Tag: Coding

SCRATCHing the Surface: Trying Out Scratch

Scratch is a block-based programming tool from the MIT Media Lab that gets pigeon-holed as a tool for introducing students to coding & programming.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great tool for that, but it’s oooohhhh sooo much more!  In my mind–and in the minds of many students who have used it–Scratch is a place with infinite possibilities for creation.

That creation can be, well… just about anything. And that anything could relate to games or music or jokes or…. science, math, social studies, language arts, world languages…. you get the picture.  ANYTHING.  It could be a great classroom tool.  Especially when put in the hands of students.

So, let me give you a little intro to Scratch.  Let’s SCRATCH the Surface.

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First Steps

Continue reading SCRATCHing the Surface: Trying Out Scratch

Mimic Movement in Scratch by changing “costumes”

Scratch is a great tool for students to tell stories, prove comprehension, practice language skills and . . . well, be creative.  Here’s an important skill to master:

Figuring out how to make things move is pretty easy.  Often, though, they look like they’re sliding or gliding. How do you make them seem animated? Most sprites in Scratch have costumes. By using the “next costume” block with a “repeat” block, you can make them appear to be running, jumping, walking, heck, even dabbing.

Scratch - Change Costumes Animation

Important Tip: if you don’t put a “wait” block in there, the costume will change repeatedly without you (or your viewer) seeing it.  To Scratch, it’s changing over and over instantly – to us, it’s just the same costume the whole time.

Another Tip: if your sprite doesn’t have a second costume that makes it appear to move . . . make one!  Duplicate the 1st costume and edit it to make a 2nd one!