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=Welcome to My Wiki Page for Computer Science Inquiry!=

This first lesson will focus on Alice, a free computer programming software that you can download from www.alice.org

**How do Computer Programmers Write Computer Games? **




 * Information Inquiry:** **An analysis of Computer Programming and Programmers.**
 * Specifically, how do computer programmers write computer games?**

These lessons are devised to help the student understand the role of computer programmers in creating and writing computer software, in particular computer games. Students will go through a process of animating a computer project. During this process the students work through the creative-process, designing the program, coding the program, working through problems that arise, correcting those problems, and adding additional ideas of their own to make the project uniquely theirs. Students become engaged in the process because of the interest created by topics they are familiar with, computers and games. “Research is based on an interest that has developed through curriculum and instruction” (Callison, p.237).

Through the successful completion of the project, the students are becoming digitally literate while working toward becoming informational fluent through demonstrating “the ability to recognize when information is needed and to take steps that lead to location and selection of information that can be used effectively to address the need (ACRL 2000 as cited by Callison, p. 15). For example, in order to animate the object in a particular method, the students learn to analyze what if available and make the necessary changes to obtain the needed animation. They can delve into the resources, practice applying them and experiencing the results. Students experience for themselves, what computer programmers do everyday.

After completion of the project, students have walked the course of a computer programmer and can better understand the process of computer programming. Using journaling the students reflect on what they learned and how it applies to the job of the computer programmer. The lessons studied during this project address the eight steps of information inquiry in the 8Ws Model (2001).


 * Watching** – students explore with the guidance of the teacher and PowerPoint aids and begin creating the project.
 * Wondering** – students express ideas of what animation can be produced.
 * Webbing** – students search through the Alice software to discover additional tools available.
 * Wiggling** – students decide what works and doesn’t work with the project.
 * Weaving** – students create models of what they envision the program will do.
 * Wrapping** – students create the animation.
 * Waving** – students share their projects with their peers.
 * Wishing** – through journaling students express their thoughts about computer programming and programmers and how they think the project went.