Message Box

This is the code for adding a message box to your hidden object game.

 messages.text = "Type your message here."

Cyberbullying Game

I made a game about cyber bullying. I found my good info on the subject at this site.
http://www.cyberbullying.us/Top_Ten_Tips_Teens_Response.pdf
Here is an image of my game. If you click on the pictures, text will come up to educate folks.

Pollution Facts

Some interesting facts about pollution can be found here.

http://facts.randomhistory.com/pollution-facts.html

Pollution game progress 12-17-12

Clouds and cars drift across the screen. Message box is working. Scoring is working. Objects disappear when clicked on. Facts about Pollution appear when objects are clicked on. The Factory spews pollution into the air.

Survey

Please follow the link to take the survey.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/EACPA_ProjectSTARTstudentsurvey2012-2013

Coding for Scoring and Hide Object

Today we were coding.
This is the code we used to make a movie clip symbol disappear on a click in your Hidden Object Games.
Each hidden object will have this code referring to the instance name in the actions layer.

objectTrash.onRelease = function() {
   objectTrash._visible = false;
}

Press Control Enter to test your movie.

This is the code to add to your object to make the scoreDisplay Dynamic Text Field display the score when an object is clicked.

score = score + 1;
 scoreDisplay.text = score;




Your code after these two steps will look like this

var score = 0 ;

objectTrash.onRelease = function() {
   objectTrash._visible = false;

score = score + 1;
 scoreDisplay.text = score;
}





Instead of 1 point you could make it (10)ten!





All of this code is found on the Wiki Project pages on the left hand column.

Gang research

I'm making a game about gang violence. I found this cool site that shows images of gang jackets. Check it out!

http://observatory.designobserver.com/feature/accidental-mysteries-112512/37538/

7-8 hidden object game

Today I taught 7-8 how to add hidden objects to a game. We got this far.

hidden objects game

Today I taught 7-7 how to make this hidden object game about Gang Violence w/ 8 hidden objects.

Hidden Objects

I taught the class how to add hidden objects to their games, so that when clicked upon, they disappear.

progress - clouds move across sky

I taught the class how to move objects across the stage at different speeds.

12412 pond and duck

Progress Background Trees

Progress Animal Rights Game

progress animal abuse game

Progress Drug Abuse Game

I am making a game about drug abuse. I have drawn a  bong, ashtray, marijuana, marijuana buds in a bag, a glass pipe, a razor blade, a joint, a spoon, a needle, a mirror, cocaine in a baggy, straw, crack rock in a vial, bic lighter.

Progress Drug Abuse Game

Progress animal abuse game

Progress Pollution Game

Get Caught Up

These are some things that need to be done today. If you've already done it, then you are good to go!

Blogger

1. Make sure the title of your blog looks like this: 7-4 iggyP

Notice there is no last name showing.

2. Make sure that I am an author on your blogger

Settings > Basic > Permissions > Blog Authors > + Add Authors
Add my email address: streckfusglobaloria@gmail.com

3. Make sure that you have added the Followers gadget to your blogger layout

Settings > Layout > Add a Gadget > Followers

4. Make sure you are following at least three people

If you go to my Blogger page and scroll to the bottom, you will see a long list of peers that you can click on and then follow.

5. Make sure that your Blogger is linked to your Wiki profile page

LogIn to the Wiki > Edit Profile > Paste in Blogger URL

6. Do not post the full names of your friends on your Blogger or pictures of yourself or your friends. This could lead to stalking or identity theft.

7. Make sure that you are following my blog!

Wiki

1. Make sure that your Blogger is linked to your Wiki profile page

2. Do you know how to edit and update your project page?

3. Do you know how to use the Learning Log?

4. Do you know how to post a comment URL from your Blogger onto the Wiki?

The URL that you paste in should look like this when you do it:
http://streckfusglobaloria.blogspot.com/2012/11/vector-art-inspiration-2.html?showComment=1353364719133#c1401031219306297552

Notice that the word Comment appears at the end with a very long number.
To get this unique URL, click on the date and time stamp of your comment.

5. Do you know how to post files to the Wiki using File Uploader Tool?

6. Do you know how to save your files in the proper folder on the computer?

Using Bones

Some of you are interested in using the Bones Tool in Flash. I found this great movie about how to use it.

http://active.tutsplus.com/tutorials/animation/making-armatures-with-the-bones-tool-in-flash-cs4/

Great Flash Tips

Here are some really great Flash tips for drawing and animation.

http://active.tutsplus.com/tutorials/design/flash-tips-and-best-practices-for-designers-drawing/

Nat Geo Photos

Writing Assignment

As game designers we will be communicating with digital images within an interactive environment, the internet. We must train our eyes to know how best to communicate our message. We must also practice communicating in words because our games will not be made of just images. With our words we must be able to speak clearly and be understood.

