skip to main content

Summary

In this lesson, students will develop their game concept and narrative. They will use a Game Planner to brainstorm and organise ideas for their game’s main character / important elements, setting objective and game levels.

Curriculum codes

Digital Technologies: AC9TDI4P03 AC9TDI6P04

Media Arts: AC9AMA4D01 AC9AMA6D01

English (Literacy): AC9E4LY02 AC9E6LY02

General capabilities

Critical and Creative Thinking: Reflecting on thinking and processes

Literacy: Writing

a young boy sitting and playing with handheld gaming device

Learning intention

In this lesson, you will brainstorm and plan the main character / important elements, setting, objective and levels of your game. You will use a Game Planner to organise your ideas.

Prerequisites

  • It is recommended that lessons 1 and 2 are completed prior to beginning this lesson.

What you need

• Scratch wiki
• Game Design Document (GDD)
• Game Planner (A3)

Before the lesson

  • Make a copy of the Game Planner for each student, ideally on A3 paper.
  • Have the questions on the Game Planner readily accessible to facilitate discussion about students’ favourite games (for example, a digital copy to project).
  • Consider a couple of appropriate games to analyse using the Game Planner. For example, Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart, Angry Birds.

Activities

Introduction (20 mins)

  1. Ask students to sit together with their team.
  2. Ask teams to think about some of their favourite games. These can be digital games, board games, or any type of game they enjoy.
  3. Choose one game (that you are familiar with) to analyse using the Game Planner as a whole class.
  4. Explain to teams that this game was once an idea that needed to be planned out.
  5. Use the questions on the Game Planner to guide the discussion and demonstrate how to use the planner.
    • For example, in the game Super Mario, Mario journeys through the Mushroom Kingdom to rescue Princess Peach from Bowser in a structured series of levels where you must avoid evil characters, collect coins and grab the flag at the end.
  6. It is important to revisit this year’s STEM VGC theme with the class and remind them to consider their initial game ideas from the previous lesson.

Main Activity (30 mins)

  1. Ask teams to begin planning the main character / important elements, setting, objective and levels for their game.
  2. Explain that each team will use the Game Planner to organise their ideas through sketches and written comments.

Reflection/Sharing tasks (5 mins)

  1. Show the GDD and ask teams to add relevant information from the lesson.

Teacher tip: Emphasise the importance of completing the GDD throughout their STEM VGC journey rather than leaving it until the end of the challenge.