Educator+Material+for+8th+Grade



**// How do Computer Programmers Make Computer Games? //** **// Introducing Alice – Part 1 of 4 part lesson //**

** Grade Level 8th ** // 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 or the teacher demonstrating the process, create a 3D skateboarding boy and girl. This will be a 4-part lesson. The teacher discusses what the students know about skateboarding. The students create the animation along with the teacher. After the students have each successfully created the animation, proceed with the next part of the program. //A scoring rubric is included as well as a Concept Map indicating the thought process of computer programming.//



Teacher Demonstration as students follow on their computers:

Begin by starting Alice and ask the question, //“What can you tell me about skateboarding?”// From this discussion choose the background for the program, Example: dirt.

> Ask the question, //“What should we have the skaters say to each other?”// Use the student responses or follow the script in the PowerPoint. Explain that computer coding has to be done in order, for the program to run correctly.
 * 1) Start Alice
 * 2) Choose Background
 * 3) Add objects as indicated in the PowerPoint. (skaterGuy, skaterGirl, jump, skateboard, airport) – Show students how to add an object to the form. Give explanation of object as you add the objects.
 * 4) Adjust the layout of the objects to match the diagram in the PowerPoint.
 * 5) Explanation of methods. (Commands that you tell the object to do).
 * 6) Add method to make the skaters turn to face each other.
 * 7) Run the program.
 * 1) Complete the conversation and run the program.
 * 2) Save the program.
 * 3) Discuss how long it takes to write a program, run it, test it, and add more to it and continue more testing.


 * Vocabulary: **


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

Learning Styles: audio, visual, kinesthetic


 * Enrichment: **


 * 1) Use the Concept map (downloadable from student learning materials link) to discuss how we built our program; first we added the background and the objects, then the methods. We ran the program and tested to assure that it worked. We then added the conversation, ran and tested the program. Discuss what comes first in order to make the program run correctly.
 * 2) Ask the students to journal 2 paragraphs about what they learned about computer programming and programmers. Using the attached journal form (downloadable from link on assessment page), students list things they knew about and also what they learned, then write about those items. The paper can either be a hand-out or preferably completed electronically.


 * Assessment: ** Successful completion of the 3D animation, journal writing and scoring with the rubric (downloadable from link on assessment page).