Introduction to

Scratch
Scratch is a visual programming language that allows students to create their own
interactive stories, games and animations. As students design Scratch projects, they
learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively. Scratch
was created by the Lifelong Kindergarten group at MIT

Elements of Scratch
There are four main elements of Scratch: the stage, the sprites, the script and the
programming palette. These elements can be compared to a play.

Sprite

Stage

Programming
Palette

Script

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 1) Stage – similar to the stage in a play. This is where everything will take place.
The stage can be different backgrounds (see page 7), just like in a play.

2) Sprites – are the actors or main characters of the project. Sprites are
programmed to do something in Scratch.

3) Script – tells the actors what to say or do. Each sprite is programmed with a
script.

4) Programming palette – elements used to program the sprite to do or say

something. Sprites must be programmed to carry out every function you
want them to perform.

Programming a Sprite – Control, Motion, Looks and Sound

Control blocks
Programming a sprite ALWAYS begins with a control block (orange/yellow category
from the programming palette). There are three blocks that can be used to begin
programming: ,
,

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 1) When the green flag is clicked – The project will begin when the green flag in
the upper right hand corner is clicked.

2) When space key is pressed – The project will begin when the space bar is
pressed. The black drop down arrow indicates that you can choose a key
different from the space bar; and that key will begin the project.

3) When sprite 1 is clicked – The project will begin when the sprite is click. Note:
Click the sprite on the stage, NOT the small thumbnail sprite shown
underneath the stage.

Drag the control block to the gray scripts area. The next block will connect to this one like a puzzle piece.

Motion blocks
Motion blocks fall under the blue category. There are several blocks that will allow
the sprite to move. This category teaches students to understand positives and
negatives and other mathematical concepts, like degrees.

1) – the sprite will move X steps. You can change the value whenever
there is a
fillable white area in a programming block. For example, 10 steps can be
changed to 25 steps. Positive values move forward (to the right) and negative
values move backward (to the left).

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2) Glide__sec to x:___ y:____ - The sprite will glide to a specified position in X
seconds. Remember: the more seconds you use, the slower/longer it will
take the sprite to glide across the stage. Find a position on the stage that you
would like the sprite to glide to and then move it there. Above the scripts
area, you will find X and Y positions. Use these values to fill in the X and Y
area on the glide block. Be sure to use a (-) sign when necessary.

3) Go to x___ y:____ - this block is used to place the sprite at a specific position
when the project begins, so you do not have to manually pick the sprite up
and put it in that position every time you restart the project. For example, if
the sprite glides when the green flag is clicked, it will move away from the
beginning location. Instead of moving the sprite back to the spot where it
originally began, you can program it to begin at that position.

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Looks blocks
Looks blocks fall under the purple category of the programming palette. There are
several blocks to control what you SEE the sprite say or how the sprite looks.
1) Say “hello” for 2 seconds – allows you to program the sprite to give a word
bubble that “says” what you have typed. Because the white space is fillable,
you can delete hello and type another message. Note: You will SEE the
sprite’s message, not hear it because this block is under the looks category.

2) Switch to costume – If you click on the “Costumes” tab beside the word
“Scripts,” you will notice that some sprites have more than one costume. You
can program the sprite to switch costumes. If the sprite does not have
another costume, you can always create your own by clicking copy and then
edit (see page 6 for more about painting a sprite).

Sound blocks
Sound blocks fall under the fuchsia category and allow you to program the sprite to
produce sounds or words you can hear. Click on the “Sounds” tab beside the word

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“Costumes,” to import or record a new sound. Click Sounds → Import and then
double click on one of the folders (animal, effects, human, etc.).

Choosing a new sprite

If you do not wish to use the Scratch Cat as your sprite, there are two ways to delete
it: 1) click on the scissors above the stage and then click on the sprite or 2) RIGHT
click on the thumbnail and then click delete.

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There a three ways to choose a new sprite: paint, import or use a “mystery” sprite.

1) Paint a new sprite – allows you to use the paint editor to create your very own sprite.
You can use a paint brush, paint bucket, lines, circles and squares to create your sprite.

2) New sprite – allows you to choose from sprites that are available in Scratch. Double click on
one of the categories to find a sprite you wish to use.

3) Mystery sprite – Scratch will choose a random sprite for you.

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Choosing a background
To choose a new background click on the thumbnail that says stage. A blue line will appear around the
box. Next, click on the “Backgrounds” tab beside the word “Script.” You can paint or import a background.
If your computer has a webcam, you can also take a picture for the background.

1) Painting your own background – Click paint and then the paint editor will open.

2) Importing a background – Click on import to choose from backgrounds available in Scratch and
then double click on one of the folders.