Evaluation criteria | Yes/No | Comment |
---|---|---|
Is the task fun and appealing?
Is the route challenging?
Could you use a repeat loop to solve it?
Are traffic lights included?
Do you have to write code in Python?
Do you have to use a for…in range loop?
Do you have to use while loop?
Could you use elif and/or else?
Do you need to define and call
a procedure?
Do you have to create your own variable
in Python?
Assessment session — Applying your coding knowledge to create a game challenge for a partner
Objectives
Create a challenge that reflects the programming concepts they have learnt
Apply their understanding of repetition, selection, writing code in Python to solve their partner’s challenge
Evaluate their partner’s game
Reflect on and assess their own learning
Pair the students by ability so they are best able to tackle each other’s challenges.
Note that you will probably spread this session over at least two lessons. Depending on the skills your class has learnt, some will create a Python only challenge, others may create a challenge where the player has a choice of Blockly and Python.
Explain that the students are going to use the Create mode to:
Make their own route challenge for a partner involving characters, objects and creating a background.
Choose a start and end point.
Choose a character (robot, van, boy, girl, wolf or monster)
Design a layout with route tiles (road, path), background tiles (trees, grass, pond, snow), variable objects — traffic lights [fig S16.1]
Choose whether it has to be solved only in Python.
Show the create mode on the IWB, and demonstrate how to create a road, select objects, and fix start and end points. [fig S16.2]
Discuss what would make a good challenge and draw up a simple evaluation sheet to evaluate each other’s challenge. To start the students off Resource Sheet 1 is an example of an evaluation sheet.
Show the class how to select Blockly and/or Python in the Create mode.
What will make the challenge interesting for your partner?
How would you create a route which would need your partner to use a repeat loop?
How would you create a route where your partner would need to define a procedure and call it in different places?
Ask the students to plan their challenge on the Resource Sheet 2.
They will need to create the route and the background and save this to their Rapid Router account, using a filename they will remember.
Explain to the students that they need to work out the algorithm needed to complete the challenge, and then test out the code to do this.
Recap on the class evaluation sheet you have prepared, and explain that they are going to try each other’s challenge and then evaluate it. Explain how to access the saved challenges and find your partner’s created game.
Try out their partners challenge and complete the challenge evaluation sheet.
Discuss their solution with their partner and compare it with that partner’s prepared solution.
Ask one pair to tell the group about their challenges, and to evaluate them.
What did you enjoy about the challenge?
Can you explain what you liked best?
Could there be other code solutions to the challenge?
What coding skills have you used in Blockly?
What coding skills have you used in Python?
What parts of your program did you need to debug?
Give the students time to evaluate what they have learnt and complete the Self assessment sheet, which you will find in the teaching pack materials on the portal.
Resources | Vocabulary |
---|---|
• Interative Whiteboard (IWB)
• Create mode in Rapid Router (students will need accounts to be able to save their work)
• Resource sheets 1 and 2
• Self assessment sheet part 3
• Repetition
• Selection
• Variables
• Create
• Design
• Evaluate
• Check
• Debug