Earth Day Scratch Coding Class: Code a Game in Scratch to Protect the Penguins

In this lesson, students will begin by learning all about penguin behavior and habitats. They will also learn how scientists tag penguins with transmitters to keep track of where the penguins have been, and how this helps them to protect the penguins.

Students will code an exciting penguin game in Scratch that applies what we learned about penguin behavior.  This class has been designed for students ages 6-10 with any level of coding experience - all are welcome! 

Students will learn:
- How to think like a game designer!
- How to use loops and cloning to create an endless stream of penguins
- How to move the penguin sprites down an ice sheet and disappear once they reach the water
- How to use a sensing block to "tag" the penguins
- More advanced students will use variables to record how many penguins they tag

The class will be highly interactive since we cap our classes at 6 students. The teacher will work with students to create a project they can be proud of while answering questions and providing support along the way.

Here’s what your student can expect to do during class:
- Welcome + Introductions (5 minutes)
- Scratch Setup + Login (5 minutes)
- Learn about how scientists use transmitter tags to research and protect penguins (10 minutes)
- Code a penguin tagging game in Scratch! (about 60 minutes)
- Student Project Showcase + Say Goodbye (10 minutes)

In terms of experience this has been designed for complete beginners but the teacher can accommodate children within the age bracket of 6 to 10 where there will be different levels of experience. All welcome!

Please make sure that the learner has access to a laptop or desktop computer, access to admin controls, an internet connection of 3mbs+, a working speaker, microphone and webcam - all Windows and Mac operating systems of the past five years are supported.