MOON LANDER: TEACHER NOTES
Computer Science Education Week
overview
Moon Lander guides students on how to build their own physics-based game. In the activity, students use code and 6-9th grade Physics concepts in order to navigate a monkey through space. Along the way, they will learn about the power of gravity, understand the meaning of thrust force and learn more advanced concepts in coding and game mechanics.
specifications
- Ages 11-16
- Web-based
- No installation required
- Internet connection required
- Headphones recommended
- Up-to-date verstions of Firefox, Chrome, Explorer or Safari
ABOUT MOON LANDER
THE HOUR-LONG VERSION
17 levels
In one hour, students will code through 17 self-paced levels
6th - 9th GRADE
Students have background in Physics and complete the Coding Adventure hour of code activity prior
REAL CODING
Students will learn how gravity and thrust force work through a fun game
Easy to follow
The platform is intuitive and instructions are easy to follow.
how to host an hour of code
STEP 1: PREP
Go through as many coding exercises as you can to get familiar with the structure. We also recommend reading CodeMonkey's post on how to host a successful hour of code.
STEP 2: PRINT
Print out certificates for your students to take home. Students who have their own email can request a certificate at the end of the hour of code.
STEP 3: WRITE
Write www.codemonkey.com/hour-of-code/moon-lander on your whiteboard so students can easily begin.
STEP 5: DISCUSS
Discuss the following topics:
- Computer Science: the art of blending human ideas and digital tools to create
- Program: a set of instructions for your computer to follow.
- Commands: what you use to build a program
STEP 6: START
Instruct students to go to the link and click on ‘Start Playing’ to get started.
STEP 7: GO BEYOND!
Continue the fun with the full Game Builder courses.
Read more below:
FAQ
Moon Lander uses the programming language of CoffeeScript. CoffeeScript is relatively easy to use and similar to English in the way it is written.
The game design course starts off with very simple steps in order to gradually teach students how to build their own game by using coding and physics concepts.
Yes, you can print out certificates for your students to take home. Students who have their own email address can request a certificate at the end of the hour of code. If not, you can print certificates out here.
Ask them to help classmates who are having trouble or start a new activity here.
Encourage them to read the instructions carefully and double check their code if something is not working.
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