Video Games with Empathy
Students will learn how to code a video game using the program Scratch. Next, students will conduct research with first grade students and their teachers to gain ideas of what first graders need to help them learn. Students will then take what they have learned and create an educational game that will help first graders on our site. Students will have the first graders and their teachers evaluate the games and redesign them as needed.
About Me
Name: Sharon Kent
Grade: 5th Grade
Site: Sierra View Elementary
Tech Required
Student devices
Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Scratch
TRUSD SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
- Empowered Learner
- Digital Citizen
- Innovative Designer
- Creative Communicator
- Global Collaborator
Learning Outcomes
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 5 Language standards 1 and 3 here for specific expectations.)
Student Tech Skills
Students will learn how to compose questions for interviews and record on Google Docs.
Students will learn how to collaborate together through Google Docs.
Students will learn how to record their information and collaborate using Google Sheets.
Students will learn how to code basic scripts on Scratch using their online task cards.
Students will learn how to put basic scripts together to form an educational game for 1st graders.
Students will learn how to create a Google Form to help evaluate their games.
Video Game with Empathy Project
- Introduce the program Scratch. Allow students time to explore the games that have been made by other students using the program.
- Show students some of the coding scripts in the games that are made. Discuss how coding is an important skill for students to learn. Coding is a lot of cause and effect and problem solving.
- Tell students that they will be creating a video game with empathy. Students will be making a video game that will help first graders practice needed skills.
- Students will use the coding "cards" online that teach specific coding skills on each card. Students need to go through all of the cards. Have discussions with students about what kind of games can be made using the coding skills that they have been learning. For students who are having trouble, lead them to the hide and seek game. This is a basic game that they can learn how to code, and students can use a variety of content.
- Help students compose questions that they can ask first grade students of types of activities that would help them learn. Also, have students create questions that they can also ask first grade teachers. Teach students how to talk with the first graders and to respect their ideas and opinions. Have students record their information on Google Docs and Google Sheets. Teach students how to collaborate together by sharing their response on these two formats. This way students can decide which type of games would be best to make.
- Have students continue to practice their skills using the cards online. Have students collaborate with each other about what type of game and what skills will students be practicing. Have students begin coding their games.
- Students continue to code their games. Have students work in groups so they can troubleshoot and augment the games they are working on. Have students present what has gone well in games and the types of problems that they are having.
- Once students have created their games, have them go back to the first grade classes that they interviewed. Have the first graders play their games.
- Have students create questions to put on a Google Form so first graders can review their games. Have students first practice the questions and using a form with the group they are working with. Have students help the first graders navigate the form.
- Give time for students to make changes to their games as needed. They can then create new games or make a sequel to the game they created.