Your Mission:

Take ten minutes to look through the 36 photos from 2012 on National Geographic's site. 

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/visions-of-earth/visions-earth-2012

Choose one photo and write about it in your blog, in a new blog post called "Nat Geo Photo." 

Write about all the details you see, so that if someone could not see the photo, they would still know what it looks like from your description. Speak about subject matter, colors, texture, patterns, line, form, shape, lighting, composition, shapes, and shadows. 

What time of day do you imagine the photo was taken? 

Where was the photo taken?

What attracted you to the photo? Was it the colors? The subject?

Do any of the photos speak about the social issues we're discussing in class?

Save the image to your work folder and include in your blog post. 

We learned how to insert images into our posts already. 

I have a post which explains how to do this dated 11-18-12.

Give the photographer credit like I did below.

Here is the link to National Geographic.

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/visions-of-earth/visions-earth-2012

Photograph by Muhammed Muheisen, AP Images

ROBOT POWER

Robots can now do the most amazing things. Check out this robot that can carry people.

How would you like it if at EACP robots carried you to and from classes all day? They could walk you into class, and then serve as your desk once there. Perhaps it would serve you a nice cold drink as you leisurely browsed the internet looking for cool games to play. Wouldn't that be nice? Well, it's never going to happen. So I suggest you all walk a little bit faster to make it to class on time.

http://youtu.be/xpA59vLEl3g

Add your class and period to your blog title please

Please add your Period and Class to the front of your Blog Names in the title field.  For instance, 7-5 iggyP (for Fifth Period). You need to go into your settings to do this. Look under Basic. See the photo below for a visual guide.

Go to Settings > Basic > ... and then under Title click Edit to change it. Then click Save.

Assignment: Vector Art

Each one of us is a creator, but we need to learn the tools in Flash to make our work look as good as it can. One method of learning how to create in Flash is by tracing over images. In this assignment you will trace over another artist's images so that you will learn how to use the Flash tools.

This is your mission:

Follow the link below to the page with the vector art landscape illustrations on it.


http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/web-roundups/40-stunning-vector-landscape-illustrations/

1. Choose one illo to reproduce in Flash to the best of your abilities.

2. Download the art to your harddrive and then upload it into Flash.
Right click the image > Save Image As... save on your harddrive where you can find it.
In Flash choose File>Import To Stage... find the image on your harddrive

3. Once in Flash, trace over the art using layers.

4. Save your FLA work on your harddrive. You should also save it to the Wiki, using File Uploader under the Wiki Tools.

5. Use the brush tool, pen tool, gradients, shapes and bucket tool to create your art.

6. Export a JPG image and save the image to your harddrive folder on the computer you are using. In Flash choose File>Export>Export Image...Choose JPG

7. Then post the image on your blog.
See my Blog post called How To Post Image On Blog
http://streckfusglobaloria.blogspot.com/2012/11/how-to-post-image-on-blogger.html

8. Call the blog post Landscape Copy.

9. Give the original artist or website credit on your blog post.

10. Comment on someone else's blog post.

You will receive a major quiz grade for this assignment.
You have until Friday afternoon to complete this work and post it on your blog.
Get started! You can do it! Each one of us is a creator.

http://vector.tutsplus.com/articles/web-roundups/40-stunning-vector-landscape-illustrations/

How To Post An Image On Blogger

Create a new post by selecting the pencil icon or clicking on the Create New Post button.

Click on the image icon next to Link, right under the orange Publish/Update button. It looks like this.

Click on Choose Files button once the image finder window opens.

Find the image on your computer.

Make sure the image is selected in the Blogger image finder window. It will have a blue box around it.

Click the blue Add Selected button at the bottom of the Blogger image finder window.

The image will now appear in your blog post.

Publish the post by clicking the orange Publish/Update button.

Zero Waste

This is a really awesome website about the benefits of recycling.

http://www.chewonki.org/zerowaste/default.asp

Child Soldiers Worldwide

Around the globe, Human Rights Watch has documented the recruitment and use of children as soldiers. Today, child soldiers are fighting in at least 14 countries. Read the article to learn more.

