Scratch Project-Inquiring & Analysing

I am going make a scratch project for Humanities.

This is the Inquiring And Analysing phase

Scratch Project- Inquiring & Analysing

Brainstorming:

This is my brainstorming mind map of what scratch-made learning project I will make on scratch:

This are all my ideas for the scratch-made learning project I’m going to make for my teachers, these projects are about:

Scientific Method

Lab Safety Rules

Rhythm

Instrument

Body Percussion

Melody

Music Theory

Types Of Maps

Location of places

Poem and Short Story

Programming

Internet

Design Cycle

Decimals, fractions and percentages ( math game)

Negative Numbers

Algebra

Possibilities:

I am removing some ideas, the meaning of colours are at the bottom:

Scientific Method

Lab Safety Rules

Rhythm

Instrument

Body Percussion

Melody

Theory

Types Of Maps

Location of places

Poem and Short Story

Programming

Internet

Design Cycle

Decimals, fractions and percentages ( math game)

Negative Numbers

Algebra

A: Too Hard To Make

A: Neither Me Know Clearly

A: Too Boring For A Game

A: People Won’t Understand And Is Too Complex

A: Not Realistic Enough ( I can’t actually make anything with it)

A: The project will be too little and short

Now, I narrow it to ( red means those I won’t make):

Scientific Method

Lab Safety Rules

Rhythm

Types Of Maps

Poem and Short Story

Decimals, fractions and percentages/ Negative Numbers/ Algebra

I think all of them here will be a good project to make. For Scientific Method, it is fresh in my mind and I clearly know what to do, and I know how will I make it like. For Lab Safety Rules, I have all the information about it in my hands, and I think it will make a humorous project. For Rhythm, I can make a project of teaching people what will make a good rhythm, but it won’t be fun or understanding if I don’t let them try to make. For Types Of Maps, I can teach people the kinds of map, and then give them some maps to let them verify or classify the map. For Poem and Short Story, I can teach them what are the important vocabulary and parts and literacy for poems and short story and even let them identify the poem ones or the short story ones. For Decimals… , I can teach them and give questions to them or make a quiz.

At last, I have chosen these three:

Lab Safety Rules

Types Of Maps

Decimals…

The Lab Safety Rules will be about what lab safety rules are and what lab safety rules there are and how important they are. I think this is a good idea is because lab safety rules are very important and they can experience the danger of not following them in the fake world which makes a good use of computer games. I am making this project for 7th grade Science Class.

The Types Of Maps will be about what maps are and different types of maps like physical, political… I have chosen types of maps because I think it is simple enough to make this project, I have all the information I need, and I believe it will be pretty useful because types of maps is a big part of Maps in Humanities. I am making this for Humanities.

The Math Game is going to be about decimals, percentages and fractions, and converting them to one another. I have chosen the Maths thing because I am good at Maths and I know the skills or techniques but others seem to struggle with it so it will be worth share. And I think it will be simple enough to do a quiz after teaching the people so it’s easy for me to make. I am making this for Mathematics.

Research:

( The tiny words are re-written description of what I am going to make with a bit more details and changes)

For the Types Of Maps, I wanted to make it like this:

When you open it, there will be a start page ( it introduces what the project is about with a beautiful background) and the project will start when you click. Then, you will have an option to choose what kind of maps you want to learn first. After you view all of the kinds of maps, you can have a test, you will be shown different maps and classify the maps. Then you will have a final score. There will also be music, animations…

It was said that it can easily be done because I am using what I’ve just learnt to make a project. And it is really cool that it has animations, music and other stuffs and it can keep the player’s attention if you have it. But, sometimes, it is boring when the people know well about maps, so I can try to make bonus round or give extra learning stuff for those players who get it all right. People who hates geography will like the game too because it is so fun!

For the Lab Safety Rules, I wanted to make it like this:

When you open the game, there will be a start page. And you can choose funny or serious. If you click on funny, there will be like a bunch of words and stuff, they are going round and round, when you click a safe thing you will have one point and if you click a dangerous thing, there will be a silly video with the result of doing that dangerous thing. If you chose serious, you will be taught step by step of what can or can’t you actually do. (There may be a test in the end)

It was said that it was a good idea because I can use powerpoint which my science teacher gave me. And lab safety rules are really important, and it is very dangerous when you‘re not careful since you may have injuries or death. So, the people can learn without listening bored and they can experience it in a fake world. I may drive people crazy with the silly animations or videos so be careful with that. Also, I should restrict the rules so people know that they can or have to do it when they have permission. And I can add an extra part about scientific method or observing and inferences… Cool! HAHAHA!!!

For the Math Game, I wanted to make it like this:You will have an option to choose rather you want to learn demicals, negative numbers, or algebras. And then there will be a test after you finish learning it. There will be a time limit.

