Scratch week is May 17–23. The Scratch Team will share a new theme every weekday in the “Featured Studios” section of the Scratch website https://scratch.mit.edu

Students can create a project around that theme and post to the HCMS studio.  We have also created a special studio link below in this page to allow students to post to a studio just for Hudson Country Montessori.

Anyone can learn to code.  We created these three short lessons to get you started with Scratch so that you can participate in Scratch Week 2021.  These three video lessons are designed for kids ages 8 to 14.  Children will be able create their first video game after watching these 3 lessons.

The lessons are designed so that a child can do them with or without an adult’s help.  We only ask that you help the child signup for the free Scratch account in part 1 because this requires an email address.

If you have any questions about any of the video lessons, please post your question in the questions form below in this page.  We will post the responses to these questions below. Every question is a good question, and everyone will benefit from it.

We want you to succeed, and we are here to help you learn to program in Scratch.

Watch the first video, Learning to Code, below.  Then go around the room and ask each student what they want to do with computers.

Next watch the Scratch Coding video.  Then ask the students if they have ever coded before.  If anyone answers yes, ask them to share details about a project they made.

Next watch the Scratch Week video.  Then ask the students if they would like to participate.  For those that would like to participate, let them know about this page.  There are 4 additional videos that show them how to make their first game in Scratch.  They can also try out the built in Scratch tutorials in Scratch once they are signed up and signed into their Scratch account.  This is all the information they will need to participate in Scratch Week.

Remember, the Scratch team does not leave the studios open to add projects to after Scratch week is finished.  It is important that students participate this week.

Before we begin, watch this short, step by step, video on how to setup a free Scratch account.  You will need a parent’s help if you are under the age of 13 or if you do not have an email address.

We suggest that you watch the video in full screen mode in order to see all the details of the signup process.

You must confirm your email address in order to be able to share your programs on the board in the final part of this series.

In this first lesson we will explain what a computer program is  and what Scratch is.  Then we will show you step by step how to make your first computer program.  The only way to learn programming is to try it.  We encourage you to try to make this program on your own or with the help of a parent.

In this second lesson, we will explain how to plan your computer program.  Planning how a program will work is a very important skill that you will need to practice to become better at making bigger, more complex programs.   We will show you step by step how to make your first video game in this lesson.  Remember, the only way to learn programming is by doing.  We encourage you to try to make the Fruit Chase game by yourself, with friends, or with a parent.

Sign into your Scratch account you created in step 1.  Then make your own version of the Fruit Chase video game.  You can choose your own fruit and add your own background.  You can even add your own sounds.  Make it your own creation.  Watch the below video on how to add your game to the Scratch Studio.  Then when your ready, click the below button to go to the Scratch Studio to add your game.

The below button takes you directly to the special HCMS Studio board where you can post your project.  Remember, in order to share your project and then post it, you first have to confirm your email address.

Question: How do I do Scratch?

Answer:  You can do Scratch on a laptop, ipad, or desktop computer.  You need an internet connection.  Watch the first video at the top of this page with your parents.  Then ask your mom or dad to help you signup for a free Scratch account.  You will need an email address in order to setup your Scratch account.  Visit https://scratch.mit.edu to setup you free Scratch account.

If you like what you read feel free to share a link to this page with your friends.