Calling all teachers: take part in Hour of Code with Epic Games

Seven Siegel
In the 1800s, steam power and mechanical innovations altered the course of history. Two hundred years later, digital technology is the force driving transformation.

The teens in classrooms today can be more than just technology consumers or players—they can create the next generation of technologies that will change the world.

That’s why every teen should have a chance to learn coding and computer science. 

During Computer Science Week, taking place from December 7 to 13, Epic Games is supporting Hour of Code: a global movement to introduce people of all ages to computer programming in a fun way.

Anyone, anywhere can organize an Hour of Code event or try any of the more than 500 one-hour tutorials, available in over 45 languages, on the Hour of Code website. All lessons are tied to ISTE standards for American school teachers.

To honor this event, we’ve created a range of brand new lesson plans for Hour of Code that you can use for teens, school classrooms, or after-school programs. 

In this first post, we’ll reveal five new Fortnite Creative lessons that teach coding concepts —all designed to take just one hour. 

You can use Fortnite Creative for free, and all of these lesson plans are also free to use. Learning to code has never been more accessible!

Let’s take a look at the coding skills your students will learn in these activities.

Learn how to code with Fortnite Creative

Our new Fortnite Creative lesson plans help to teach coding concepts to students through Fortnite Creative. Each lesson has a lesson plan, a student guide, and a teacher guide.

Conditional Statements: Using the Lock and Key in Fortnite Creative

“IF you finish your vegetables, THEN you can have ice cream.” Conditional statements like this are a key plank of computer programming. If the condition is met, the result is activated.

In this activity, students will create a lock-and-key game mechanic where the player has to find a key to unlock a door that allows the player to advance in the game.

Functions in Fortnite: Creating a Tower-Escape Trivia Game

This activity explores functions via a trivia tower-escape game. Students will use Fortnite Creative to create a game that requires the player to answer a number of trivia questions in order to escape. Each correct answer triggers the function to allow the player to advance, along with a rewarding tune and visual effect. Incorrect answers will trigger a not-so-pleasant sound and visual effect—and require the player to try again.

By the end of this activity, students will understand the basics of functions as they relate to coding through the use of Sequencer and a series of devices.

Building an Obstacle Course: Collision Detection, Triggers, and Events in Fortnite Creative

This activity requires students to use Fortnite Creative to create an entertaining and challenging obstacle course. While creating their course, students leverage the computer programming concepts of collision detection and event-driven design.

Making Music in Fortnite Creative: Creating Loops with the Music Sequencer

Orchestras have dedicated entire concerts to musical scores from video games. Using music in digital projects can help elevate the audience experience and make content more engaging. In this project, students will create a machine in Fortnite Creative to play their own custom music loops.

Building a Treasure-Hunt Race: Creating a Scoring System using Variables in Fortnite Creative

Anyone who has ever played Pac-Man will have tried to get the high score. As the player collects dots, they get points. Fruit are worth bonus points, and when the monsters turn blue, you have to try to get all of them before they turn back again. Many games have a scoring mechanism that is an integral part of the game.

Scores in games are handled with variables. A variable is set at the beginning of the game and changes throughout the game, based on actions that impact the score. In this activity, students will set up a scoring system using variables. This is just one of many ways variables are used in programming.

Don’t miss part two, where we’ll drop five new Unreal Engine lesson plans for Hour of Code!
       

    Want to take part in Hour of Code?

    You can find all these activities by searching our lesson plans using the Hour of Code tag. If you’re interested in learning more about how you can participate, reach out to us!