Continue with Part Two of Computer Programming 101 taught by John Paul Zwick! Perfect for beginners, this hands-on course introduces middle and high school students to Python, one of today’s most popular and versatile programming languages. Develop creative problem-solving abilities and even explore game design—all from a Catholic homeschooling perspective

Class Instructor: John Paul Zwick

Course Description: Computer programming develops creativity, reasoning, and problem-solving in the mind of the student. It provides an opportunity for the programmer to create a completely new piece of software that can be used and shared with others. During development, the programmer thinks through the proper sequence of instructions and logic needed by the computer to execute the program. And when programs don’t perform as expected, problem-solving techniques are utilized to troubleshoot and resolve the issue.

This course is entry-level and will cover many programming fundamentals for those with little-to-no programming experience or for those who are familiar with programming with an interest in learning the Python programming language. Students will be “writing” executable code very early in the course and will build upon their skills throughout the course with an ever-expanding set of commands. Throughout the course, students will have an opportunity to share computer programs and games of their own design.

This course has an emphasis on gaming aspects of programming utilizing the PyGame module with its graphical interface, ability to utilize a keyboard and/or mouse controls, use of sprites, randomization for changing the user's experience, and more. These Catholic-themed games will promote the child's interest in programming while also reinforcing elements of Catholicism.

The Python programming language taught in this course is a widely popular modern computer language and one of the easiest computer languages to use. Once the basics of programming are mastered, individuals find it easier to learn more complex programming languages.

Three games will be built together with the students but ultimately each student will make the program with their own flair (choice of graphics, sounds, etc.).

The first game, "Vice and Virtue", is an endurance game that has the player avoiding contact with vices moving on the screen while also encouraging contact with the opposite virtues.

The second game is a "How well do you know your faith?" trivia game with different types of questions for learning more about Scripture, the Catechism, and more.

Putting together everything they have learned, there will be a third and final catholic-themed game project that the students can follow along with the teacher, or the students can create a game of their choosing.