Description: Middle School Programming
Middle School Student #1
7th grade
Project Proposal
Objectives
My plan is to create a series of free video games to hone my programming and design skills and to create enough “internet popularity” to support the sale of a commercial game before I finish high school. My long-term goal is to develop multiple income-generating games that will help pay for college expenses. For this project, though, I want to create a playable and/or presentable two dimensional game with simple mechanics by the end of 8th grade.
This project will increase my pre-existing knowledge of math, storytelling and art. It will also give me knowledge of programming, algorithms and physics.
Resources
I plan to use my homemade desktop computer, books, free online courses with lectures and homework, open source programming software and video tutorials. I have enlisted Mr. Zarfas, a Math/Science teacher and fellow self-proclaimed “geek,” for general guidance and feedback. I will rely on my friends and family for Alpha and Beta testing. I also want to seek out local experts in the fields of video game design and computer science.
Pacing
My project timeline needs to be flexible since I have no way of telling how fast my rudimentary skills will increase at first. I want to have, at the very least, a modest understanding of Java programming by the end of January, 2015. I will log my hours working on this project. Also, I will make weekly updates in the form of blog entries and will modify my incremental goals to realistically reflect my progress.
Readiness
I have consistently received “Exceeds” on my Math, Science and Language Arts State Tests. I already know a lot of basic programming concepts from Robotics class which I have taken for two years. I have also proved my ability to take a project from start to finish. Last summer, I built my own personal desktop computer. I researched how to do it, consulted a mentor regarding the compatibility of my selected components, successfully assembled the computer parts and installed the necessary software.
I believe my enthusiasm and dedication to this new project will help me succeed and will prepare me for future project-based learning throughout my academic career.