS First themed curriculum, we introduce grades 2-5 students (7 years-old and up) to coding principles, all in project-based activities. Kids will systematically learn to program in Scratch, meanwhile explore storytelling techniques, build fun games and craft interesting presentations. The projects will showcase their creativity with the aid of coding and digital designs.
Session 1 (Storytelling with Scratch – 8 activities)
Students use code to tell fun and interactive stories. Storytelling emphasizes creativity by encouraging students to tell a unique story each day.
Session 2 (Sports with Scratch — 8 activities)
Students use computer science to simulate extreme sports, make their own commercials, and create commentary for a sporting event.
Session 3 (Game Design with Scratch – 8 activities):
Students learn basic video game coding concepts by making different types of games, including racing, platform, and launching.
Session#4: Code Your Own Projects (3+ activities)
Design and create your own Storytelling, Sports, and Game projects.
Curriculum in Detail
AI001 Session#1: STORYTELLING (16 hours)
- Dialogue: Learn about CS First and Scratch, then create a story in which two characters talk without using questions.
- Check It Out: Tell a story in Scratch. In the story, a character walks through a scene describing what they see.
- Setting: Create a dynamic stormy day setting, complete with rain and lightning.
- Premise: Build a story around one of four premises.
- Characterization: One character narrates another character’s actions and thoughts.
- Interactive Storytelling: Create a story in which the audience can make a decision.
- Personal Narrative: Create a personal narrative based on one of three premises.
- Your Innovation Story: Create an innovative product or idea, then use storytelling to pitch or sell it.
AI001 Session#2: SPORTS (16 hours)
- Victory Celebration: Learn about CS First and Scratch, then create a victory celebration in Scratch.
- Sports Commentary: Create a dance, cheerleading, karate, or basketball performance competition. Then write the commentary for each of the competitions.
- Net Sports: Create a fun net sport game with a bouncing ball and an athlete.
- Fitness Gadget Commercial: Create a commercial around one of four fitness gadgets: wrist wear, eyewear, headwear, footwear.
- All-Star Passing Drill: Build an all-star passing game where you try to aim at a moving receiver.
- Batter Up: Build a home run derby style baseball game.
- Extreme Sports: Build an extreme sports game in which a racer navigates an obstacle course for as long as possible.
- Post-Game Interview: Build a project in which you get interviewed about what you programmed and learned in class.
AI001 Session#3: GAME DESIGN (16 hours)
- Gaming Story: Learn about CS First and Scratch, then create a gaming story.
- Racing Game: Create a two-player racing game in which users control movement with the keyboard.
- Maze Game: Create a game in which the user guides a sprite through a maze.
- Platform Game: Create and learn about platform games. Students program a player sprite to move and jump across platforms.
- Escape Game: Create an escape game in which a player must avoid other sprites that move randomly.
- Launcher Game: Create a launcher game using key press events, clones, and variables.
- Quest Game: Learn how to use storytelling in video game design while building an RPG style Quest Game.
- Cave Surfing Game: Create a game with a side scrolling background (similar to the popular game Flappy Bird).
AI001 Session#4: ADVANCED TOPICS AND PROJECTS BUILDING
- Code Your Own Storytelling Project
- Code Your Own Sports Project
- Code Your Own Game Project