Your Guide to Exploring Scratch!

Welcome, Future Coder!

Get ready to dive into the amazing world of Scratch! It's a super fun and creative way to learn how to code, make your own games, tell interactive stories, and even create animations. Forget boring lines of code – with Scratch, you'll be building with colourful blocks, just like digital LEGOs!

Why Learn Scratch?

• Be Creative: Design your own characters, stories, and worlds.

• Solve Problems: Learn to break down big challenges into smaller, easier steps.

• Think Logically: Understand how computers follow instructions.

• Have Fun! It's a fantastic way to express yourself and bring your ideas to life.

Getting Started with Scratch

It's easy to get started!

1. Go to the Website: Open your web browser and type in: scratch.mit.edu
   
   

2. Create an Account (Optional but Recommended): Click the "Join Scratch" button. This lets you save all your amazing projects! If you just want to try it out, you can click "Create" right away without an account.
   
   

3. Explore the Interface: Once you're in, take a look around!
   
   

   • Stage: This is where your project comes to life! You'll see your characters (called "sprites") moving and interacting here.

   • Sprites: These are your characters or objects in your project. The Scratch Cat is the default sprite!

   • Scripts Area: This big empty space in the middle is where you'll drag and drop your code blocks to tell your sprites what to do.

   • Block Palette: On the left, you'll see colourful categories of code blocks (like "Motion," "Looks," "Events," etc.). This is where you'll find all the instructions.

Key Concept 1: Sequencing – The Order Matters!

Imagine you're getting ready for school. You don't put on your shoes before your socks, do you? The order you do things in is really important!

Sequencing in coding means the order in which instructions are carried out. Computers follow your instructions one after another, from top to bottom, just like reading a recipe. If you get the order wrong, your program might not do what you expect!

Your First Sequencing Task: Make the Cat Move!

Let's try this out in Scratch:

1. Open a new Scratch project (click "Create" on the Scratch website).

2. Look for the Events category (it's yellow). Drag out the when green flag clicked block and place it in the Scripts Area. This block tells your code to start when you click the green flag above the Stage.

3. Now, go to the Motion category (it's blue).

4. Drag out a move 10 steps block and snap it directly below the when green flag clicked block.

5. Click the green flag above the Stage. What happened to the cat? It moved a little bit, right?

6. Now, let's change the order. Drag out a turn 15 degrees block (also from Motion) and place it after the move 10 steps block.

7. Click the green flag again. What happens now?

Did you notice how the cat moved then turned? If you put the turn block before the move block, it would turn first, then move in its new direction. This shows how crucial sequencing is!

Key Concept 2: Variables – Storing Information

Think of a variable like a special box or a container that can hold information. The cool thing about this box is that the information inside it can change or "vary"!

• Score: In a game, your score changes as you play. A variable is perfect for keeping track of this number.

• Player Name: You could store a player's name in a variable.

• Timer: A variable can count up or down, like a timer in a game.

Variables are super useful because they help your programs remember things.

Your First Variables Task: Keep Track of a Score!

Let's make a simple score counter:

1. Continue with your Scratch project or start a new one.

2. Go to the Variables category (it's orange).

3. Click the button that says "Make a Variable."

4. A small window will pop up. Type "Score" as the variable name and click "OK."

   • You'll now see a "Score" block in your Block Palette, and a "Score" display will appear on your Stage!

5. From the Events category, drag out a when green flag clicked block.

6. Go back to the Variables category. Drag out a set my variable to 0 block. Snap it under the when green flag clicked block. Click on the little arrow next to "my variable" and choose "Score." (This makes sure your score starts at zero every time you play).

7. Now, let's make the score go up when you click the cat!

   • From the Events category, find and drag out a when this sprite clicked block.

   • From the Variables category, drag out a change my variable by 1 block. Snap it under the when this sprite clicked block. Again, click the arrow and choose "Score."

8. Click the green flag. Your score should go to 0. Now, click on the Scratch Cat on the Stage. What happens to the score each time you click?

Great job! You just used a variable to keep track of a score. Can you think of other things a variable could store in a game (like lives, time, or the current level)?

Your Next Challenge!

You've learned about sequencing (the order of your code) and variables (boxes that store changing information). Now, try to combine them!

Can you create a simple "clicker game" where:

• Every time you click the Scratch Cat, your Score variable goes up.

• After you click the cat, it also moves a few steps (using sequencing).

• Maybe it even says "Yay!" for a second? (Look in the "Looks" category!)

Useful Resources

Don't forget, there's loads of help out there!

• Scratch Website: scratch.mit.edu – Explore amazing projects made by other people!

• Scratch Tutorials: On the Scratch website, click the "Tutorials" button. There are lots of guided projects to help you learn more.

• YouTube: Search for "Scratch tutorials for beginners" – you'll find tons of helpful videos!

Got Questions?

Coding is all about experimenting, trying things out, and learning from your mistakes. Don't be afraid to ask your teacher or classmates if you get stuck. Keep exploring and have fun coding!