Can you locate these countries on the globe?

http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/03/12/child-soldiers-worldwide

Japan Leads Plastic Recycling

Did you know that Japan leads the world in plastic recycling?

There's lots of good facts about plastic recycling in this article from The Guardian, like this one:
Japan recycled 72% of PET bottles in 2010, compared with 48% in Europe and 29% in the US.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/dec/29/japan-leads-field-plastic-recycling

Nutrient Rich

Here is an article about nutrient rich foods. Not surprisingly, fast food and processed foods are not very nutrient rich.

Read the article and tell us how you feel about eating these foods mentioned. 

http://www.organicauthority.com/health/most-nutrient-dense-healthy-foods-on-earth.html

Malala Day

You learned about Malala Yousufzai last month, who was shot by the Taliban for speaking about girls' rights to education. She is recovering in the hospital

The UN has declared Saturday to be a "global day of action" for Malala!

She has been inspired and humbled by the thousands of cards she has received. She spoke out for education for all as a right, and not a privilege.

Did you make a card for Malala?

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/10/15066783-malala-day-marked-in-pakistan-amid-security-fears?lite&ocid=msnhp&pos=1

All About Sugar

Some of you are researching nutrition. Here is a good article about sugar and how it affects the body.

http://lifehacker.com/5809331/what-sugar-actually-does-to-your-brain-and-body

Animal Cruelty

Some of you are researching animal cruelty. Here is a glossary of farm animal cruelty.

http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/farm-animal-cruelty/farm-animal-cruelty-glossary.aspx

Vector Inspiration

Designing with Flash can be hard. But inspiration goes a long way to fuel your passion for doing better. Here is a cool page with lots of really great digital landscape art to inspire you!

http://www.littleboxofideas.com/blog/inspirations/40-most-amazing-vector-landscapes

Election Maps

The election is over and Obama is President for another four years. If you saw some of the election maps, it might have looked like there was a lot more red(Republican) than blue(Democrat) on the map. But that view fails to explain the population of those states. There are many different ways to represent how the vote looked on the map. Check out this site to get a better understanding of how the country voted by seeing the map in a new way.

http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mejn/election/2012/

Veterans Homelessness Interactive Map

Some of you are researching homelessness in the U.S. Check out this cool interactive map about  homeless veterans in the United States.  If you roll over the different states you can see stats for the amount of homeless veterans in Texas. The number may surprise you.

http://www.longmarchhome.org/homelessness_map.html

Tips for Stopping Cyberbullying

Some good tips to help stop cyberbullying.

http://www.safeteens.com/tips-to-stop-cyberbullying/

Election Day

Today is election day. People in the United States are voting for the next President. Who do you think will win? Obama or Romney? What other feelings do you have about the election? I want to hear your opinions. Write complete sentences in the comments of this blog post. You will get a grade on this. 

When you have completed your blog post, you can play with this election map.

http://www.usatoday.com/interactives/news/politics/electoral-vote-tracker/

Foods That Help Detoxify Your Body

Need some extra energy for the game or orchestra? Eating these foods will help to detoxify your system and give you a boost!

Do you ever notice how you feel after you eat?

Do you like to eat these foods mentioned in the article?

If you went to the grocery store with your parents, would you like to help them decide what to buy to eat?


http://www.organicauthority.com/health/skip-the-juice-diet-10-natural-food-detox.html

Childhood Obesity Info

Here is an excellent website from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation about the issue of childhood obesity. Some of you are researching this topic for a hidden object game. Check it out!

http://www.rwjf.org/en/about-rwjf/program-areas/childhood-obesity.html

What Do Drugs Look Like?

What do drugs look like? Here's a good site for that info.

http://wweb.uta.edu/projects/sswtech/sapvc/resources/pictures_of_drugs.htm

Congo's Child Soldiers

This is an excellent photo essay about child soldiers in Congo.

Some of you are researching this topic and imagining your game scenes.

If you get any ideas for your game, write about it in your blog!

