In this lesson, students will begin by learning about classic video games gaining an understanding of the history of gaming and how it has evolved throughout the decades.

Students will code a magic-inspired arcade game of their own using Scratch, a block-based programming language developed at MIT. 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 code a character to move using the arrow keys
- How to use loops and cloning to create an endless stream of obstacles
- How to use conditional statements to check if their character has hit something
- More advanced students will use variables to track their character’s lives

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 the History of Gaming and try some video game trivia (10 minutes)
- Code a magic-themed arcade game in Scratch! (about 60 minutes)
- Student Project Showcase + Say Goodbye (10 minutes)

> Note for Parents:
Your student will need:
- A Scratch account. Visit https://scratch.mit.edu/ to create a free account.
- Access to a laptop or desktop computer with Zoom installed and screen-sharing enabled
- An internet connection of 3mbs+
- A working speaker, microphone and webcam - all Windows and Mac operating systems of the past five years are supported

Note: iPads are not recommended, but reach out to our team if you have any questions.  Please make sure an adult is on hand for the first five minutes of class to help set-up and tackle troubleshooting.