1.1 Scr0310: getting started with scratch 2.0

Table of contents

• Preface
  • Let's have some fun in the process of learning
  • Fully interactive operating mode
  • Viewing tip
    • Images
• No computer setup required
• Screen size requirements
• Create a new project
  • Follow the steps
  • Examine the Tips
  • View the tutorials
• Will concentrate on the fundamentals
• Drag and drop programming
  • Mechanics are difficult to explain
  • Advantages and disadvantages
• Run some student projects
• Open the Help page
• What's next?
• Resources
• Miscellaneous

Preface

Scratch 2.0 (released May 9, 2013) is the second major version of Scratch to be released during the life of theproduct. Among other things, it features a redesigned editor and website, and allows you to edit projects directly from your web browser.

This module is one in a collection of modules designed to help beginners of all ages (8 and up) learn how to create the code for computer programs using Scratch 2.0 . Information is provided not only for the beginners themselves but also for their parents and teacherswhere appropriate.

The purpose of this module is to get you started programming in Scratch 2.0 .

Let's have some fun in the process of learning

Scratch was originally designed to be a good learning resource. It was also designed to help students learn to program and to have fun at the same time. After all, if you and/or your studentsare going to invest the time to learn how to write computer programs, you might as well have a little fun along the way.

I suggest that you go to the Scratch home page and the Explore page and click on a few projects to see what I mean. Just keep in mind that many of the projectsthat you will find there were written by youngsters and may or may not work as advertised.

One of my favorite Scratch projects is named Son of String Art (hopefully it is still there). You should be able to click on the little yellow shapes in the green buttons at the top of theviewing area and see your shape constructed with strings resembling the string art of the sixties.

Fully interactive operating mode

Note the use of the word interactive in the above header. What you will see when you select a Scratch project on the MIT website isn't simply a passive embedded video like you might see at YouTube or Vimeo . Instead it is a fully interactive program that allows you to control the program by clicking buttons,etc., provided of course that the program was written to be used in an interactive mode.

Viewing tip

I recommend that you open another copy of this module in a separate browser window and use the following links to easily find and view the imagesand listings while you are reading about them.

Images

• Image 1 . Step-by-Step Intro.
• Image 2 . The Tips pane.

No computer setup required

I explained quite a bit about Scratch in the earlier module titled Scr0300: Scratch 2.0 Overview .

Assuming that you are able to access the Scratch website and run some of the projects, there is nothing more that you need to do toget your computer set up to create new projects in Scratch 2.0 .