Building a Video Game: Intro to Basic Programming Skills

In this one-time class, students will learn basic programming logic and build a simple video game using Scratch.

New on Outschool

90 minutes

per class

Meets once

12-17

year olds

4-12

learners per class

per learner

How does a “One-Time” class work?

Meets once at a scheduled time

Live video chat, recorded and monitored for safety and quality

Great for exploring new interests and different styles of teachers

How Outschool Works

Available Times

Pacific Time

Sat May 21

Meet once (1 day)

Saturday
8pm - 9:30pm

Enroll

Sat May 28

Meet once (1 day)

Saturday
8pm - 9:30pm

Enroll

Don't see a time that works for you?

Description

Class Experience

In this class, I will teach students the basics of thinking procedurally. In other words, the goal is for them to start thinking as computers do. This will help provide a foundation for future learning and development experiences. Students will use a simple coding tool called scratch to make a side-scrolling game. We will go over basic coding terms and structures, like variables, conditional statements, loops, and functions. The class is structured as a hybrid between lecture and group...

The goal of this class is to provide the building blocks for beginning to actually write code. Students will learn the basic tools required to make anything they desire in Scratch. As long as they are willing to dedicate the time and effort, they will be able to do a lot more than you might expect. I recommend this course as an intro to my more involved courses, where we will actually be writing our own code with JavaScript.

There isn't any homework required for this class. As it is a one-time class, the goal is to give them the tools to create what they want, IF they want to.

Note pads can be helpful for taking notes or drawing pictures, but are not required. It is recommended that you have access to a keyboard and a mouse.

In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:Scratch

The students =will complete their own version of a video game that they can access whenever they want. Students won't be assessed. Learning in a field like this is different for everyone, and it has to be done at one's own pace. Providing a grade to someone after a 90-minute class in a field they have little to no experience with is frankly preposterous.

1 hour 30 minutes per week in class, and maybe some time outside of class.

Scratch is a very kid-friendly program, and while I don't like to limit creativity in my class, I will ensure that student creations are age-appropriate.

Scratch is a website the students will use. If you would like to make an account before class, you are more than welcome to. If you create an account you can permanently save your game!

Teacher

Maxwell Dunn

🇺🇸

Lives in the United States

Software Developer

About Me

I love making whatever I teach fun and interesting, even though some of it can be very complicated. That's why I lean towards creating games or learning through fun activities. I actually graduated from UCSD with a degree in Neuroscience, but I...