Dear 6th Grade Students,
We are deep into our computer programming unit using a new programming environment called Scratch. Scratch was developed at MIT to provide an easy and intuitive way for young people to create animations, interactive games and even basic software applications. All of the code is in drag and drop “blocks” which fit together like puzzle pieces.
Here are some Scratch resources for you to use at home:
- Download Scratch for free at home
- Check out these videos about Scratch. We watched the intro video in class together.
- Scratch Cards are nifty little cheat sheets that teach one Scratch skill at a time. I have a laminated set of these for us to use in class, but many kids have asked about getting a set at home. You can print them out yourself from the link above.
- The Scratch Sensor Board plugs into the computer and lets your Scratch projects sense and respond to things that are going on outside of the computer. Each board has a little slider and button on it, as well as a light sensor and a sound sensor (imagine programming a dancing sprite that dances when you sing to it!). We will have a classroom set of these, but if you want to buy one to use at home, they cost $25 including shipping and can be ordered here.
- Check out the “Featured Projects” section on the Scratch Web site to see what kinds of programs other people have made in Scratch. All of the programs are published under a Creative Commons license–so if you see something you like, you can freely download it, read the code, change the code, and remake it into something new.
Posted on October 9th, 2007 by Ms. Ruthie Hansen
Filed under: Scratch, 6thGrade, Dear Students
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