This virtual program introduced kids to Scratch and computer programming via a series of lessons on coding and experiments with failed or broken games that had one thing wrong that needed fixing. This program was presented on GoToMeeting by Pasadena Public Library's youth services librarian AnnMarie Kolakowski.

1. Flappy Bird Video Game Design in Scratch
Welcome!! If you are here early,
please do the following steps:
1. Make sure you are logged in to
Scratch by going to
https://scratch.mit.edu.
2. Type in the chat box here what
city you are joining us from!
3. Tell us in the chat what level of
experience you have with
Scratch. Are you a newbie? Have
you been using it for years? Are
you a bit familiar with it but
would like to know more?

2. Flappy Bird Video Game
Design in Scratch
AnnMarie Kolakowski
Pasadena Public Library
Summer 2020

3. What IS Flappy Bird?
•It’s a side-scroller mobile app game made in
2013, in which the player has to guide the
bird protagonist in between obstacles by
flapping its wings to fight the pull of gravity.
•There are a lot of parodies that have been
made of this game. Play one now! Go to:
https://flappycreator.com/random.php

4. To Make a Side-Scroller like
Flappy Bird, we’re gonna need…
MATH!

6. Positive x values
+

7. Negative x values
-

8. Positive y values
+

9. Negative y values
-

10. (8,8)
Coordinates:
(x,y)

11. (-8,8)
Coordinates:
(x,y)

12. (-8,-8)
Coordinates:
(x,y)

13. (8,-8)
Coordinates:
(x,y)

14. What quadrant
would this be in?
(4,4)
Type your answer
in the chat!

15. Quadrant I!

16. What quadrant
would this be in?
(-4,4)
Type your answer
in the chat!

17. Quadrant II!

18. Why all this
stuff about math
and graphing
and quadrants?

19. Because we use
numbers to tell
the computer
where to place
our sprites along
the x-y axis.

20. And once our sprites
are placed where we
want them, we will use
numbers to tell the
computer what
direction and speed to
move them.

21. Get to Know the Scratch Interface!

29. Get to Know Your Blocks!

33. v
v

34. v
v

35. v

36. v
v

37. Now we’re going to fix some
broken games.
You can learn a lot about how something works
when it DOESN’T.

38. What’s wrong with this game?

42. Alright, coding detectives…
Try this one on your own!

43. What’s wrong with this game?
Go to
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/399371220/

44. What’s wrong with this game?
Go to
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/399371220/

45. If you added a forever loop to keep the pipe’s X
position constantly changing, you were right!

46. What’s wrong with this game?

47. What’s wrong with this game?

48. Would one of these blocks help to end the
game if the bird hits the ground?

49. Yes! You could set your game to end if the
bird sprite touches anything green or brown!

50. Alright, coding detectives…
Try this one on your own!

51. What’s wrong with this game?
Go to:
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/399365404/

52. Hint:
Remember your
X-Y Axis!!

53. Hint:
Remember your
X-Y Axis!!

54. If you changed the bird’s gravity variable from a
positive number to a negative number, you were right!

55. What’s wrong with this game?

56. What’s wrong with this game?

57. What’s wrong with this game?

58. Would one of these blocks make the bird look like
its wings are flapping up or down each time I hit
the spacebar?

59. Yes! Simply add a change of costume whenever the
spacebar is pressed.

60. Alright, coding detectives…
Try this one on your own!

61. What’s wrong with this game?
Go to:
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/399399665/

62. What’s wrong with this game?
Go to:
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/399399665/

63. If you set the score to add 1 every time the pipe gets
to a certain point along the negative end of the X axis,
you were right!

64. Now, make sure you’re logged in…
You’re going to remix a project and share it!

65. Let’s try putting this project together from
nothing but bits and pieces.
Can you tell where the pieces should go?

66. Go to:
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/399402120/

67. Your Bird sprite’s code
should look like this!

68. Your pipe
sprite’s code
should look
like this!

69. Your pipe 2
sprite’s code
should look like
this!

70. Your stage code
should look like
this!

71. Now, wanna have some fun with it?
Choose a
new animal
sprite! Who
says your
Flappy Bird
has to be a
bird?

72. Try a different
backdrop!
I recommend
the Patterns
because they
won’t have too
many of the
colors you have
to avoid.

73. You could make some new pipes!
https://www.
youtube.com
/watch?v=Y4y
nhKndAew by
Hackingtons
Code School
for Kids

74. When you’re done, don’t forget to share!
Note, you have
to verify your
email account
to get sharing
permissions.

75. Give your project a unique name and make
sure you tell the user how to play.

76. Questions?
Feel free to send me an email if you need help!
akolakowski@cityofpasadena.net
I’ll be emailing everyone a link to the recording
and a link to the slides within the next few days.

77. Happy Flapping!