Overview

This lesson proves opportunities for students to develop their computational thinking skills by creating a simple maze game using Scratch.

Goals

1. Introduce students to basic game development concepts

2. Familiarize students with "Forever - If" loops in Scratch

3. Provide a 'quick victory' lesson for students interested in creating a simple game

4. Provide options for students interested in enhancing their simple Maze game and (literally) taking it to another level :-)

Preparation

1. Help students create and verify personal Scratch accounts using their school email address

2. Complete the Basic Scratch Animation project.

3. Complete the Minecraft Screencast project.

4. Print copies of the 1 page handouts for students (linked below)

Procedures

1. Watch this video (also embedded above) for step-by-step instructions! Here's a finished example!

2. Use this handout to create your own 1 level Maze game (PDF)

3. Create a 1-2 minute "Code Talk" Screencast with Screencastify, playing your Maze game to show both WINNING and LOSING. Show the code blocks you used to create the game, and explain how they work.

4. Add your finished Maze Project to our Scratch Studio "Casady 5th Grade Maze Projects"

5. Turn in via both Google Classroom and our Seesaw learning journal, the links to both:

   1. Your Scratch Project

   2. Your Scratch Code Talk Screencast

Multi-Day Lesson Sequence

Day 1: Basic Maze

Day 2: Add a "You Win" Screen

Day 3: Add a Second Level

Day 4: Finish Up, Play and Help Debug Classmate Projects

Spring 2021 additions

Create a "double elimination:" tournament bracket with brackethq.com (free - Example) for students in each class.

Setup 2 HDMI flatscreen TVs in class for students to use as external displays with their Chromebooks

Facilitate a class Maze Scratch tournament using the online bracket

Ask students to create a culminating "Scratch Maze Demo & Code Talk Screencast" (Seesaw Activity)