Scratch Basics

Scratch and Storytelling PD

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Objective: Teachers will explore basic coding in Scratch.

Sprites

Sprites: A character in Scratch that can be programmed to perform actions.

Sprite Tutorial #2

Steps: Click on the “Create” tab on Scratch.mit.edu

• Hover over “Choose a Sprite” (the white cat face).
• Click on it.
• Choose a sprite from the library by clicking on it.
• Hover over the spirit to see costume (appearance) changes.
• To create your own sprite, go to “Choose a Sprite” and click on the paint brush.
• You can create your own sprite in “Vector” or “Bitmap.
• Use “Bitmap” to create pixelated sprites.
• You can upload a sprite by using “Upload Sprite.”

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Additional Resources:

Mild Level

Add a Sprite Tutorial (Ideas tab, and scroll down)

Medium Level

Pixel Art in Scratch (Making a pixelated Sprite)

Pixel Art Tutorial

Spicy Level

Design your own Character

Design Your Own Character Tutorial

Layout/Background

Layout/ Background: An image that is the main setting on the stage.

Background Tutorial

Steps: Click on the “Create” tab on Scratch.mit.edu

• Go to the tab under the stage that says “stage.”
• Hover over the mountain icon, “Choose a Backdrop.”
• Select the magnifying glass icon to choose a backdrop from the library.
• Select the paintbrush icon to create your own backdrop.
• Select the surprise icon to have scratch select an backdrop for you.
• Select the upload backdrop icon to upload a background from your computer.

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Additional Resources:

Mild Level

Imagine a World Tutorial (Ideas tab and scroll down)

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Spicy Level

Create a Scrolling Background

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Sequence

Sequence: The order in which the code is written is the order in which the sprite will perform the action

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Sequence Tutorial

Steps: Click on the “Create” tab on Scratch.mit.edu

Start with an “Event” block of code. The steps will vary depending on how you write your code. Please see the resources to practice writing code in sequences.

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Additional Resources:

Mild-Medium Level

Animate a Character Tutorial

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Spicy Level

Change Size Tutorial

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Loops

Loops: Sequences of code that repeats until a condition is met to make it stop.

Loops Tutorial #2

Steps: Click on the “Create” tab on Scratch.mit.edu

• Event: Choose an event block
• Control: Select the “Forever” loop block
• Motion: Choose a “Move” block
• Control: Choose the “Wait” block and set the time
• Looks: Select “Next Costume”
• Motion: Select “If on edge, bounce” and “Set rotation style.”

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Additional Resources:

Mild/Medium Level

Loops and Nested Loops

Medium Level

MIT Scratch Introduction to Loops

Intro to Loops (5 mins)

Timings

Timings:

Steps: Click on the “Create” tab on Scratch.mit.edu

Timings Tutorial

• Go to “Variables”
• Click “Make a Variable”
• Name the Variable.
• Go to “Events” and choose an event to start the timer.
• Go to “Variables” and attach “Set my variable to (x).”
• Go to “Control” and select the “Forever” loop and “Wait 1 seconds” block.
• Attach the Forever block to the Set time block.
• Place the Wait block in the forever loop.
• Go to “Variables” and select “Change variable by (x).
• Attach the Change variable block to the Wait block.

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Additional Resources:

Medium Level

Create a Countdown Timer in Scratch

Medium Level

Create a Timer with Variables