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1673770,00.html

Recycling Plastic

Did you know that plastic bottles might be turned into a dress or t-shirt? Here's how.

http://plasticsmakeitpossible.com/2012/10/professor-plastic-from-plastic-bottle-to-eco-fashion/

Zombie Snails (2:40)

When a snail eats these parasites the parasites take over the snails tentacles and brain to ensure that the parasite's offspring lives on. The snail becomes food for a bird, and the cycle continues when another snail eats the bird droppings.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/animals/invertebrates-animals/other-invertebrates/deadliest-zombie-snails/?source=vidcarousel

Fast Food Facts

If you are doing your project on Nutrition, or just trying to decide which fast food restaurant to have lunch at, this web site is great for comparing nutritional value at all the different fast food joints on the east side. Use the sliders on the left nav to filter your results!

http://fast-food-nutrition.findthebest.com/

Hurricane Sandy

Read the article on CNN.com about Hurricane Sandy


http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/02/us/tropical-weather-sandy/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

After you have read the article answer questions in a blog post called "Hurricane Sandy".
You will get a grade on this so answer carefully.

1. What happened in New York City on Monday?

2. What are some issues facing the people?

3. How many slices of pizza did Donna Solli have in 48 hours? (THE ARTICLE WAS EDITED N/A)

4. Where does Donna Solli live? (THE ARTICLE WAS EDITED N/A)

5. Who is the Senator of New York mentioned in the article?

6. What political party is he with?

7. How many people did Hurricane Sandy kill in other countries?

8. How many did it kill in the United States?

9. What is the total economic damage estimated by disaster modeling company firm EQECAT?

10. Who is the Homeland Security Secretary?

11. Who is the governor of New York?

12. How did the storm affect West Virginia and Maryland?

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/02/us/tropical-weather-sandy/index.html?hpt=hp_inthenews

Extra Credit 2

In order to get this extra credit, you must have all your assignments complete. You can blog about a game or social issue for extra credit.

Gaming Blog Post

1. Post a link to a game, or embed a video about a game

2. Identify and discuss the game ingredients - We learned about game ingredients in the Play To Learn Chapter.

3. Tell us how you would make the game better

4. Do you think the game has a psychological effect on the gamer and if so, what is it?

Sentences need to have capital letters on the first word, proper grammar and punctuation.

Bring to my attention that you did extra credit by COMMENTING on THIS post and I will check your work.

Social Issue Blog Post


You can also blog about a social issue which you are working on in class.
Examples of social issues are:

Cyberbullying
Peer Pressure
Gangs
Sustainable Energy
Pollution
Recycling
Child Abuse
Alcohol and drug abuse
Animal Abuse
Teen Pregnancy
Nutrition - Anorexia, Obesity
Homelessness, Poverty
Child Soldiers


1. Post a link to a website or a video that is relevant.

2. Begin a discussion with your online community. State your opinion, and ask others what their opinion is about the issue. 

3. How do you think the community can improve the situation?

4. Follow up with comments that come in. It's a discussion so stay actively participating.

Sentences need to have capital letters on the first word, proper grammar and punctuation.

Bring to my attention that you did extra credit by COMMENTING on THIS post and I will check your work.

You May Improve Your Grades

If you turned in poor work, and received a failing grade, you have the chance to improve on your work. You may go back to it, and improve it, and then in the comments field of this blog post, send me a message to go back and check it again.

If you fail to tell me in the comments field of this blog post, I won't know to go back to look at it, and you will keep the low score. The highest grade you can receive for improved work after the fact, is a 70.

A Child Soldier's Day

What's it like to live as a child soldier in Columbia?

This report was written by Sebastian Brett, senior researcher in the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch.

It will give you lots of ideas for your game on Child Soldiers!
Follow the nav at the top of the page to see more.

http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/colombia0903/9.htm#_Toc29

NASA's New Ship

There's a pretty cool video of the new space ship that NASA will test in 2014 on

http://www.space.com/16395-orion-space-capsule-nasa-unveiled.html.

Typing Game

Here's a great typing game if you need to work on your typing skills!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/levels/level1.shtml

Austin Pet Laws

Lots of you are researching Animal Cruelty for a hidden object game.
Here is a good roundup of Austin Laws regarding treatment of pets from the Austin Humane Society.

http://www.austinhumanesociety.org/blog?page=7

Animals Have Conscious Awareness

Scientists have declared that animals have conscious awareness just like humans! Read all about it here on io9.com

http://io9.com/5937356/prominent-scientists-sign-declaration-that-animals-have-conscious-awareness-just-like-us

Wolf Endangerment

Some of you are researching wolf conservation. Here is a great site all about that.

http://www.wolfcountry.net/information/WolfEndangered.html

Drug Paraphernalia

We've been discussing drug paraphernalia in class in association with creating hidden object games about drug abuse. This is a good site that explains drug paraphernalia for different drugs, and might be of use to you in creating your hidden object games.

http://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.com/identify/what_kinds_of_things_are_paraphernalia.html