It was said that it is a lesson and a game. It is attractive because there is a time limit there so it is more attractive. It may still be boring to those people who don’t like math, so I can make something like fights using answers ( hit when win, being hit when lose). I can also make levels. I want to win! I have to try my best!

At last, I have chosen the only only only one: TYPES OF MAPS

I didn’t choose Safety Lab Rules because it is kind of hard to make different animations, but if I just make one animation for the whole thing, it is actually going to be nothing else but animation. And I don’t think people can learn much that way. Also, I’m not too clear about what and how to make. And it’s sort of too much to cover for those safety rules. And I may drive people crazy with the silly animations or videos so be careful with that.

I didn’t choose Math Games because there are too many Math projects outside is and they are very good somehow, so the teachers can use those project instead of mine- and it might even be much better. Moreover, I would like to try make some games I don’t always see, that makes it much more interesting to make.

I’ve chosen the TYPES OF MAPS because it is new to me so I think it will be fun to make it, and I am really confident that I can do that since I have the whole idea, I have all information I need, and I can handle the programming of that.

I have the notes Mr. Brownson gave me before so I can do the project based on that. The programming shouldn’t be hard because I’ve done similar stuffs by myself before. And once again, I think it is gonna be fun and useful for the players!

I will choose some of these to be part of the game:

what are maps & how important are maps

how to read maps

Figure it out part

learn it

choose a level

test time with Map Fight

bonus rounds

know more about the world

world interesting fact

I interview Mr. Brownson, which is my Humanities teacher and I’m making the project for his subject. He said I can also teach some continents, countries, capitals because that will be useful too if it’s in the project; and he asked me to try to make as much as I can. I asked about 6 classmates and they said they aren’t struggling with the Maps Unit. I still think it is useful because Mr. Brownson won’t have to teach the grade 7 next year about the types of maps or continents because he can let them play the game.

Project Analysis:

I found two projects that I can use as an example of how I’m going to make my project:

Hers is one called Logo Quiz:

I chose this as an example because for the racing test part  I’m going to ask questions, and the upper part of the display and that’s how I’m going to show the questions.

Here is one called Door9 which is a racing game:

I chose this as an example because for the racing test part and lower part of the display is going to be a race and that’s how I’m going to make the race track look like, but I think I’ll use F1 cars rather than using the snails it’s using. I’ll also copy its button ideas which looks and functions so nicely.

Design Brief:

I will make a project that teaches types of maps for grade 7 Humanities maps unit. It will teach the students what are maps and different kinds of maps, it will also teach them continents, countries and capitals if possible. I want to make this because I think it will be fun and useful for the students as about a quarter of the maps unit will be in it.

Guiding Questions:

Question no. 1: Who and where will I ask for help?
Question no. 2: What should I put for the extra-part?

Question no. 3: How to win?

Question no. 4: How long is it going to take me to make this project?

Question no. 5: Is there any unnecessary things I can not-do to make the process more effective?

Question no. 6: How am I going to make it look?
Question no. 7: What is the actual order of the stuffs in the game?

Question no. 8: What maps is satisfied for me to choose?

Question no. 9: Who should I ask for feedbacks?

Question no. 10: Should I make the continents, countries and capitals?

        

My Music Class Melody, Melodic Analysis, Final Reflection

This is the link to the original melody I composed:
http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/2db2cec09c8a0683cd3e03196424d9f0e429ed9d

Today, I let my class listen to my melody. Before that, I asked my music teacher for suggestions.She said I should make the second note in the third bar longer, which means to make the first two notes in the third bar from a dotted quarter note and an eighth note into two quarter notes. I appreciated it and I changed it. It sounds a lot better.

Today, I let my class listen to my melody. They seemed to like it.  I know because they clapped really hardly.

They said it sounded nice because there was a sequence of rising of the melody raising and dropping a bit in it, and it rises and drops a little.  They suggested me to repeat the last two notes at the end of my piece.  They said they naturally heard that in their minds when they listen to my melody.

I'm not sure whether that was a good idea because it sounded a bit too repeated for me.  But I'll still changed it for now and compare it to the original one.

This is the link to the melody after the two changes I made and with two more instruments added:
http://www.noteflight.com/scores/view/9d8c0ade65b85dd1e846aaeafa6a033ba2d81e82

Melodic Analysis

A melody is a combination of rhythm and pitch. This is My final melody. Before creating the melody, we had a discussion on class which is about techniques that can be used for creating a melody. The techniques for creating a rhythm are: don’t make the rhythm busy but keep it simple; using repetition which is repeating; end the melody on long note which creates and end-feeling.

