Middle School

Middle School Game Design 1a

.5 Credits

18 weeks

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Coursework

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Middle School Game Design 1a: Introduction

We love to play video games, but have you ever wanted to build your own? If you are interested in a career in technology but also want a creative outlet, Game Design might be the field for you. Learn how to build a game from the ground up in this interactive and hands-on course that will teach you all the ins and outs of making your own game.

Competencies

Introduction to Game Design

Students will demonstrate an understanding of introduction to game design by defining a game and their role in society, describing elements of game design, and explaining storytelling in games.

Planning and Production in Scratch

Students will demonstrate an understanding of planning and production in Scratch by designing a game using the game components and multiple levels , describing visual and sound elements, using sequence, loop and conditional statements, and explaining game mechanics.

Creating a Theme and Feel in a Game

Students will demonstrate an understanding of creating a theme and feel in a game by explaining how aesthetics affect your game, describing basic concepts of animation, connecting sound and music to a game’s story, and creating a game in Scratch with multiple levels for role-playing.

Game Design Documentation

Students will demonstrate an understanding of game design documentation by describing the user interface and user experience, and creating game design documents.

Major Topics and Concepts

Unit 1: What’s in a Game?
Define what a game is and explain how games are important to society
Identify how simulations can be used to teach skills
Analyze games for the four elements of game design
Understand narrative and ludonarrative and how they relate to the storytelling aspect of games

Unit 2: Starting from Scratch
Understand engagement and emotion and explain how they relate to game design
Set up a backdrop and sound that creates a certain mood using Scratch
Define sequence, loops, and conditional statements, and use them in Scratch to create a program
Identify visual and sound elements that create the mood you would like to have in your game

Unit 3: Let’s Get to Work!
Describe how certain game mechanics function in game design
Create different levels in Scratch that could be used in a role-playing game
Plan and produce a shooter game in Scratch

Unit 4: More Scratch Techniques
Explain how aesthetics affect a game’s theme, mood, and story
Identify aesthetic concepts as they relate to shapes and color
Describe the parts of the MDA Framework
Understand basic animation concept
Connect sound and music to a videogame’s narrative

Unit 5: Let’s Get to Work!
Describe how certain game mechanics function in game design
Create different levels in Scratch that could be used in a role-playing game
Plan and produce a shooter game in Scratch

Unit 6: Time to Plan
Explain what is meant by user interface and user experience
Implement aspects of good interface design in Scratch
Describe how the user interface can affect the user experience
Create Game Design Documents