Scratch

an overview for teachers

by W Hamilton
 What is Scratch?

• Software designed to inspire children to learn how to

program
• Multimedia focus
• It is free to download
• Simple to use, lots of examples included and in online
(You Tube style) galleries
• Good fun!
 When do I use scratch?

• KS3 - used for control, changes to KS3

should still allow us to use Scratch
• KS4 (DiDA) - Multimedia unit, audio, new games unit?
• AS computing initial lessons (limited)
• Lunchtime club
• End of term activities
• G&T sessions
 What can it do then?
Demo...........
• Cat & Ball - simple 1st lesson
• Helicopter game - good 2nd lesson
• Pong/filtering - More advanced, students need to think
about the logic & maths
• Provided projects
• Online galleries
Cross curricular use for Scratch

• Science - sensors (hardware board £10) & simulations

• D&T - control
• Anywhere that powerpoinnt is used, but it enables
decisions/simulation - i.e. students can create a story
that simulates choices and consequences for a topic or a
quiz
 What else coud we use?

• Alice, Greenfoot - these are great programs that could

follow on from an initial use of scratch
• Flowol - used in lower school
• Logo - used in lower school and Maths
• Flash - Great, but takes quite a bit of time to do
anything effective
 Useful links

• Just "google" for scratch

• http://scratch.mit.edu/ - main website, download,
galleries, help file, forums
• http://www.meridianmoodle.com - links, tutorials, things
I've shown you today
• waynehamilton@meridian.herts.sch.uk
• Alice - http://www.alice.org/
• Greenfoot - http://www.greenfoot.org/