Educator+Materials+for+4th+Grade

**// How do Computer Programmers make Computer Games? //** **// Introducing Alice //** ** Grade Level 4th ** // Begin class with a discussion of computer games the students enjoy. Ask if they ever wonder how the games are made. // //We are going to begin writing a computer program that will show you the process computer programmers use to write computer games.// Use this as an introduction to Alice software. Alice is a free visual programming language that allows students to experience computer programming hands on. Students are introduced to methods, objects, instances, properties and how to run programs.
 * Question: **// How do Computer Programmers make computer games? //
 * Activity: ** Students will create an animated object.
 * Materials: ** Computers, Alice software installed, PowerPoint, LCD Projector.


 * Cognitive skills: ** Students decide how the object is animated, when it is animated, and the sequence of animation (what comes next).

Using either a PowerPoint presentation (included as a downloadable link below) or the teacher demonstrating the process, create a 3D animated rabbit. The teacher discusses what the students want the rabbit to do. Examples: hop, wiggle ears, say something (in text, audio can come in a later lesson), etc. The students create the animation along with the teacher. After the students have each successfully created the animation, allow them to experiment with additional animation of the rabbit.



// A scoring rubric (on assessment page) is included as well as a Concept Map (on Student Learning Materials page) indicating the thought process of computer programming. //

Teacher Demonstration as students follow on their computers:

Begin by starting Alice and ask the question, //“Where would you expect to see a rabbit?”// From this discussion choose the background for the program, Example: grass.

> Ask the question, //“What can the rabbit’s ears do?”// Answer could be wiggle, flop, etc. Add the following steps to make the rabbit’s ears move. Explain that computer coding has to be done in order for the program to run correctly. > //Ask if there is anything else we want the rabbit to do?// Suggest if it doesn’t come up in student answers, to have the rabbit say something.
 * 1) Start Alice
 * 2) Choose Background
 * 3) Add object (rabbit) – Show students how to add an object to the form. Give explanation of object as you add the rabbit. Ask the question; //“What can rabbits do?”// Possible answers; hop and wiggle their ears. Tell the students we will make our rabbit hop, and then wiggle its ears.
 * 4) Explanation of methods. (Commands that you tell the object to do).
 * 5) Add method to tell Alice to do the methods in order.
 * 6) Add method to make rabbit move, example up and how far.
 * 7) Copy method and change to move down.
 * 8) Run the program.
 * 1) Add method to tell Alice to move at the same time. (Do together)
 * 2) Add method to right ear, movement – students can choose how the ear moves.
 * 3) Add method to left ear, movement – students can choose how the ear moves.
 * 4) Run the program.
 * 1) Add method to make the rabbit say something. This is text, not audio. Allow students to choose what the rabbit says. This will be a bubble on the screen. Change the property of the method to make the words stay on the screen longer. Discuss properties. (Things that belong to the object that you can change.)
 * 2) Run the program.
 * 3) Save the program.
 * 4) Students given time to experiment with their program and add additional code or objects as they desire. Share their work with the class.


 * Vocabulary: **


 * Computer Programmer
 * Computer Programming
 * Objects
 * Methods
 * Property

Learning Styles: audio, visual, kinesthetic


 * Enrichment: **


 * 1) Use the Concept map (downloadable from link) to discuss how we built our rabbit with our ideas, first we added the background and rabbit and made it hop. We ran the program and tested that it worked. We then added the wiggle to the ears. Ran and tested. Went back and added the text message, ran and tested the program. Discuss what comes first in order to make the program run correctly.
 * 2) Students create additional animation to the rabbit or create their own from Alice objects available. This could be extra credit.
 * 3) Ask the students to journal a paragraph about what they learned about computer programming and programmers. Using the attached journal form (downloadable from link), students list three things they learned and write a paragraph about those three things. The paper can either be handed out or preferably have them complete it electronically.


 * Assessment: ** Successful completion of the 3D animation and scoring with the rubric (downloadable from link) and journals.