Technologies Teacher PD: build a maze game with drag and drop coding blocks
Recorded live online class
Did you miss our live online Technologies Teacher PD workshop? If so, that’s ok. We recorded the live online class and now you can watch it in your own time.
In a 1-hour online Technologies Teacher PD workshop we learned to build our own maze game using drag-and-drop coding blocks. In the process, we learned to code, computational thinking and design thinking, and how to build digital solutions.
We covered the 6 fundamental concepts of coding:
- Sequencing
- Branching
- Iteration
- arithmetic
- Data storage
- Data in / data out
We learned about the 5 principles of learning to code:
- Make a plan
- Do one step at a time
- Have a go
- Test your code
- Don’t give up
We quickly looked at a sample year 3-4 project that can be integrated into a HASS unit on Australian convict crime and punishment. I.e. build an online quiz on the topic.
We also give you the biggest tip for learning to code with Scratch: The only 20 blocks you need to create digital solutions for year 3-6.
Together we build a maze game with Scratch. It has 3 elements:
- Monkey sprite
- Banana sprite
- Maze backdrop
Our plan to build the maze game is as follows:
- Program the monkey to be controlled with arrow keys and to start at the starting coordinates when the green flag is clicked.
- Add the banana.
- Program the monkey to say “You win” when it touches the banana. (For an extra challenge, add a sound effect e.g. an applause)
- Draw the maze as a background, using one colour.
- Program the monkey to go back to the start position when it touches the colour of the maze.
Our instructor for this technologies teacher PD workshop, Eloise, walks you through how to make the maze game with these simple steps.
In building the maze game we learn a few computational thinking and maths concepts:
- How to write an algorithm
- Testing and debugging code
- Iterative design
- Sequencing: order of events
- Branching: conditional statements
- Iteration: repeating code for efficiencies
- Cartesian coordinates
If you’re interested in further technologies teacher PD events, contact us here: