Coding Fundamentals

Lesson Description: Explore the coding concepts of functions, loops, and if/then statements with mini-projects that can be added to games like color changing platforms and traps.

Overview

Lesson Plan

Introduction

1. Explain today's session will be different mini-projects to develop skills in scripting

   • Important to understand these concepts since adventure game will have more scripts.
   • Point out these projects, like a trap, can be included in the adventure game project they'll start in Session 3.

Guided Tutorial - Working with Properties

1. Lead students through the following tutorials:

   • Object Properties
   • Parents and Children

2. Encourage students to troubleshoot independently if they have an error. To help, have them try:

   • Redoing their last few steps.
   • Asking a peer for help.

3. As students write code, check that students write comments that accurately describe the code.

   • Not Specific: Runs code
   • Improved: Changes color of PracticePart

Guided Tutorial - Coding a Trap

1. Lead students through the following tutorials:

   • Coding a Function
   • Intro to If Statements
   • Traps with If Statements

2. When working with if statements, check that students indent code to look like code samples. This helps make the code more readable, which becomes important as scripts grow larger.

Wrap-up

1. Recap what students have created and vocabulary: property, loop, and function.
2. Point out in the next session, students will start a new project where they make an adventure game.

Appendix

Troubleshooting and Classroom Tips

• While coding, remind students to double-check their capitalization or ask a peer to check their work. Even one incorrect letter can cause an error in longer words like FindFirstChildWhichIsA.
• Try the following below to help students develop troubleshooting skills.

  • Purposely make a mistake in your code and ask students to identify the error. This can be easily turned into a game.
  • Write a partial line of code and ask students to complete it.
  • Utilize 'Ask 3 Before Me' where students ask three peers before asking the teacher for help. It's important for students to become comfortable independently troubleshooting as they advance to more complex projects.