Scratch Maze Project - Lessons 1 - 4

• Computing
• Lower Secondary (Key Stage 3)

Game Design with Scratch

Lesson 1

What is an alogrithm?

Task 1 - Cat and mouse

Click here to open  the Scratch IDE (Interactive Development Environment).

Can you program the cat to follow the mouse?

KO: Design and develop a computer game using specialist software

Core

• Create algorithms that contains a sequence of instructions
  
• Create algorithms that contains selection
  
• Create algorithms that contains iteration
  
• Deploy variables within your code
  
• Deploy broadcasts within your code to add complexity to your game
  

Extension:

• Expand your game further by adding complexity to your game – such as more levels / more difficulty etc.
  

Task 1 - Cat and mouse - SOLUTION

Click here to see the solution to Task 1.

Scratch Project - Maze Game

Click here to see an example of the game that we are going to build.

Task 2 - Setup your Scratch account.

Create your Scratch account. Use your school username i.e. 4041jaco21 and your school email address i.e. [e-mail]

Click here to create your Scratch account. This will allow you to save your work.

Task 3A - Scratch... the basics

Your teacher will now show you:

Sprites:

How to create new Sprites

Code Tab:

• Motion blocks
• Looks Blocks
• Events Blocks
• Control Blocks
• Sensing
• Operator
• Variables

Costumes

How to create multiple sprites.

Click here to open a new Scratch

Task 3B - Scratch... the basics

Your teacher will now show you:

Stage:

Code Tab:

• Looks Blocks
• Events Blocks
• Control Blocks
• Sensing
• Operator
• Variables

Backdrops

Click here to open a new Scratch

Scratch Project

Part 1 - Main Sprite

1. Add a new sprite (click the blue Cat Face button) and click the paint brush from the pop up menu
2. Make sure that you are on the "Costume" tab and use the square tool to draw a small square. MAKE SURE the squares centre is drawn over the cross hairs (see cross symbol) 
3. Click on the code window and code the following sequence. 
4. Test your code by pressing the green flag button. You should be able to control the direction that your sprite moves in by using the arrow keys.

Link to YouTube video 

THINK - What issues did you encounter when you used Scratch to build the maze game last week.

(You will complete this in silence)

PAIR - What issues did you encounter when you used Scratch to build the maze game last week.

(Discuss your answer with your partner)

SHARE - What issues did you encounter when you used Scratch to build the maze game last week.
(Only one answer per pair)

KO: Design and develop a computer game using specialist software

Core

• Create algorithms that contains a sequence of instructions
  
• Create algorithms that contains selection
  
• Create algorithms that contains iteration
  
• Deploy variables within your code
  
• Deploy broadcasts within your code to add complexity to your game
  

Extension:

• Expand your game further by adding complexity to your game – such as more levels / more difficulty etc.
  

Scratch Project

Part 2 - Backgrounds

1. You now need to create 3 backgrounds for your levels. The game is a maze and if the sprite touches the side of the maze it returns to the start.
2. Make sure your sprite is  at the start of your maze. I recommend starting the sprite in the same place for all your levels.
3. You need to use the square tool to create a suitable maze.
   
4. It needs to large enough for the sprite to be able to travel from one end of the game to the other.
5. It needs to have a colour square at the end of the maze to allow the player to win (more on this later)
6. Once you have completed the first level (backdrop) click the picture icon in the bottom left and click the paint brush.

Link to YouTube video       |        Link to previous Scratch file

Scratch Project

Part 3 - Broadcasts & Changing Levels

1. You now need to code in the mechanism to allow the game to change levels. To do this we will use broadcasts. 
2. You need to name your boradcast messages, so the algorithms can link together correctly. 
3. Use the purple "appearance" blocks to change backgrounds.

Link to YouTube video         

Link to previous Scratch file

Scratch Project

Part 4 - Obstacles

1. Create a new sprite/s to act as an obstacle in your level/s.
2. Add similar code as shown to your new sprites code tab.
3. Use the previously created broadcast messages to tell the game when to hide and show the obstacles.
4. Use the "show" and "hide" blocks that can be found in the purple code blocks.

Link to YouTube video

Link to previous Scratch file

Scratch Project

Part 5 - Score

1. Create a new variable in your game called score.
2. Use the "Set Score to 0 block" to reset the score to zero at the start of your main sprite code.
3. Use the "Change score by 1" block to add a point to your score after you complete each level.

Link to YouTube video

Link to previous Scratch file

Finalising the Game

You now have all of the skills needed to make an amazing game! Use the rest of our lesson time to improve, add challenges and new levels to your game.

• YouTube - Video Guides
• Completed demo scratch file

Hats Reflection Activity

Log on to Teams and complete the peer assessments hats activity, as instructed by your teacher.

Uploading your completed game to teams

Click the share button on your game in Scratch and upload it to the Teams chat, as instructed by your teacher.