Scratch

Scratch is a free software program from MIT which students can use to learn math concepts, tell stories, create games, and more. Karen Brennan (a member of the Scratch Team at MIT) describes Scratch as:

...a new programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, games, animations, music, and art.

Creative Commons License

Scratch is made by folks in the Lifelong Kindergarten group at MIT! (Remember Maria Knee's classroom?) The roots of Scratch go back to Turtle Logo. A variety of alternatives to Scratch are available. Download Scratch for your own computer, view projects in the Scratch gallery, and get help on:

scratch.mit.edu

Learn more about the Scratch programming language and its background on the English WikiPedia.

Technology 4 Teachers (T4T) by Wesley A. Fryer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.

Based on a work at wiki.wesfryer.com/t4t.

Scratch Basics

  1. Video Overview (38 seconds on Vimeo)
  2. Welcome to Scratch Day 2010 (3:47 on Vimeo)
  3. Scratch Project Types
  4. Scratch Tours
  5. Scratch Getting Started Guide (PDF)

Scratch Tutorials

  1. Scratch Tutorial Videos (official website)
  2. Scratch Cards (printable skill cards)
  3. Scratch Reference Guide (PDF)
  4. Shall We Learn Scratch? (177 eBook on Scribd - can download as a PDF)

Lego WeDo Integration

  1. Scratch WeDo Lego Integration videos (from MIT)
  2. Lego WeDo and Scratch Tutorial Videos by Rich White

Other Scratch Resources

  1. Official Scratch Wiki
  2. ScratchED Community (for educators using and teaching with Scratch)
  3. Scratch Workshop Design Guide (PDF) from ScratchED
  4. Classroom 2.0 Scratch Lesson Plans
  5. LearnScratch.org
  6. Scratch Resources from Edina Public Schools
  7. Teaching Kids to think using Scratch (a K12Online10 video presentation by Chris Betcher)
  8. Scratch Lesson Plan for Grade 8 Algebra (Liz B Davis)

Our class Scratch Assignments are available!

Our Scratch Final Project Rubric

The scripts in an OUTSTANDING project..

  • can be simple or complex, but is engaging to the audience
  • are on the stage and on sprites
  • Has a lot of activity and creativity
  • Includes at least one complicated move / script technique

The sprites in an OUTSTANDING project...

  • use different costumes
  • may be different sizes, and include some variety
  • move
  • number at LEAST two (preferably more)
  • should be fun, engaging, and/or entertaining to watch / hear

A CREATIVE project...

  • has a good plot
  • is often colorful
  • may be a game with good rules
  • may involve sound and music
  • may include imported sprites and a variety of backgrounds
  • may include personally designed sprites
  • incudes music of some kind
  • should inspire others to try similar ideas or methods in their own projects

An OUTSTANDING project reflects computational thinking by...

  • Using clear instructions
  • Using coordinates for movement of sprites
  • Using different techniques to make sprites interact with each other