Scratch
archived forums
#1 2013-02-22 08:45:39
- Oliverrdaniel
- New Scratcher
- Registered: 2013-02-22
- Posts: 2
Need help for a competition
Hey, my friends and I have been selected to represent my school in a competition that will be using scratch, and during meetings with my teacher, he told us to make the game more interactive for kids.
The problem does not arise there, i know the basics of scratch and how it works, but whatever work we do, it just bores the hell out of me and my teacher as well as my group mates.
Need I say more, the topic consists around information literacy, and the format is by multiple choice.
I would deeply appreciate if anyone could give me some advice and tips, thanks.
Offline
#2 2013-02-22 09:21:53
- ErnieParke
- Scratcher
- Registered: 2010-12-03
- Posts: 1000+
Re: Need help for a competition
Well, I do have a few tips for you. Early on in Scratch, I noticed that I kept on becoming bored with my current project and wanted to quit, but then I found that that was partly because I didn't include music from the very beginning on! Finding music from the beginning as well as actually using it can be a big help in the way of motivation because it makes you and your project that more exciting/excited. Also, make sure that you find good music because would you like to listen to a walrus with strep throat singing to you?
Anyway, another big killer to motivation is being stuck on a problem for awhile. So, if you and your friends can't solve a problem after awhile, I'd recommend asking it here on the forums.
Also, another killer of spirit is that you don't think that you're project is good. To combat this, actually put effort into your project, make the art look good, and keep everyone optimistic. For example, instead of pointing out all of the flaws, point out some of your strong points as well. Also, instead of meekly saying "Nice project.", try strongly saying "Great job! With just a bit more work, we're bound to win!"
Oh, and make sure that no fights occur, everyone is at ease, have a little fun at the time, maybe even crack a few jokes, and other things along those lines. 
I hope that this helps!
With regards,
ErnieParke
Last edited by ErnieParke (2013-02-22 09:23:46)
Offline
#3 2013-02-22 09:42:30
- Oliverrdaniel
- New Scratcher
- Registered: 2013-02-22
- Posts: 2
Re: Need help for a competition
Well thanks, that did help. But do you have any other tips for making games more interactive, kid friendly maybe?
Offline
#4 2013-02-22 10:08:23
- ErnieParke
- Scratcher
- Registered: 2010-12-03
- Posts: 1000+
Re: Need help for a competition
Oliverrdaniel wrote:
Well thanks, that did help. But do you have any other tips for making games more interactive, kid friendly maybe?
Yes, I do. There actually happens to be a golden rule for this. "Make sure that a caveman is able to understand it." Well, cavemen don't exist anymore, but you get my point.
So, to achieve that, it's best to keep everything clean and straight-forward. You don't want to jump from one topic to an unrelated one without an introduction or else people might get lost. Also, you'll probably want to limit the amount of terminology (or vocab words that you learned) to just the necessary ones plus a few more so that your project is easy to understand. For example:
Text with lots of vocabulary:
Thanks to ligase, the Okazaki fragments, polymerase, helicase and several others proteins and chemicals, transcription begins and mRNA begins to form.
Without the unnecessary vocabulary:
Now, as you can see, various chemicals are starting to split the DNA and copy it so that mRNA can be created. This is called transcription.
See what I mean? Oh, and finally, instead of just presenting material throughout your project, try and make it "light" by including a few jokes and puns. This isn't really needed, though it could help.
With regards,
ErnieParke
Last edited by ErnieParke (2013-02-22 10:09:40)
Offline