From Sketches to Screens: Grade 1 and Grade 11 Students Collaborate on Digital Games
Posted on 06/26/2024
Merivale High School Computer Science students teamed up with Meadowlands Public School’s Grade 1 classes for an engaging project that turned artistic ideas into interactive computer games.
The project began in the winter, when the Grade 1 students at Meadowlands drew pictures of characters ranging from animals to superheroes. These artworks would serve as the foundation for the next phase of the project. In February, two Grade 11 classes from Merivale High School students visited Meadowlands to meet their Grade 1 buddies. They spent the day discussing the drawings and getting to know the young artists behind them.
The Merivale students then returned to their lab to create computer games using the drawings as characters in the game. They coded the games using a tool called Pygame, which is based on the programming language Python, while working to choose the right level of difficulty for young players.
At the end of March, the Meadowlands students visited their Merivale friends to play the games. The school was filled with excitement as the young students saw their stories and characters brought to life.
This collaboration – led by Merivale teacher Courtney Edwards, along with Isabelle Mercier and Julie Baelde from Meadowlands – revealed new strengths in both groups of students. Merivale students expressed pride in their projects and enjoyed the opportunity to work with real clients. The Meadowlands students loved the games and had lots of fun visiting a high school. Teachers and parents appreciated the opportunity to see students of different ages working together, combining their unique skills to create something special.
This project highlighted the value of cross-age collaboration and the importance of creativity in learning, providing a memorable experience for all involved.