Island 3
Scratch: Coding-- It's a Snap
Students will learn Scratch v3 in a snap! With just a few clicks of a mouse, students will make computer games, animations, and more!
Scratch
How Stuff Works
Many things "know" how to behave.
A robotic dog "knows" how to bark and wag its tail. Phones "know" to call or text depending on which button you touch. Even your house "knows" when to turn on the heat or air conditioning.
How do Machines, Toys, And Electronic Devices Know What To Do?
Inside each of them are small electronic parts that contain information. The information is known as computer programs. Computer programs are the instructions that tell electronic devices what to do. Computer programs are written by software engineers.
How Do Software Engineers Communicate With Computers?
We communicate with computers using symbols and numbers.
This is similar to how we use language to talk to each other, but this is a language that the computer understands.
The instructions are written in lines of code. Each line of code tells the computer to do something.
Check Each Block
Check for the right colors, numbers, and words. Make sure each block is connected to another block. The more students practice debugging, the better and faster they will get at fixing problems. What steps can students follow every time to find the mistake fast?
What is Scratch?
Scratch is a web application.
With Scratch, you can:
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Write simple computer programs.
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Create computer stories, games, and animations.
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Share stories, games, and animations with others.
Coding with Blocks
Scratch uses blocks instead of symbols, numbers, and letters. Each block represents a line of code. These blocks of code snap together like puzzle pieces. By connecting blocks of code, you create a computer program. There are different kinds of blocks. Each type comes in a different color.
Debugging Your Code
Computers do exactly what programs tell them to do. If your program does not do what you wanted, the code needs changes. Do not worry! Fixing a computer program is a normal part of software engineering. This process is called “debugging," and it can take some time to do. Software engineers need to debug their work often.