Computer Lab Project

Astro-Chicken Rescue

Several space chickens have drifted away from their station. Control the rescue ship, collect them, and avoid dangerous zones.

Program: Scratch & Game Design
Project type: Computer Lab Project
Difficulty: Builder / Inventor
Estimated time: 45-90 minutes

Visible system / hidden curriculum

Build something clear enough to test.

What students build

A controllable rescue ship
Several chickens at different or generated positions
Collection detection
One or more hazards
A rescued-chicken counter
A clear win condition

What students learn

Coordinates
Movement
Random Positions
Sensing
Collision
Variables
Debugging

What students need

Browser
Scratch editor
Keyboard

This project changes the coordinate lesson by making every rescue target a position problem. Students choose how chickens appear, how collection works, and how the ship receives useful information.

Computer Lab character

Mission, constraints, and several correct solutions.

This project changes the coordinate lesson by making every rescue target a position problem. Students choose how chickens appear, how collection works, and how the ship receives useful information.

Required systems

What must exist.

A controllable rescue ship
Several chickens at different or generated positions
Collection detection
One or more hazards
A rescued-chicken counter
A clear win condition

Suggested build order

One useful route through the problem.

Build and test ship movement from a known starting position.
Place one chicken and make collection reliable.
Add more chickens at distinct coordinates.
Count rescues without counting the same chicken twice.
Add a danger zone with clear collision behaviour.
Create and test a win condition after all rescues are complete.

Checkpoints

Evidence that the system is becoming reliable.

1The ship and every chicken have inspectable positions.
2Collecting one chicken changes the count once.
3Hazards and chickens cannot create contradictory outcomes.
4The win condition matches the number of rescue targets.
5The student can explain how an object's coordinates affected a test.

Challenge cards

Change the lesson idea without repeating its first form.

Choose one card, combine compatible cards, or propose an equivalent challenge. More than one implementation can satisfy the mission.

CHALLENGE 1

Randomize chicken locations.

CHALLENGE 2

Make chickens drift slowly.

CHALLENGE 3

Add limited oxygen.

CHALLENGE 4

Require a rescue order based on coordinates.

CHALLENGE 5

Define danger-zone boundaries using position.

CHALLENGE 6

Add an optional two-player rescue mode.

CHALLENGE 7

Create a radar display using relative position.

Test it

Try the edges, not only the easy success.

Can the student demonstrate the ship and every chicken have inspectable positions.?
Can the student demonstrate collecting one chicken changes the count once.?
Can the student demonstrate hazards and chickens cannot create contradictory outcomes.?
Can the student demonstrate the win condition matches the number of rescue targets.?
Can the student demonstrate the student can explain how an object's coordinates affected a test.?

Common mistakes

Read the clues before changing code.

Testing only the easiest successful path.
Changing several systems before retesting.
Resetting only part of the project state.

Improve it

Preserve the core system while changing the project.

Randomize chicken locations.
Make chickens drift slowly.
Add limited oxygen.
Require a rescue order based on coordinates.
Define danger-zone boundaries using position.
Add an optional two-player rescue mode.
Create a radar display using relative position.

Challenge levels

Choose meaningful difficulty.

LEVEL 1

Builder

Complete and explain the required systems.

LEVEL 2

Inventor

Choose one challenge card and test the result.

LEVEL 3

Boss Level

Create a rescue beacon that compares the ship and chicken positions and reports clues such as 'target is left and above.' This introduces relative position by comparing x values and y values without requiring formal vector mathematics.

Show-teacher checkpoint

Demonstrate the working decisions.

Ship movement from a known start
Several objects with different coordinates
A successful rescue
A working hazard
A reliable win condition
One independently chosen challenge card