Scratch Animation

Welcome to Scratch Animation! This is a 2nd Trimester class for 6th Graders.

The ability to code computer programs is an important part of digital literacy in today’s society. Scratch is a basic programming language that has been translated into over 70 languages and is used in homes, schools, and after-school clubs in every country in the world. Because of its user-friendly interface, Scratch is often used in educational settings for teaching coding, computer science, and computational thinking. Using Scratch, students learn important strategies for solving problems, designing projects, and communicating ideas while learning basic programming concepts. Students program and create movement using motion blocks and X, Y coordinates, control visuals using look blocks, play audio files and programmable sequences using sound blocks, create conditional “if/else” statements using control blocks, interact with surroundings using sensor blocks, and mathematical operators, random number generators, and “and/or” statements using operator blocks. By the end of the trimester, students create meaningful personal as well as educational projects with practical tools to express themselves using technology.

Assignments

Lesson 1 Introduction - Students will be introduced to Scratch, its interface, and its functionality. Students will learn basic controls, such as placement of specific sprites or images and applying movement, by creating a simple under the sea environment.

Lesson 2 In The Jungle - Students will create a jungle scene using the following learning objectives; Use xy coordinates to move sprites on the stage, create an animation incorporating movement and images, and create an animation of a natural habitat.

Lesson 3 Battle Of The Bands - Students will create an animation of a band scene incorporating the following learning objectives; Alternate between different sprite costumes, incorporating time and motion, and import and record sounds to use in their Scratch projects.

Lesson 4 A Cartoon About Me - Students will create an animation showcasing themselves. Students will import pictures from the computer and the Internet into Scratch and use images, sounds and movement to create a personal profile.

Lesson 5 In The Garden - Using the pen tool, students will draw and create a garden while incorporating the following learning objectives; Use the Pen blocks to create 2D shapes, use lines and angles to create images, and use repeats to draw an image.

Lesson 6 Mini Game - Students will plan a game on paper, such as a maze game or football game. They will use the skills and techniques learned to this point and incorporate them with the following learning objectives; Create a game which uses variables to calculate lives and score, use boolean statements to establish "if this then that" statements, and use sensing to effect change in a game.

Lesson 7 Science Fair Project Introduction - Using all the skills and techniques learned to this point, students will create an introduction for their science fair projects explaining the following; 1) Purpose of Project, 2) Background Research on their Science topic, 3)Identified Variables and Hypothesis, and 4) Data Results and Conclusion.