Overview
Students will gain an introduction to the basic functions of Scratch through the creation of a game. Students will learn about sprites, costumes, and the use of sounds. This game is a great way to incorporate throat singing into the curriculum, as students will create sprites that throat sing with different sounds.
Learning Goals
By the end of this activity, students will be able to create a basic animation by changing a sprite’s costume and adding sounds. There is also an additional challenge where students can learn how to code a basic keyboard game where programming random conditions and score mechanisms will be explored.
Vocabulary
- Costume – One of many “frames” or alternate appearances of a sprite. Sprites can change their look to any of its costumes. They can be named, edited, created, and deleted, but every sprite must have at least one costume.
- Sprites – Objects in Scratch which perform the functions controlled by scripts. They can be moved independently of the backdrop.
- Stage – The background of a project and can perform functions through scripts.
- X and Y Coordinates – A way of indicating location on a grid. X indicates a horizontal location and Y indicates a vertical location.
- Animation – Using slightly varying images and changing them quickly to give the illusion of movement.
Guiding Questions
- What is a sprite?
- Why do developers add audio to video games?
- Does anyone know how to throat sing?
Curriculum Links
This module connects to a Social Studies and Music curriculum. Students will explore throat singing, its history, and its significance to Inuit culture. Ideally, a throat singer could visit the class and offer a lesson for students to try throat singing themselves. This module can also be connected to Technology, Computer Studies, and Animation/Arts curriculums as students will be programming a sprite to change costumes and play sounds.
