Way Elementary Third Graders Blend Art, Music, and Coding to Build Their Own Video Games

Way Elementary students in grade 3 learned that video games and school can mix. Each student built their very own video game as part of a unique cross-content project - with coding created in STEAM, a visual backdrop designed in art, and a theme song developed in music.

In Samantha Auricchio's STEAM class, students began by studying simple video games that already exist, similar to how artists “learn from the masters.” They learned how to code simple gaming objectives including pong, chasing, jumping, catching, and even virtual towns and virtual pets, and decided which to feature in their own design. Students then chose a “feeling” for the game, such as fun and exciting, spooky, funny, etc.

In art, teacher Sarah Schantz asked students to select five colors that aligned to their game’s feeling, and use those colors to design a visual backdrop for the game. The five colors were then mapped to corresponding music notes, which students used to create a theme song with music teacher Mandy Oberst. Several digital instrument sounds were available, resulting in a wide variety of sound options to fit the mood of the game.

A large part of the project involved peer review and feedback. Sitting with two friends in STEAM, Helena Klein (grade 3) said her favorite part of the project was “creating things with friends, because friends give you feedback.” Adeline Shuell (grade 3) added that she liked the creativity involved.

Izsak Amerson (grade 3) designed a game involving a food he likes: tacos. “The taco falls from the sky and you have to try to get it into a mouth.” Amerson used a variety of taco images - some with meat, beans, and different toppings - and explained, “You get different points for different types of tacos.” 

The cross-content project was made possible thanks to a 2024 grant from Oakland Schools. Grant funds purchased the Sibelius scorewriter software, which allowed students to convert their theme song into music that could be published and linked to the game. The grant also enabled the purchase of new scanners to convert student artwork into a format usable for the video game. Auricchio, Oberst, and Schantz hope to make this an annual grade 3 project.