The rhythm of my final melody have reputation in the first bar and the third bar, the third bar is almost the same with the first bar. The rhythm of my final melody ends on a long note, it is a half note and it’s half a bar long here, it is also the longest note I used in my whole melody. The rhythm of my final melody is really simple because it have patterns where it goes slow to fast or fast to slow and there’s repetition, and it doesn’t have any fast notes crumbled up together which would make the too busy.

The techniques for creating pitch in a melody are similar to those for rhythm, they are: using repetition, using a rainbow shape which means start in a lower pitch and then slowly goes up and goes back down (just like a plot line), use steps to resolve skips and having a climax point which is part of the rainbow shape, end on “d”

The pitch of my final melody has repetition which is rising and dropping a little in every bar. The pitch of my melody has a rainbow shape where it goes up and drop a bit and goes up and drops a bit and goes up to the climax and drop down to “d” which is “C” in my melody. Also, there is a rising action from “C” in the first bar, “D” in second, “E” in the 2nd end of 2nd bar and back to “C” which is ending on “d”. And it uses steps to resolve skips like the last note of the 1st bar and the first note of the 2nd bar.

Final Reflection

This is the last melody I get after all decisions and improvements.

This is my first rhythm.

Music - melody - is a combination of rhythm and pitch.

We started with rhythm. This is how I thought of my first rhythm (hasn’t been improved):

I created my melody starting with the rhythm. I came up with the idea of using a long note for the first note. Then the rest of the first bar come to mind. Then for the second bar, I thought a fast speed would sound something like the climax so I put four sixteenth note and I slow the rhythm down. Then I used repetition for the third bar which means I did the same thing to the third bar like the first bar. For the fourth bar, I put four sixteenth note like the second bar which is repetition too, and I did something like the start of the rhythm and end it with a fourth note.

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Improved rhythm.

What techniques and how I improved my rhythm:

I shared my rhythm with my class and they said the second bar was too busy and they suggested me to slow it down ,after the business of the first bar, and they suggested to start the second bar with a fourth note which is a longer note, And make it accelerate slowly. And I repeated the first bar for the third bar. Then I they kept my last bar.

The techniques I used for creating the rhythm is: don’t make it busy but keep it simple; use repetition which is repeating; end the melody on long note which creates and end-feeling.

We did some body percussion afterwards

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I starting creating the pitch

A pitch of . I was struggling with what to put next. When I was struggling with with it, I thought maybe thinking about the whole thing again. Therefore, I thought of it again and it reminded me of the rainbow shape and I thought of a melody in the first bar. Then the second bar just popped out with a higher level which is a rising action in a rainbow shape and a simulation of the 1st bar. Then, I used repetition for the third bar. And the melody ends with slowly going down, I changed the rhythm of the last bar because that’s what I thought of and it sounds good.

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I shared it to my teacher and my class. In the third bar, my teacher said I should change it from “a dotted quarter note and an eighth note” into “two fourth note”. It’s because it is a climax and it have to be loud and heavy. I agreed with that. Then, my classmates and my teacher said they heard two notes repeated at last.

But 

I didn’t like it. I thought it was too repeated.

AT LAST I GOT MY FINAL MELODY (on the top of the page)!!!

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After creating our melody, we presented it to the class. This presentation is special because we don’t do it live, we record it and play it to the class which is a good opportunity to edit the recording. At first, I made some flashcard and try to record it but I found the image left side right when I record it. Therefore, I tried to use iMovie and it worked, it didn’t flip over the image. I stuck the flashcards on the wall, and recorded it with the computer’s voice, and cut away the other parts. And I played the piano a few times with the camera facing a drawing and I chose the best one- I chose to play the piano because it is the instrument I learnt longest and I am good in it and I think it’s easy, I didn’t choose recorder which is the only other instrument I know how to play because I forgot how to play it a bit- But I then thought I would have to show myself, so I record two videos again with one showing my whole body and another showing my fingers so I can let the audiences see it’s me and how I played it. I found the finger-video not accurate enough as it’s a little little bit off, so I recorded the sound again and replaced the sound in that video, but the image and the sound isn’t too far apart so it’s good. Then I changed all the flash-cards into text I type in iMovie because I thought they don’t suit my whole thing and one of them said I will have tapping with the melody which no-one would help or do it for me. I tried some transitions and text and got my final video, or presentation. I think my presentation wasn’t bad because I have an introduction, I have a title but they help me change it from “walking in the spring garden” into “skipping in the spring garden”, I played the piano accurately. However, I would like to add some tapings or drum sound when I play the piano because my song light and taping would make it more interesting. I would record the music of me playing the drum in miss P’s room- though I don’t know how- if she let me. Then, I would add the audio to my video so the piano and drum sound will appear together.