Learning to Code with Crossy Road: A Fun and Interactive Scratch Lesson Plan

Are you looking for a fun and engaging way to teach coding concepts to your upper elementary or middle school students? Look no further than this interactive Scratch lesson plan, designed to help students create their own version of the popular game Crossy Road using the block programming language called Scratch.

Before You Begin

Before diving into this lesson plan, it's recommended that students have a basic understanding of Scratch. However, if they're new to Scratch, don't worry - this lesson is still accessible and enjoyable for beginners! Additionally, consider having students save their project to their computers or upload it to their Scratch accounts so they can continue working on it over multiple class periods.

Objective

The objective of this lesson plan is to teach students how to create a game similar to Crossy Road or Frogger using Scratch. Students will learn how to program the character's movement and interactions with cars, rocks, and other obstacles in order to successfully navigate across the screen without being touched.

Materials Needed

* Computers or laptops with internet access

* Scratch software (free online version available)

* Printable Scratch color and black/white blocks for reference

* 3 formats of lesson plans (overview, screenshots, detailed)

Lesson Plan Overview

This lesson plan is divided into three sections: overview, screenshots, and detailed. The overview section provides an introduction to the lesson, explaining the objective and materials needed. The screenshot section shows step-by-step examples of how to complete each task, while the detailed section breaks down each step in detail.

Step 1: Creating the Game Backdrop

To start, students will create a new Scratch project by clicking on the 'Create' button on the Scratch homepage. They'll then be prompted to choose a background for their game. Encourage students to select a green or blue background to represent the game's forest environment.

Step 2: Creating the Character

Next, students will need to create the character that will navigate across the screen. This can be done by using Scratch's built-in 'Sprout' sprite, which comes in a variety of colors and shapes. Students can customize their character by changing its appearance and adding additional features such as arms or legs.

Step 3: Programming Movement

Now it's time to program the character's movement! Using Scratch's block programming language, students will create sequences of blocks that control the character's speed, direction, and jumping ability. For example, they might use a 'move' block followed by a 'wait' block to make the character move forward for a few seconds before stopping.

Step 4: Adding Obstacles

To add an extra level of challenge to the game, students will need to create obstacles such as cars, rocks, and other hazards. These can be done using Scratch's built-in sprite library or by creating their own custom sprites. Students will then program these obstacles to move across the screen in a random pattern.

In this lesson plan, students will learn how to create a game similar to Crossy Road or Frogger using Scratch. They'll develop problem-solving skills and practice programming concepts such as loops, conditionals, and variables. By the end of this lesson, students will have a fun and interactive game that they can play and share with their classmates.

Tips and Variations

To make this lesson plan even more engaging, consider incorporating additional features such as:

* Adding music or sound effects to enhance the gaming experience

* Creating multiple levels or worlds for the character to navigate

* Incorporating physics simulations to create realistic collisions and interactions

By following this interactive Scratch lesson plan, your students will learn valuable coding skills while having a blast creating their own version of Crossy Road. So why wait? Get started today and watch your students' creativity shine!

Learn code crossy road