Objective: 

Students will create a role-playing game based on a literary work, using index cards to simulate events, conditionals, and loops that reflect decisions made by characters in the story.

Materials Needed: 

• Index cards

• markers, paper

• chart to track decisions.

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • The teacher begins by reviewing a literary work the class has read, focusing on how characters make decisions that impact the plot. 

  • She explains that students will create a role-playing game where each decision point in the story will be represented by an event, and they will use conditionals and loops to simulate how the story changes based on the decisions made.

• Activity: 

  • Students work in pairs to create a flowchart of key story events. 

  • Using index cards, they write prompts for decision points. 

  • Each card presents an event from the story, and conditionals on the back direct the player to different outcomes based on their choices. 

  • Loops are used to repeat actions, such as the reappearance of a character. 

  • Students simulate the game by acting out the scenarios, comparing and contrasting how different decisions affect the characters and plot.

• Presentation:

  • Each pair presents their game, explaining how specific choices altered the story’s direction and how their conditionals and loops reflected the characters' interactions and setting changes.

Equity and Access: 

Provide pre-written events and decision points for students needing additional guidance. Pair students with varying skill levels to foster collaboration.

Real-World Connection: 

Relate the activity to interactive storytelling used in video games and apps, where player decisions impact story outcomes.

CS Practice(s): 

• Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems:  Students break down story events and decisions into sequences, using conditionals and loops to structure the game.

Standard(s): 

• CA CCSS ELA-Literacy RL.5.3

• CA CS 3-5.AP.12 

Objective: 

Students will use Scratch or another coding platform to create a role-playing game based on a literary work, incorporating events, loops, and conditionals to reflect character decisions and alternate story outcomes.

Materials Needed: 

• Computers or tablets

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • The teacher begins by reviewing the plot and character interactions of a recently read literary work, explaining that students will create a role-playing game in a coding platform where users make choices at decision points, and the program will respond based on the events, loops, and conditionals coded into the game.

• Activity: 

  • In pairs, students choose key moments from the story where characters make important decisions. 

  • They code events, triggering a prompt when a character reaches a decision point. 

  • Students use conditionals to program alternate story outcomes based on the user’s input and add loops to control repeated actions, such as a character’s movement or dialogue. 

  • They test and refine their games to ensure that each decision triggers the correct sequence of events.

• Presentation: 

  • Students share their projects with the class, showing how their games allow players to influence the story by making choices that change the setting or character outcomes. 

  • They explain how loops and conditionals create multiple narrative paths in the game.

Equity and Access: 

Provide a pre-built coding template for students who need extra support. Group students with varying coding abilities to promote peer learning.

Real-World Connection: 

Connect the project to interactive fiction, where players make decisions that shape the story, similar to modern role-playing games.

CS Practice(s): 

• Creating Computational Artifacts: Students use coding to design interactive role-playing games. 

• Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts: Students debug and refine their programs for smooth gameplay.

Standard(s): 

• CA CCSS ELA-Literacy RL.5.3

• CA CS 3-5.AP.12