Week 1: An Introduction to Scratch
About
In this session, we will give an overview of the Coding & STEAM 2019 program.
We will also ask you to complete a short survey before beginning the session’s activities.
In this session’s activities, you will find out what Coding and Computational Thinking are and how these fit into the new Science and Technology K-6 syllabus. You will learn about Scratch, the free Coding language and community that is commonly used when teaching Computational Thinking in K-6. You will also learn about some of the essential computational concepts: sequences, loops and events.
Key Terms
algorithm, computational concept, computational thinking, coding, events, loops, sequences, visual programming
Materials
Presentations
Activities
Homework
Links
Session Outcomes
Science and Technology
Digital Technologies
| Outcome |
How the Outcome is addressed |
| ST3-3DP-T: defines problems, and designs, modifies and follows algorithms to develop solutions |
In this session you will design, modify and follow algorithms (steps of instructions for a computer to follow) in the 10 Blocks activity. |
AITSL Professional Teacher Standards
| Standard |
How the Standard is addressed |
| 3.4.2: Select and/or create and use a range of resources, including ICT, to engage students in their learning. |
In this session you will learn about different resources for teaching Coding, including ‘unplugged’ methods that can be used when you do not have access to a computer lab. |
| 6.2.2: Participate in learning to update knowledge and practice, targeted to professional needs and school and/or system priorities. |
In this session you will learn about how Coding and Computational Thinking can be incorporated into different areas of the curriculum and STEM. |
| 6.4.2: Undertake professional learning programs designed to address identified student learning needs. |
In this session you will be introduced to some different tools and approaches for teaching Coding to students with different learning needs (for example, using ScratchJr instead of Scratch). |
| ICT Capability Element |
How this Element is addressed |
| Creating with ICT |
In this session you will create a digital solution (which will be program in Scratch) |
| Communicating with ICT |
In this session you will learn how to share projects in Scratch and about how students can communicate with each other through Scratch |
| Managing and Operating ICT |
In this session you will about how programs created on the Scratch website will be available wherever you log in, as Scratch projects are stored on the website and not the computer they are created on. |
Numeracy
| Numeracy Element |
How this Element is addressed |
| Estimating and calculating with whole numbers |
In the session you will use calculations with whole numbers in the Scratch programs you create. For example, when creating programs that use the play note blocks to play a melody. |
| Using spatial reasoning |
In this session you will use spatial reasoning in the Scratch programs you create. For example, when moving Sprites around the canvas with the move block. |
| Content Descriptor |
How the Descriptor is addressed |
| ACTDIP019: Design, modify and follow simple algorithms involving sequences of steps, branching, and iteration (repetition) |
In this session you will design, modify and follow algorithms (steps of instructions for a computer to follow) during the 10 Blocks activity. The Computational Concepts you will learn about are sequences (sequences of steps) and loops (iteration). |
| ACTDIP020: Implement digital solutions as simple visual programs involving branching, iteration (repetition), and user input |
In this session you will implement a program in Scratch, a visual programming language, that includes conditionals (branching) and loops (iteration). |