Week 5 — Loops & Our First Game

Focus Concept: Loops & Iteration
Mini-Project: Barrel Jumper (sprites, movement, collisions)

Objectives

I can explain what a loop and an iteration are.
I can choose the right loop for a task (fixed repeats, ranges, or until a condition).
I can use timing to make animations/gameplay smoother or harder.
I can make a game where sprites move, collide, and update a score.

Loop — instructions that repeat automatically.
- repeat / for: run a fixed number of times or across a range.
- while: keep running while a condition is true.
- forever: never stops (the “game loop”).
Iteration — one pass through a loop.
Timer / millis — the micro:bit’s clock in milliseconds (1000 ms = 1 s); useful for timing within loops.
Variable — a named box that stores changing values (e.g., score, speed, x, y).
Sprite — a sprite is a two-dimensional graphic object or image that can move freely in a digital environment. Sprites typically consist of pixel images and are used to represent characters, objects, backgrounds, and visual effects in video games and other interactive applications.
Collision detection — checking if two sprites touch.
Game loop — a loop that continually updates movement, checks collisions, and redraws.

MakeCode Editor: makecode.microbit.org
PRIMM Loop Demo (Week 5): Makecode Code
Introduction to Computing with micro:bit: Loops: Video
MakeCode Game reference (sprites, collisions): Reference
Loops in MakeCode (overview): Reference
Game Development for Noobs - Beginner Guide: Video
Learning to Code is Not Just for Coders - TEDx Talk by Ali Partov (founder of Code.org): Video
How curiosity paved the way to self-learning - TEDx Talk by Ray Wu: Video