This activity invites learners to reflect on and model how animals interact within their natural habitats. Learners will create a mini game about animals interacting with their environment. To do that, they will be using OctoStudio, a free creative coding app from the Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab. By creating interactive games, students will have the opportunity to develop empathy and understanding for animals, what the animals need to thrive, and the challenges they face. Below is an overview of the activity, and you can also access the detailed Educator Guide.

With OctoStudio, learners can create projects by first choosing an image of an animal and a photo or drawing as a backdrop. They can use coding blocks to make their projects interactive and turn it into a game. By designing and coding their own games, learners engage in the process of problem solving and iterating to improve their projects. 

This activity was inspired by National Geographic Explorer Gibbs Kuguru, a shark researcher who develops new ways to study sharks and understand how they respond to their environment. His work helps people gain a better understanding of sharks, as well as supports communities in seeing these creatures in a positive way. Like Gibbs, learners can build their Explorer Mindset attributes, such as empathy and problem solving, by documenting and modeling how animals interact with their habitat. By creating mini games in this activity, learners can further their ability to communicate their ideas and understanding of nature, all while building valuable coding and digital literacy skills.

Guiding Questions:

• What is an animal that you care about and want to feature in a game? Where does it live?
• What does this animal seek out in its environment (such as food or shelter)?
• What challenges does it face (such as predators or pollution)?
• What do you want others to understand about this animal by playing your game?

When to Use the Activity:

This activity invites young people to create games about animals interacting in their natural environment. The activity can work well as a way to engage in problem solving and creating interactive models in a general science or computing class.

Time: Approximately 60 minutes, depending on available time. This activity can be extended to more than one class period to provide more time for learners to create, share, and reflect.

Learning Objectives:

Learners will:

• Develop problem-solving skills by creating a tilt-based mini game using OctoStudio to share the habitats and characteristics of creatures in the natural world
• Explore and share ideas about the natural world and its diverse creatures with empathy

This learning resource is a part of a larger suite of tools focused on creative coding, including the Explore Your World with OctoStudio resource featuring National Geographic Explorer Niharika Rajput.