CodeCraft Kids: Animation & Game Design with Scratch
CodeCraft Kids: Animation & Game Design with Scratch
Dive into CodeCraft Kids: Animation & Game Design with Scratch, an all-encompassing course that journeys through the Scratch coding platform.
Unleash creativity as you learn to craft art, interactive stories, and a variety of games from platformers to alien invaders. Each focus area builds on coding basics, storytelling, and game design, enhancing skills and culminating in a diverse portfolio. Perfect for beginners eager to explore the vast possibilities of Scratch, this course nurtures young coders into becoming versatile digital creators. Join the adventure and bring your imagination to life!
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About CodeCraft Kids: Animation & Game Design with Scratch
CodeCraft Kids: Animation & Game Design with Scratch is designed in alignment with the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards, ensuring a comprehensive and balanced approach to digital literacy and coding education. This course invites young learners to explore the world of coding through engaging, hands-on activities that combine creativity and technology.
Our curriculum seamlessly integrates coding principles with English Language Arts (ELA) crossovers, fostering both scientific inquiry and literacy skills. By exploring coding concepts through Scratch, students enhance their technical abilities while developing storytelling and communication skills. Each lesson is thoughtfully structured to include a mix of coding exercises and creative projects, promoting a balance between screen time and imaginative play. -
Focus Areas
Pixel Picasso introduces students to the vibrant world of digital art. Using Scratch, students will learn to create stunning visuals, design characters, and craft unique backgrounds. This focus area emphasizes creativity, precision, and artistic expression, allowing young coders to bring their imaginative ideas to life on screen.
Animated Tales invites students to step into the realm of storytelling through animation. Using Scratch, students will learn how to create engaging narratives, animate characters, and develop interactive stories. This focus area enhances their storytelling abilities, fosters creativity, and builds technical skills in animation, making their tales come alive.
Game Lab immerses students in the exciting process of game design. Using Scratch, students will learn the fundamentals of game development, including coding mechanics, designing levels, and creating interactive gameplay. This focus area encourages problem-solving, logical thinking, and creativity, as students build their own games from scratch.
Learning Outcomes
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Improves Analytical Abilities
Teaching young children Scratch coding fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills. As they create interactive stories, games, and animations, they learn to break down tasks into smaller steps and find creative solutions, boosting their analytical abilities.
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Improves Computational Thinking
Scratch introduces children to computational thinking concepts, like sequencing, loops, and conditional statements. These fundamental principles help them understand how to approach challenges logically, an essential skill in today's technology-driven world.
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Unleashes Creativity
Scratch coding empowers children to unleash their creativity by bringing their ideas to life through coding. As they gain confidence in navigating and using technology, they develop digital literacy, making them more adaptable and resourceful in the digital age.
Sample Lessons
These lessons offer a glimpse into the vibrant and expressive world of CodeCraft Kids: Animation & Game Design with Scratch, showcasing how students can transform their creativity through animated tales, artistic creations, and interactive games into an enriching and educational coding journey.
Collapsible content
Character Creation Masterclass
Dive into the world of digital art by designing your very own characters! In this lesson, students will learn how to use Scratch to create unique characters with distinctive personalities. They will explore various design tools and techniques to bring their imaginative creations to life.
Storyboarding and Plotting Adventures
Every great animation starts with a compelling story. This lesson introduces students to the basics of storyboarding and plot development. They will plan their animated tales, outline key scenes, and set the stage for an engaging narrative journey in Scratch.
Animation Techniques and Motion Magic
Learn the secrets of animation! Students will discover how to animate their characters, making them walk, talk, and interact with their environment. This lesson focuses on animation techniques and the principles of motion, turning static designs into dynamic, moving stories.
Game Mechanics and Interactive Play
Step into the Game Lab and start building your own interactive games. This lesson teaches students the fundamentals of game mechanics, including coding for player controls, scoring, and creating challenges. Students will design and develop their first playable game, putting their coding skills to the test.
Sound Effects and Musical Scores
Bring your animations and games to life with sound! In this lesson, students will learn how to add sound effects and musical scores to their projects. They will explore Scratch’s audio tools, create custom sounds, and understand the role of audio in enhancing the user experience.
Course Format
Our curriculum is designed to blend the dynamic structure of afterschool programs with the proven 5E instructional model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.
Each phase is crafted to captivate and retain student interest, fostering a seamless and enriched learning experience.
Engage Phase: We spark curiosity with captivating STEM visuals and thought-provoking prompts to draw students into the subject matter.
Explore Phase: Students embark on their educational journey with clear STEM objectives, supported by an environment that encourages experimentation and learning from mistakes.
Explain Phase: Foundational STEM knowledge is delivered, often integrating concepts from various disciplines to provide a holistic understanding.
Elaborate Phase: Students participate in hands-on STEM projects and activities, reinforcing their learning through practical application and critical thinking exercises.
Evaluate Phase: The journey culminates in reflection, where students assess their achievements and connect their learning to real-world STEM applications.
This structured yet flexible approach ensures every student benefits from a comprehensive, engaging, and reflective STEM educational experience.
Our Instructors Are Our Top Asset
At BAM!, our vision for innovative K-8 education extends beyond just curriculum; it encompasses the educators who bring that curriculum to life. Selecting & training our educators is a continuous and meticulous process, ensuring they are not just equipped with subject matter expertise but also the skills to inspire and connect with students on a personal level.
- 100% adult educators recruited from prestigious universities ( No CITs at BAM!)
- Highly refined interview and background check process
- Extensive training that goes well beyond curriculum & classroom management
- Ongoing year-round opportunities to teach in our summer camp. After-school, and structured recess programs.