Grade Level: Middle School
Time Required: 1-2 Class Periods (45-60 minutes each)
Subject: Computer Science / Game Design
Tools Needed: KODU Game Lab, Computers
Students will:
✅ Design an aerial jet combat game using KODU Game Lab.
✅ Program a controllable jet with shooting mechanics.
✅ Add AI-controlled enemy planes that chase and shoot at the player.
✅ Implement scoring, health, and game-over conditions.
✅ Learn basic AI behaviors, movement logic, and object interactions.
Discuss flying-based games and their mechanics.
Show key video frames to highlight:
Jet movement (forward motion, turning).
Shooting mechanics (missiles, aiming).
Enemy AI (chasing, attacking, dodging).
Health & scoring system (tracking hits, losing health).
Ask students:
What makes a fun jet game?
How should the jet move and shoot?
How should enemy AI behave?
Step 1: Creating the World
Open KODU Game Lab and create a large sky area using the Ground Brush (light blue terrain).
Add floating islands, clouds, or obstacles for a realistic aerial battlefield.
Place a starting position for the player’s jet.
Step 2: Adding the Player’s Jet
Add a KODU Jetbot (or other flying object) to act as the player’s jet.
Program movement:
WHEN: Keyboard/Arrow keys → DO: Move
Step 3: Implementing Shooting Mechanics
Add missiles or bullets as projectiles.
Program shooting:
WHEN: Spacebar pressed → DO: Shoot missile forward.
WHEN: Missile hits enemy → DO: Destroy enemy and increase score.
Step 4: Adding Enemy AI
Place enemy jets at different spots in the sky.
Program enemy behavior:
WHEN: See player → DO: Move toward player.
WHEN: Timer expires → DO: Fire missile at player.
Step 5: Adding Health & Game Over Conditions
Program player health:
WHEN: Hit by an enemy missile → DO: Reduce health by 1.
WHEN: Health reaches 0 → DO: Display "Game Over" message and restart.
Step 6: Adding a Scoring System
Program scoring logic:
WHEN: Missile hits enemy → DO: Add +1 to player score.
WHEN: Player reaches a set score → DO: Display "You Win!" message.
Students play their game and adjust speed, AI, and shooting mechanics.
Discuss debugging strategies if enemies behave unpredictably.
Ask students:
What worked well?
How could they improve AI behaviors?
What additional features could be added?
✔️ Creativity: Unique design choices in world-building.
✔️ Programming Logic: Correct movement, shooting, and AI behaviors.
✔️ Problem-Solving: Debugging and refining gameplay.
✔️ Engagement: Participation in testing and discussion.
Power-ups: Add fuel, speed boosts, or shields.
More AI Behaviors: Have enemies dodge missiles or move in formation.
Multiplayer Mode: Add a second player-controlled jet.
Different Weapons: Add rapid-fire cannons or homing missiles.
Boss Battle: Create a powerful enemy that takes multiple hits to defeat.
This lesson now includes game-over conditions, health mechanics, scoring, and additional AI behaviors, making it a fully structured game design lesson for middle school students. 🎮🚀
Would you like me to add any additional instructions or challenge levels? 😊
✔ Demonstrate creativity and innovation → Students design their own jet game, choosing environments, enemy behaviors, and shooting mechanics.
✔ Demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving → They must debug movement issues, AI behaviors, and scoring logic.
✔ Demonstrate initiative and self-direction → Students independently plan, test, and refine their jet game.
✔ Collaborate with team members → If working in pairs or small groups, students discuss strategies and divide tasks.
✔ Demonstrate listening and speaking skills → They explain their game logic and design choices during testing and reflection.
✔ Demonstrate big-picture thinking → Students think about how movement, AI, scoring, and combat mechanics fit together.
✔ Demonstrate continuous learning and adaptability → They adjust their game mechanics based on feedback and debugging.
✔ Manage time and resources → They must complete their game within the given class period.
✔ Demonstrate proficiency with technologies, tools, and machines common to a specific occupation → Using KODU Game Lab introduces students to game design, AI programming, and interactive environments.
✔ Define technology → Students explore how game engines and AI behaviors shape gameplay.
✔ Identify how technologies have emerged through the use of engineering → They see how AI-based movement and physics simulations improve gaming experiences.
✔ Describe how society affects technology and technology affects society → Students discuss how game design, AI enemies, and shooting mechanics reflect real-world applications (e.g., flight simulations, AI-controlled drones).
✔ Demonstrate the safe use of a minimum of three tools and/or pieces of equipment as part of the design process → Students use terrain tools, object placement, and AI programming in KODU.
✔ Describe the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) engineering design process → The lesson follows a structured process:
Plan → Create → Test → Debug → Improve.
✔ Demonstrate the use of an engineering design process → Students define their game’s goal, program AI, test shooting mechanics, and evaluate their design.
✔ Define the goal of a challenge → The goal is to create a realistic and engaging jet combat game.
✔ Design a device using criteria and constraints → They program AI-controlled enemies with movement and attack logic.
✔ Evaluate viable solutions → Students test different AI behaviors and adjust them for a better challenge.
✔ Select a solution → They choose the best shooting mechanics and enemy difficulty for fun gameplay.
✔ Plan the model or prototype → Students lay out terrain, obstacles, and enemy positions before finalizing their game.
✔ Produce a model or prototype → They build the KODU jet game prototype with working AI and shooting mechanics.
✔ Assess the design → Students test, identify bugs, and make improvements.
✔ Describe how the solution could be improved → They brainstorm additional features like power-ups or boss fights.
✔ Communicate the results → They share their game with classmates and discuss their experience.
✔ Illustrate how processes change inputs to outputs in any system → Students program inputs (arrow keys for movement, spacebar for shooting) and see outputs (jet movement, missiles, enemy reactions).
✔ Describe the computation, automation, AI, and robotics contexts of technology and engineering → Students program AI-controlled enemies, learning how rule-based programming influences game mechanics.
✅ Covers game development, AI logic, scoring systems, and shooting mechanics.
✅ Reinforces problem-solving, debugging, and computational thinking.
✅ Encourages creativity and innovation through level design and AI behaviors.
✅ Provides real-world connections to flight simulations, AI automation, and game development.