Activities

Download and edit a series of Scratch projects as an introduction to Scratch programming.

If you need handouts, download the WORD or PDF version of the handout.

Arrow Control Remix

• Right-click and download the public domain helicopter on the right.
• Go to the Control Tutorial. Download the project. Open it in Scratch.
• Click Costumes. Click the Edit button. Click IMPORT. Open the helicopter. Fill around the helicopter with transparent paint. Click OK. Click the ROTATE button.
• Click the Scripts tab. Click the Green Flag. Move your helicopter around.
• Click the Stage icon. Click Backgrounds. Click Edit. Add clouds. Click OK.
• To see the completed example, go to Helicopter Practice. Download the project. Open it in Scratch.

Dialogue Tutorial

• Go to the Dialogue Tutorial. Download the project. Open it in Scratch.
• Change the dialogue for Sprite1 and Sprite2.
• Select Sprite1 and click the Costumes tab. Edit the image. Replace the image. Replace the Sprite2 image.
• Select the Stage icon. Click Background. Replace the background image.
• Right-click and save the following three images courtesy of DK Clipart: castle, horn, archer.
• To see the completed example, go to Middle Ages Dialogue Practice. Download the project. Open it in Scratch.

Drag and Drop

• Go to the Drag and Drop Tutorial. Download the project. Open it in Scratch.
• Edit the three images. Edit the Stage.
• Record your own audio instructions using the SOUNDS tab. Drag the PLAY SOUND BLANK UNTIL DONE block below SET DRAGGING TO 0.
• To see the completed example, go to Vegetables Drag and Drop. Download the project. Open it in Scratch.

Background Change Remix

• Go to the Background Change Demo. Download the project. Open it in Scratch.
• Choose a New Sprite from a file. Create a script for your new character.
• Click the Stage icon and edit the story text on the first background.
• To see the completed example, go to Storytelling Practice. Download the project. Open it in Scratch.
• Remix this project using your own photographs in the background. For an example, to to Background - Volcano.

More Practice

• Explore the following starters: Rachel Face and Rachel Name Tutorial
• Explore Women Astronauts as an example.

Reusable Objects
Rather than starting from scratch, try using reusable objects. Explore the following ideas:

• 28 Words
• Blades of Grass
• Bounce
• eReader
• Interview Machine
• Knob Calculator
• Picture Handles
• Random Island Generator
• ThoughtSquibs
• Virtual Museum
• vPhone
• World Cloud

Beginning Projects
Start thinking about the types of activities that would work well as beginning activities. Explore the following ideas:

• Nammi's Drawing Game. Complete the activity.
• Names Project. Animate your name.
• Riddles and Jokes. Create a project sharing your favorite riddle or joke. Get ideas at Riddles and Jokes.
• Simulate Fireworks. Create a scene that simulates fireworks.
• Subject Area Projects
  • Art. Animate an historical painting. Cut out and animate objects from historical paintings.
  • Language Arts. Visualize poetry. Create a Mad Lib. Write an illustrated story. Retell a fairy tale with a modern twist. Create a book trailer.
  • Math. Create story problems.
  • Science. Share a science fair project. Create a human body exploration like Magic School Bus.
  • Social Studies. Share a history project. Trace the origin of an invention. Write an animated biography. Animate an historical photo.

Sharing Student Projects
As students create projects, think about how they can be shared.

• Share on the Scratch Website
• Embed Scatch in a web page such as Google Sites using the code provided at the Scratch website.

Visual Resources

Explore the following resources that can be used in student projects. Consider designing a project around a visual resources so students don't get bogged down in trying to locate resources. Also, remember that you can do an advanced search in tools such as Flickr and Google Images for public domain images and Creative Commons licenses.

The easiest place to start your search is at Wikimedia Commonsand Open Clip Art Library.

Clip Art Sources

• Clipart for Kids
• Discovery Learning Clip Art Gallery
• DK Clip Art
• Free Teacher Clip Art
• Open Clip Art Library
• Oxford Education
• Royalty-Free Clip Art Collection
• Wise Gorilla

Photograph Sources

• USDA Image Gallery
• Cal Photos
• Free Photo
• GRIN from NASA
• Library of Congress Popular Topics
• NARA
• NOAA Photo Library
• Smithsonian Images
• US Fish and Wildlife

Scratch How-Do's

• Scratch Tutorials Gallery. Learn to use Scratch through simple stories.
• Scratch Survival Guide
• Issues
  • Intellectual Property and Scratch
• Download and Rework
  • Background Change Demo
  • Control Tutorial
  • Dialogue Tutorial
  • Drag and Drop Tutorial
• Thinking Scratch
  • Thinking Scratch: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
• Tutorial on Changing Scenes
• Scratch Creators to Follow: Chalkmarrow