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      h2 CodeCombat for Teachers

      h3 Preparation

      p CodeCombat is free to play and does not require students to sign up. We encourage teachers to 
        a(href="http://codecombat.com/play") play through the campaign
        |  to try it out, but the only thing you absolutely need to do to be ready is ensure students have access to a computer or iPad.

      p
       | The iPad version is not publicly available yet, but you can 
       a(href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgF4YuN7RBk&feature=youtu.be") see a preview video here
       | .

      p It is not necessary for teachers to be comfortable with computer science concepts for students to have fun learning with CodeCombat.

      h3 Is it violent?

      p We get this from teachers a lot due to our name. Although CodeCombat does contain cartoon violence, there is nothing graphic in either the visuals or language. If you are comfortable having your students play Angry Birds, you will be comfortable with CodeCombat.

      h3 Is it for girls?

      p There are three game modes in CodeCombat: building, puzzles, and combat. We have intentionally designed each to appeal to both boys and girls and think that the building and puzzle levels especially differentiate the game from violent triple A titles that repel female players.

      h3 What do we cover?

      p There are 12 levels in the Hour of Code tutorial that teach and reinforce 5 specific computer science concepts:

        ol
          li <strong>Formal notation</strong> - builds an understanding of the importance of syntax in programming.
          li <strong>Calling methods</strong> - familiarizes students with the syntax of object-oriented method calls.
          li <strong>Parameters</strong> - trains how to pass parameters to functions.
          li <strong>Strings</strong> - teaches students about string notation and passing strings as parameters.
          li <strong>Loops</strong> - develops the abstraction of designing short programs with loops.

      p Students may continue past level 12, depending on their speed and interest, to learn two additional concepts in levels 13-20:

        ol
          li <strong>Conditional logic</strong> - when and how to use if/else to control in-game outcomes.
          li <strong>Handling player input</strong> - responding to input events to create a user interface.

      h3 System Requirements

      p Because CodeCombat is a game, it is more intensive for computers to run smoothly than video or written tutorials. We are continually improving performance and expect to have the game running smoothly on older machines by December. That said, here are our suggestions for getting the most out of your Hour of Code experience:

      p For mobile players:

        ul
          li <strong>Use newer iPads if possible.</strong> Older iPads (iPad 2+) will work, but will play the game more slowly. The app requires iOS 8.
          li <strong>Allow players to wear headphones/earbuds to hear the audio.</strong> We help players learn through voiceover and sound effects which will make classrooms noisy and distracting.

      p For desktop and laptop players:
          
        ul
          li <strong>Use newer versions of Chrome or Firefox.</strong> Although CodeCombat will work on browsers as old as IE9, the performance is not as good.
          li <strong>Use newer computers.</strong> Older computers, Chromebooks, and netbooks tend to have very few system resources, which makes for a less enjoyable experience.
          li <strong>Allow players to wear headphones/earbuds to hear the audio.</strong> We help players learn through voiceover and sound effects which will make classrooms noisy and distracting.