Essential Computational Skills

Adapted from John Plough's materials for HS Physics

The following is an introduction to using VPython in GlowScript. Once logged in, the Help button in the upper right hand corner of the screen contains a useful introduction along with tutorials and extensive object descriptions for assistance well beyond material presented here.

While working these activities in pairs, make to comment each line of code you write to remind yourself and your partner what it does and why you wrote it. You can comment code by using the pound symbol,

# This is a commented line in Glowscript

It is important that you are your partner agree and understand each line of code you are writing. The comments are meant to externalize that understanding you both share.

One of the central features of Glowscript is being able to make objects that represent different things in the world. Making objects with Glowscript is much simpler than other languages and one of Glowscript's strengths. In this activity, you and your partner are tasked with using Glowscript's shape objects to write the word PHYSICS, Physics, or physics.

Shape objects are often the first part of the program that gets written because you are “setting the scene.” The point of this activity to understand better the different attributes of Glowscript's shape objects, how they work, and how you can refer to the different attributes.