Lesson Overview

In this unit, students will create a maze game app featuring a Ball sprite that moves through the maze based on user interaction by tilting the smartphone or tablet. They will learn to use the Canvas, Ball, and ImageSprite components in App Inventor to create an animated game. Additionally, they will learn to use the Accelerometer sensor to guide the Ball's movement. Creating collision detection between Ball and ImageSprite components will help make the game interactive.

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, students will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate how to create an interesting game app using Canvas, Ball, and ImageSprite components in App Inventor.
  2. Demonstrate an understanding of placing ImageSprite and Ball components based on an X,Y coordinate system.
  3. Navigate a ball through a maze using the Accelerometer Sensor component.
  4. Apply the computational thinking practices of being incremental and iterative, as well as testing and debugging.
  5. Demonstrate an understanding of how to use the Notifier component in an app.
  6. Correctly use conditionals in a program.

Lesson Plan

Learning Prerequisite

Students should have experience with App Inventor, and be comfortable using the Designer and the Blocks Editor to code a basic app.

Activity

🔽 Introduction of the project

  1. This unit introduces a game app called "FindTheGold". In the game, players navigate a ball through a maze on their mobile device by tilting the device.
  2. Canvas serves as the background for sprites to appear and move.
  3. Balls/ImageSprites are the elements on the canvas that can be controlled by user interaction and coding.