WAVERLEY: Kaitlyn Langille and Isabelle McKenna might be in Grade 5, but they showed they are very tech savvy.
In the recently held Scratch contest, the two Waverley Memorial Elementary Students came home second from more than 100 entries province-wide with their video game Keep On Breathing. It features three animals in a race—a cat; a dog; and a penguin, and the user can chose to be one depend on their age. You have to answer math questions in order to move forward, and you’re in a race to beat a dragon.
“When we first started on our video game I didn’t think we would place at all,” said McKenna, who lives in Lakeview. “It was an incredible opportunity for us, and to come second was just amazing.”
Langille said the purpose of the game is to increase knowledge of math and to have fun doing it by racing an opponent. To win the race, you have to help your character get to the finish line by answering math questions and outsmarting your opponent to win the trophy, the medal, and a free taco. The game is for those ages 10-12-years-old.
“It was really fun to make the game,” said the Windsor Junction resident. “I’m really happy we placed because we put a lot of time and thought into it. It was really nice for all of our hard work to pay off.”
McKenna said they had to code different objects in their video game to make it real.
“It was the first idea that kind of popped into our heads,” said Langille on why they picked a racing game to code. “We sorted the things out, and once we started we both agreed it was a fun idea.”
Both say by finishing second it shows how far they’ve come in learning about coding, and hope to continue learning more of it in the future.
“It was easy for me so I liked doing all the coding for the game,” said McKenna.
Teacher Krista Ford was impressed with how well her students placed. She contacted the Scratch contest organizers, which is run by Brilliant Labs, to see if the students could enter. The contest was open to those between Grade 6-8.
“There was a tonne of coding that they had to do and create, and they did it,” said Ford.
Check out the game at: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/159668633/
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com