Introduction to Scratch
This assignment will require you to use Scratch to create a simple animation that tells a story. The animation should allow users to demonstrate their computational thinking in a specific subject area.
Objective: To learn the basics of Scratch, a block-based programming language designed for beginners to create interactive stories, games, and animations.
Materials:
A laptop/computer with Scratch installed (available at scratch.mit.edu)
Internet access (recommended)
Instructions:
Explore the Scratch Interface:
Open Scratch and take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the interface.
Identify the different areas of the Scratch workspace: Stage (where animations and interactions take place), Sprite Pane (where sprites or characters are located), Blocks Pane (where programming blocks are assembled), and Costume Editor (where sprite appearances are customized).
Create a Simple Interactive Story:
Start by adding a sprite from the Scratch library or create your own using the Paint Editor.
Use the Blocks Pane to drag and drop blocks to create a simple program that makes your sprite move or change appearance when the mouse is clicked or a key is pressed.
Experiment with different blocks and combinations to create various interactions for your sprite.
Add Sound Effects and Music:
Discover the Sound Pane and explore the available sound effects.
Add sound effects to your interactive story to enhance the user experience.
Experiment with different ways to trigger sound effects using programming blocks.
Explore the Music Pane and learn how to add background music to your Scratch project.
Extend Your Interactive Story:
Challenge yourself to add more sprites and interactions to your story.
Use the Events tab in the Blocks Pane to create conditional statements and more complex behaviors for your sprites.
Experiment with different variables to store and manipulate data within your program.
Explore the use of loops and functions to make your program more efficient and reusable.
Reflection:
What did you learn about Scratch and block-based programming?
What aspects of Computational Thinking and Scratch did you find most engaging and challenging?
How do you think Scratch could be used to teach or learn other concepts in your subject (i.e., ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies)?
What ideas do you have for future Scratch projects for your digital story?
View Rubric
Introduction To ScratchCriteriaRatingsPts
Explore the Scratch Interface
4 pts
Excellent
Student is able to quickly navigate the Scratch interface and accurately identify all areas of the workspace.
3 pts
Good
Student is able to navigate the Scratch interface and identify most areas of the workspace with minimal errors.
2 pts
Satisfactory
Student is able to navigate the Scratch interface and identify some areas of the workspace with occasional errors.
1 pts
Needs Improvement
Student struggles to navigate the Scratch interface and has difficulty identifying areas of the workspace.
/ 4 pts
Create a Simple Interactive Story
4 pts
Excellent
Student successfully adds a sprite, uses appropriate blocks, and creates a program that responds to mouse clicks or key presses.
3 pts
Good
Student adds a sprite, uses appropriate blocks, and creates a program that mostly responds to mouse clicks or key presses with few errors.
2 pts
Satisfactory
Student adds a sprite, uses some appropriate blocks, and creates a program that partially responds to mouse clicks or key presses with occasional errors.
1 pts
Needs Improvement
Student struggles to add a sprite, use appropriate blocks, and create a program that responds to mouse clicks or key presses with frequent errors.
/ 4 pts
Add Sound Effects and Music
4 pts
Excellent
Student successfully discovers the Sound Pane, adds sound effects, and experiments with different ways to trigger them using programming blocks. Student also adds background music from the Music Pane.
3 pts
Good
Student discovers the Sound Pane, adds sound effects, and mostly successfully triggers them using programming blocks. Student also adds background music from the Music Pane with few errors.
2 pts
Satisfactory
Student discovers the Sound Pane, adds some sound effects, and partially successfully triggers them using programming blocks. Student attempts to add background music from the Music Pane with occasional errors.
1 pts
Needs Improvement
Student struggles to discover the Sound Pane, add sound effects, and trigger them using programming blocks. Student struggles to add background music from the Music Pane with frequent errors.
/ 4 pts
Extend Your Interactive Story
4 pts
Excellent
Student successfully adds more sprites and interactions, uses conditional statements in the Events tab, incorporates variables for data manipulation, and demonstrates understanding of loops and functions.
3 pts
Good
Student adds more sprites and interactions, uses conditional statements in the Events tab, incorporates variables for data manipulation, and demonstrates understanding of loops and functions with few errors.
2 pts
Satisfactory
Student adds some additional sprites and interactions, uses conditional statements in the Events tab with occasional errors, attempts to incorporate variables for data manipulation, and demonstrates partial understanding of loops and functions.
1 pts
Needs Improvement
Student struggles to add additional sprites and interactions, use conditional statements in the Events tab with frequent errors, does not effectively incorporate variables for data manipulation, and demonstrates limited understanding of loops and functions.
/ 4 pts
Reflection
4 pts
Excellent
Student provides thoughtful and detailed responses to all reflection questions, demonstrating a deep understanding of Scratch and block-based programming.
3 pts
Good
Student provides thorough responses to all reflection questions, demonstrating a good understanding of Scratch and block-based programming.
2 pts
Satisfactory
Student provides satisfactory responses to most reflection questions, demonstrating a basic understanding of Scratch and block-based programming.
1 pts
Needs Improvement
Student provides limited or incomplete responses to some reflection questions, demonstrating a limited understanding of Scratch and block-based programming.
