In Programming 1 we start by introducing students to what programming is. We start this process by using "Alice", a visual drag and drop program that lets students focus on the principle's of programming in a way that let's them explore without having to worry about the details of code syntax.
Early in this process, we start by teaching the students how to simply use the Alice program and make it do simple things like add objects and methods to their program. After the students have completed a simple formative lab in which they demonstrate they can accomplish simple things in the program, we assign the students the Personal World Lab to let them explore the program.
This assignment is formative in nature, and is intended to let the students explore, learn, and share amongst their peers the things they find out. In essence, the students are asked to use Alice to program the scene of a world in which two people interact. One of the characters has to be a representation of the student. They are asked to share information about their personalities and their interests in the scene they are creating.
Students get so involved with trying to make "their" scene the best it can be, they both deeply explore the program and what programming can do, as well as sharing a lot of information about themselves. We learn so much more about our students by letting them explore and share, then by just engaging them in discussion. It is by far one of my favorite assignments of the year.
Below are some sample scenes that students have programmed for you to explore:
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