Lesson Plan
Itch Bouncing Ball & Breakout
Overview
This lesson will introduce students to Scratch visual block coding using the Itch
user interface. Itch includes courses at varying levels of difficulty suitable for
Middle School through High School. At the end of this lesson, students will
have a basic understanding of the tools included in Itch, and the basic
principles of visual block coding. All courses follow a project based learning
approach and utilize differentiated learning.
Objectives
Through this lesson student will:



recognize and describe visual block coding
access and navigate coding within Itch
create a simple computer animation using Itch
Instructional Activities
5 min: Teacher Instruction: The teacher will demonstrate how to access and
navigate Itch and create an initial bouncing ball project. Use the Access and
Logging In handout provided below.
10 min: Student-directed: Students will have self-directed time to expand on
the initial activities provided in the Bouncing Ball instructional video from
Itch.
15-20 min: Student-directed: Students will have self-directed time to expand
on the initial activities provided in the Breakout instructional video from Itch.
The concepts in Breakout build on the initial skills learned in Bouncing Ball.
5-10 min: Share projects using the Itch teacher interface. Students can share
from their Bouncing Ball work or from their Breakout work.
Computer Science
Grades 6 - 12
Materials
Computer capable of:
1.
Latest Google Chrome or
Firefox with Flash plugin
2.
Screen size 1024x768 or
greater (preferred)
3.
Headphones
4.
Video playback (hosted from
YouTube)
5.
Access to
http://itch.ucodemy.com
Teacher’s computer should
additionally have speakers to
playback any shared projects to the
class.
Other Resources
Student password sheet (useful to
have students keep track of username
& password)
Adaptations
It is possible for students to work in pairs on a project. They will follow a pair
programming approach where they must take turns of 5-10 minutes at the
control with other students.
Teachers may have students share their work after Bouncing Ball and again
after Breakout, or they may decide to do one sharing-out at the end of class.
Evaluation
Evaluation is possible from a direct review of each student’s project, accessible
in the "Lesson" area. Student work can be accessed from the teacher interface,
and teachers can provide written feedback within Itch.
Itch
1
Access and Logging In
Itch
1.
Open Google Chrome or Firefox with Flash plugin and navigate to: http://itch.ucodemy.com
2.
3.
Click on the course you’d like to take.
Click to take the course (the course may be locked, in which case you need to enter the access code from the instructor):
4.
Either “Register as a new student” if this is your first time on Itch or enter your previous credentials in the email and
password field (It’s a great idea to use our password passport sheets for students to help them remember).
We don’t confirm email address so students can enter fake email addresses and names if necessary (usually if they are
under 13 you would want to do this). E.g. Tim Dorshy might enter Tim D as there name and [email protected] as
their email perhaps.
2
5.
Itch
The students should now be in the course and will have an introduction to Itch video (once they dismiss the splash login
screen):
3
6.
Itch
Students should now be in the lesson and can watch more intro videos or go to the first Lesson under the “Lessons”
section and start following the instructional videos within Itch and creating their own projects:
4