Lesson 3.05: Project 3

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to...

• Use project planning skills to complete a longer-term project
• Create functions to organize a project
• Apply skills learned in units 1-3 to create a functioning program

Materials/Preparation

• Project Spec - Oregon Trail
• Solution (access protected resources by clicking on "Additional Curriculum Materials" on the TEALS Dashboard)
• Oregon Trail - Example Code
• Update the Project Spec as needed to meet your grading requirements
• Try creating your own variation on the Oregon Trail code so you are familiar with the potential challenges and bugs your students will hit.

Pacing Guide

Day 1

Days 2-9

Instructor's Notes

1. Project Overview
   • Demo the Oregon Trail finished project.
   • Give out the project spec and go over game rules.
2. Planning
   • Have students draw out the game play.
     • Students should plan to create functions for each user interaction by figuring out where the repeated code will be.
     • Students should list out which variables they will need.
   • Have students plan out their next 7 days. Suggested timeline/checkpoints below:
     1. Set up user inputs with dummy functions, make sure game loop works
     2. Create variables necessary to run the game, start implementing basic functions
     3. Focus on the random functions
     4. Figure out how to move the days
     5. Finish day updating
     6. Connect functions together
     7. Wrap up and game over check is correct

Accommodation/Differentiation

Advanced students can add in random events like cholera or snake bites. Students can also have a list of travelers instead of just 1, where each traveler is affected differently by each action.

The planning phase of this project will be essential, especially for students who you think may struggle with this project. Provide more guidance and scaffolding to those students that need it.