Groggy Groundhog

Mark your calendars! On February 2, people will eagerly wait to see if a groundhog emerging from its winter burrow will see its shadow. As the legend goes, if the groundhog sees its shadow, it will go back underground and we’ll get six more weeks of winter. But on a cloudy day, the groundhog will not see its shadow, and spring will come early!

In this lesson, beginner-level coders will follow a step-by-step tutorial where they will create an interactive Groundhog Day game! Activities include adding more time to clear the clouds, hiding the sun behind the clouds, and making the groundhog react to the weather. How to play: Click (for web) or tap (for mobile) on the clouds. If the clouds are cleared before the groundhog leaves its burrow, then click (for web) or tap (for mobile) on the sun to cast a shadow around the groundhog. By the end of this lesson, students will have combined creativity with problem-solving skills while reinforcing understanding of coding concepts such as layers, delays, simple conditionals, simple loops, input/output, direction and turning, and simple sound playing.