Computing Innovation - Creative Expression

Summary

Materials

• Day 12 PowerPoint deck
• DigiPen Student Video Games
• MakeCode Arcade
• Optional: MakeCode Arcade Hardware
• Optional: Arcade Sprite Stencils

Instructional Activities and Classroom Assessments

1. Discussion about video games as creative expression (10 minutes)
2. Create a sprite in MakeCode Arcade (30 minutes)
3. Share/Save your Sprites (5 minutes)
4. Extension/Challenge Activities (optional)
5. Reflection (5 minutes)

Learning Objectives

• CRD-1.A Explain how computing innovations are improved through collaboration. Computational Thinking Practices: Skills 1.C
• CRD-2.A Describe the purpose of a computing innovation. Computational Thinking Practices: Skills 1.A
• IOC-1.A Explain how an effect of a computing innovation can be both beneficial and harmful.
• AAP-2.A
• AAP-1.A

Essential Knowledge

• CRD-1.A.2 A computing innovation can be physical (e.g., self-driving car), nonphysical computing software (e.g., picture editing software), or a nonphysical computing concept (e.g., e-commerce).
• CRD-2.A.1 The purpose of computing innovations is to solve problems or to pursue interests through creative expression.
• CRD-2.A.2
• IOC-1.A.1 People create computing innovations.
• IOC-1.A.2 The way people complete tasks often changes to incorporate new computing innovations.
• IOC-1.A.5 Advances in computing have generated and increased creativity in other fields, such as medicine, engineering, communications, and the arts.
• AAP-2.A.3
• AAP-1.A.1
• AAP-1.A.2

Details

1. Video Games as Creative Expression (10 minutes)

• Lead a discussion with students about video games as a type of computing innovation that helps people express their creativity.
• Play the DigiPen video game montage to show the diversity of student games.

2. Create a sprite in MakeCode Arcade (30 minutes)

• Introduce MakeCode Arcade and Arcade games.
• Familiarize students with the MakeCode Arcade user interface.
• Create a New Project.
• Introduce sprites as game objects.
• Follow the directions in the PowerPoint deck to guide students through creating a sprite to represent themselves (or their avatar).
• Demonstrate designing a sprite with the PowerPoint deck or through live coding/designing on MakeCode Arcade.

3. Share/Save sprites (5 minutes)

• After students have completed designing their own sprites, have them share their sprites with you and/or with their classmates.
• They can do this by creating a Link to their program.
• Depending on your class collaboration system, you can have students copy and paste their program links in an email, LMS system, Class OneNote, or other tool.
• Alternately, they can download their programs as .png files on their local computers or on a shared file system.
• Note - by default most browsers will download files to the "Download" folder on a computer.
• You can change this behavior if you want by configuring the browser settings (instructions in PowerPoint deck).
• Optional: You can use these sprite images as student avatars (on class websites or printed on rosters) for the rest of the course.

4. Extension/Challenge Activities (optional)

For students who complete their sprites early, you can provide additional extension/challenge activities:

• Create more sprites! Use more Set Sprite blocks to create and design more sprites in your game.
  • Make sure to name your sprites something descriptive.
  • Can you figure out a way to position them on the screen?
  • Can you make them different sizes?
• Sprites in JavaScript. Take a look at the representation of your sprites in JavaScript.
  • You may need to click the plus icon (+) by the "sprites.create" line of code to expand.
  • What do you think the dots and numbers mean? (Dots are transparent pixels, 1-9 numbers and a-f letters correspond to different colors)
  • Try changing some of the numbers and letters in your sprite image, then click the Play button on the Game Simulator to see your changes.
  • What happens when you click on the paint palette icon?
  • Try creating a sprite in JavaScript.
• Game Background.
  • Where can you find the Game Background blocks? (in the Scene Toolbox drawer)
  • Experiment setting different colors for the game background.
  • Now try designing your own custom game background image.

5. Reflection (if you run out of time, you may also assign this as individual homework)

Spend the last five minutes of class reflecting on the creative aspects of computing innovations. Have students share their sprite designs with the class, and use the following questions to guide the discussion:

• Why did you choose the sprite design that you did?
• How does this sprite represent you?
• How did you feel about the process of creating it?
• What did you think about MakeCode Arcade as a tool for creative expression?