- Author:
- Kim Wilkens
- Subject:
- Algorithms and Programming, Humanities, English, History/Social Sciences, World Languages
- Material Type:
- Unit of Study
- Level:
- Lower Primary
- Tags:
- License:
- Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike
- Language:
- English
- Media Formats:
- Downloadable docs, Video
Education Standards
Events in Scratch
Intro to Events in Scratch Jr.
Events in Scratch Jr.
Overview
Events in computer science are the triggers for making action happen, like selecting the play button on any screen. Events in Scratch Jr. are represented by the yellow codes including: the green flag, clicking on a character, bump code and envelopes. The envelopes are the most advanced concept in Scratch Jr. and help with scene transitions and interactions between characters like pacing their conversations.
Overview
Concepts covered:
sequencing, programming, debugging, events, terminology
What students will do:
Work with their peers to figure out the events in the CS unplugged activity
Practice using Events in Scratch Jr.
What students will figure out:
Different ways to use events to trigger action on the screen
Importance of sequence of events
CS Integration Extensions:
One of the most exciting things about learning a CS concept like events in a tool like Scratch Jr. is the possibility for students to use their newfound skill to share their learning in another subject. The possibilities are endless, but here are a few CS integration projects your students will be ready to do after this lesson:
Surprise! Project in Scratch Jr. (Language Arts, World Languages)
Time Travel Project in Scratch Jr. (History, Social Studies)
Museum of Me (Language Arts, World Languages)
Grow a flower (Science)
Create a soundscape (Music)
Lesson at a Glance
Part | Duration | Lesson Summary | Materials |
1 | 15-30 min | CS Unplugged: Events Unplugged Students “act out” the coded events provided. | 4 envelopes with printed instructions inside |
2 | 30-45 min | Events in Scratch Jr. Students recreate the Part 1 unplugged activity in Scratch Jr. to reinforce events concepts. | Tablets loaded with Scratch Jr. Class computer display/projector |
Materials
per student/pair | per group | per class |
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Materials preparation
Part 1
Print out instructions for 4 characters from the Character Sheet and cut out each instruction
Place instructions into 4 different envelopes
Write PURPLE on one envelope and put character 1’s instructions inside
Write ORANGE on another envelope and put character 2’s instructions inside
Write GREEN on another envelope and put character 3’s instructions inside
Put character 4’s instructions in final envelope
Part 2
Make sure Scratch Jr. is installed on tablets/chromebooks. This may take a week or more depending on your tech support.
If you don’t have access to tablets, you can check out the version of this project for Scratch.
CS Unplugged - Events
Objectives
Vocabulary
Materials:
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Introduction CS unplugged activities are a great way to introduce a concept by helping students either get hands-on with it or see it from a different perspective. In this CS activity, you and your students will “act out” the coded events provided.
Introduce students to the concept and use of events.
Activity Introduce students to the activity. Tell students that the purpose of the activity is for the class to try to figure out what the code the “characters” are running and what is the trigger to make them run it. Ask for 4 volunteers. Have them stand up in a line front of class and give them the envelopes in order from character 1 to 4. Ask them to open their envelopes and read the instructions silently. Confirm they understand their instructions. Position character 4 so she/he can see the writing on the envelopes. Before you start the exercise, ask the rest of the students to watch silently and see if they can figure out the code in the envelopes. Then start tapping character 1, 2 and 3s head, in any order allowing time for each student to “run” their code. After a few minutes, see if anyone in the class has figured out the code being “mailed” to character 4. Keep going until the class figures out all the code being “sent”. Discussion:
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Intro to Events in Scratch Jr.
Objectives
Materials you will need:
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Activity Introduce students to the activity. Tell students that they are going to recreate what they did in the unplugged activity in Scratch Jr. Watch a video as a class (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XsqIcEy7ASY&feature=youtu.be) or demo how events are handled in Scratch Jr. Tell students to pick 4 characters and 1 background for a scene in Scratch Jr. They should try to recreate the unplugged activity by having 3 characters each send a different colored envelope and the 4th character opening each envelope to do a specific action. You may need to make the instructions in the envelopes from Part 1 visible to the whole classroom. Challenge activitiesIf a student finishes early, check their code or have a peer who is done check it. If they are ready, give them one or more of the following challenges:
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