Recommendations and curriculum resources for teaching programming to kids in Grades 1-12. Tips for programming using Scratch Jr, Scratch, HTML, and Python.
Make real world connections when teaching if then statements to beginners. If then statements are conditionals. A conditional is an action that occurs if something specific happens. If then statements are used in programming to trigger a set of instructions. If then statements can be a difficult concept for young children to understand. To help […]
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Want to know how to create a timer in Scratch to set a time limit for a game? Follow the instructions to create a counter that tracks each second that passes. When a specific time is reached, the timer stops counting and the game ends. About the Scripts and Your Game The directions listed below
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Do you need to keep score in Scratch? If yes, keep reading! The instructions explain how to track the points earned by a player each time it touches a target. About the Game The directions listed below explain how to add scoring to an existing Scratch project. The game should have with a player and
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One method to direct the timing of events in a coding project is to broadcast a message in Scratch. Broadcasting sends a message to one or more sprites. The message is used to trigger a script to run. Scratch Coding Blocks to Broadcast a Message Scratch is a coding app that introduces programming concepts to
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Adjust graphic effects in Scratch to change the appearance of a sprite. Scratch is a coding app that can be used to introduce programming to children. It is free to use. Scratch has seven effects you can alter including color, fisheye, whirl, pixelate, mosaic, brightness, or ghost. Use the change effect coding block to enhance
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When completing Scratch activities your students will benefit from understanding ordered pairs. This is a mathematical concept that is often not taught until the higher grades. However, it is knowledge that will help young programmers. It can be used to place sprites on the stage by setting the x and y values. It also helps
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Do you want coding lessons for Scratch 3? Great news! TechnoKids just published TechnoCode for Scratch 3. It is jam-packed full of programming activities for students in elementary and middle school. Scratch 3 is an app that allows kids, especially those aged 8-16, to program their own creations by sequencing coding blocks together. It is
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You can move a character diagonally in Scratch Jr to create smooth animations. This is a great way to glide an object or person upwards and downwards, without the movement looking choppy. Make it slide in a continuous line, instead of walking in a zigzag pattern to the top of the stage, by going one
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A Scratch Jr lesson for kids that is fun to teach is how to set the speed of characters. This activity is suited to students who understand how to build simple scripts in Scratch Jr and are ready for a new challenge. Typically, the Set Speed block is used to create a racing scene with
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Do you want to copy a script in Scratch Jr from one character to another? You can! Follow these instructions to save time when building and editing scripts. Want to Copy a Script in Scratch Jr to Save Time? In this example, the penguin’s script will be duplicated for the polar bear. Select the character
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