What skills and competencies will you gain?

Curriculum Links

Learning Outcomes

Emotional Intelligence: Understanding how emotions work and how they influence our actions and behaviours.
Coding Skills: Developing coding skills by using Scratch to design and programme interactive video sensing games.
Creative Expression: Designing characters, scenes, and game elements that creatively express and respond to emotions.
Critical Thinking: Strengthening critical thinking skills through the design, testing, and iteration of games.

You will need:

Laptops, tablets or computers
Coding resources (download here)

Intro to Scratch: Toolkit and Code block types

Scratch Toolkit

Let's first learn about the Scratch toolkit and how it works!

1. Code: different code categories and code blocks

2. Costumes: Sprite costumes, create new costumes or edit existing ones

3. Sounds: find, create or edit existing sounds

4. Share your projects with others

5. Green flag: run the code, red octagon: stop the code

6. See the code and the Sprite(s) in action

7. Add backdrops

8. Add a Sprite (Sprites are main characters or actors in your project. They are programmed to do something in Scratch)

9. Build your code in this section

10. Add an extension

Code block types

**Hat blocks**

They start a script or block sequence. They are mostly found in the Events category, but sometimes in custom blocks such as ‘My Blocks’ or in ‘Extensions’. They have a rounded top and a bottom bump under which code blocks snap onto.

**Stack blocks**

These are middle pieces of your code. They give commands and instructions, and run from top to bottom. They are found in every category except ‘Operators’. They have a top notch and a bottom bump , which means other code blocks snap above and below this block.

**C blocks**

These are like the bread of a sandwich and they wrap around other blocks. They hold other code blocks inside. They are used to loop commands and check conditions.

**Boolean blocks**

They are used to say that something is ‘True’ or ‘False’. ‘True’ can be represented as ‘1’ and ‘False’ as ‘0’. These blocks can be found in ‘Sensing’ and ‘Operators’ categories. They are hexagonal in shape and they fit inside other blocks.

**Reporter blocks**

They report value. The value can be anything, from position of the Sprite to a custom number. Reporter blocks cannot stack like other blocks. They have rounded edges and fit inside other blocks.

**Cap blocks**

These blocks stop the code from running. Cap blocks are placed at the end of the code. They have a top notch so other blocks stack above it and a flat bases, which means no other block can be added below it.

Intro to Scratch 2: Backdrops and Sprites

Searching and adding backdrops

Click on ‘Choose a Backdrop’ to search the library. Use the ‘Search’ bar or the categories.

Searching and adding Sprites

Click on ‘Choose a Sprite’ to search the library. Use the ‘Search’ bar or the categories.

Editing Sprites

1. Select the Sprite then click ‘Ungroup’ before editing. 2. Then, select parts you want to edit and use the tools.

Video Sensing

Click on ‘Add Extension’ and select ‘Video Sensing’.

Tip: If you do not see yourself here, check your camera settings in the browser and refresh the page.

Drag and drop the first code block, then snap another one underneath it and wave in front of your camera to see your Sprite move.

Scratch activity: Design a calming game - 'Pacific Dip'

Design and build calming games. First, have a think about what makes you calm and relaxed.

Experiment: Can you add more Sprites, change their costumes or colour?

Experiment: What happens if you change the number or swap this block with a different one?

Top Tips

Accidentally deleting Sprites: If you accidentally deleted your Sprite, go to ‘Edit’ and click ‘Restore a Sprite’.

Quick code copy: If you have many Sprites and want all of them to do the same, you can quickly copy the code. Drag and drop the code onto the Sprite. Wait for the Sprite to wiggle before releasing the code.