3.2 Introduction to Scratch: Features, Interface, Blocks
Introduction to Scratch
·
Scratch
is a visual programming language that allows us to easily create and share
interactive stories, games, and animations by snapping code blocks together.
·
Scratch
is one of the most popular and widely used block programming languages.
·
It
was developed by Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT Media Lab, and is an
open-source platform, which means that the software is free and publicly
available to everyone.
·
It
has a large and supportive community of users, who share their projects and
help each other on the Scratch website.
·
Scratch
has different verisons such as scratch 1.0, scratch 2.0 and Scratch 3.0 which is
the current version , introduced in 2019.
·
Scratch
can be used offline or online.
·
Scratch
a real software development tool with a colorful interface and presentation
style.
·
With
Scratch, you can also make your dream projects such as games and even
controlling robots or devices a reality.
Features
of Scratch
·
Block-based
coding - Use colorful blocks that snap together to build programs, making it
easy to understand coding logic without typing code.
·
Sprites
& Backdrops - Create and animate characters (sprites) and design scenes
(backdrops) for your stories or games.
·
Community
Sharing - Share projects online, explore others’ projects, remix them, and get
feedback.
·
Motion
& Animation - Make sprites move, turn, glide, bounce, and animate them with
costumes.
·
Variables
& Lists - Store and use data to keep scores, timers, or any custom values.
Scratch
Interface
·
Stage
– The Stage is the main area in Scratch where the actions of the script are
displayed; it shows the output of the program.
·
Sprite
- A sprite in Scratch is the character or object that we program to act, move,
or interact on the Stage.
·
Script
Area - The Script Area is the workspace where we drag,
drop, and connect code blocks to write scripts that control the
behavior of sprites and the stage.
·
Blocks
palette: The Block Palette is the area in Scratch
that contains different categories of blocks like Motion, Looks, Sound,
Events, Control, Sensing, Operators, Variables, and My Blocks, which
we can drag and drop into the Script Area to build the code.
·
Sprite
List - Shows all the sprites (characters or objects) used in
the project.
Concept
of Block
·
Block
programming uses colorful blocks to show actions or commands.
·
We
put them together by dragging and dropping to make a list of things to do.
·
It’s
like playing with building blocks, but we’re building programs! This way of
coding is easy for beginners, like you, to understand.
·
For
example, to move a character or make it perform an action like jump, simply we
can select and connect the corresponding blocks. It helps to be creative and
figure out problem solving skills.
|
Category |
Color |
Purpose |
|
Motion |
🔵 Blue |
Controls the movement of
sprites (move, turn, go to, glide). |
|
Looks |
🟣 Purple |
Changes how sprites look or
appear (say, think, change costume, show, hide). |
|
Sound |
🔴 Pink |
Adds or controls sounds and music
(play sound, stop sound, change volume). |
|
Events |
🟡 Yellow |
Detects events or triggers
(when flag clicked, when sprite clicked, broadcast). |
|
Control |
🟠Orange |
Manages flow of the program
(repeat, if-then, forever, wait). |
|
Sensing |
🔵 Light Blue |
Detects conditions and inputs
(touching, key pressed, mouse position). |
|
Operators |
🟢 Green |
Performs math, logic, and string
operations (add, subtract, join text, comparisons). |
|
Variables |
🟧 Dark Orange |
Allows you to store and change
values (create variables, set, change). |
|
My Blocks |
🔴 Red |
Lets you create custom blocks
for reusable code or to simplify complex scripts. |
