Computer Science Class- Sprites!

Over the past few weeks, our computer science class has been diving into the world of binary notation, exploring why computers operate in base-2 instead of the base-10 decimal system we use every day.

Understanding the theory is one thing, but bringing it to life is where the fun starts! If you’ve ever played classic retro games on systems like the NES, you’ve seen binary in action—sprites were used to create iconic moving characters like Mario.

Our students put this concept to work by first sketching their own sprites on graph paper, translating their pixel art into binary code, and then converting those numbers to decimal values. Finally, they plugged those values into Python to watch their hand-drawn designs render on screen!

Check out some of their incredible original creations below!