Curricular - Year 3

Create and Innovate CI5 - Catch me OBJECTIVES: Create a clicker game where you have to "catch" a character who is always running away to a random position, each time you hit him you get a point.

LEARNING: •

Algorithms, Sequence and Programming

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Events, Cycles and Variables

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Insert scenery and characters from Scratch image base

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Delete characters, change name and size of actors

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Use waiting blocks to manage time

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Scheduling speech bubble appearance

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Scheduling a change of attire

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Using colour effects

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Place a character in a specific position (centre of the screen)

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Add sound

MAIN STEPS: 1. Delete the character cat 2. Add a scenario 3. Inserting a character 4. Name the character and change its size 5. Start the programme with an event - explain what programming means 6. Program the character to go to random position every time - explain cycles 7. Test and add waiting time between each movement of the character 8. Create variable for scoring - explain what variables are in programming 9. Add new event "when someone clicks on you".

10. Program to add points to the variable created when the character is clicked 11. Test and program so that the game always starts with 0 points 12. Extra 1 - Program speech bubble appearance, costume change and/or colour change when the character is clicked 13. Extra 2 - Make the character always start in the centre of the screen (X:0, Y:0) 14. Extra 3 - Include background music during the game (repeat sound) OUTCOME: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/497446150 In the "Additional Resources" section you will find a video demonstrating the step-bystep creation of this project. Blocks in Portuguese

Blocks in English

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SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO EXPLAIN BASIC CONCEPTS: Algorithms and Programming An algorithm is a sequence of instructions, or a set of rules, that must be followed to solve a problem or complete a task. The task can be anything as long as you can give clear instructions on how to accomplish it. We also have problems to solve or tasks to do in our everyday life that are solved with algorithms, for example if we have to bake a cake, the algorithm we use is a recipe and we can find it in a cookbook. If we don't know where the library is, the algorithm to solve that problem is the set of directions to get there, and we can find it on a map. Maybe in this case you can use different algorithms to solve the problem, because there can be different paths or solutions to get from where you are to the library. Computers cannot guess what is in your head, you always have to program them to do what you want, that is, you have to write a program. A program is an algorithm, or a set of algorithms, written in a language that the computer understands. In this case we use the language Scratch. Sequencing and Parallel Programmes One important thing to bear in mind when programming is the notion of sequence. Algorithms must have the steps written in the right order. For example, when you go to get dressed in the morning, you know that you first put on your underwear and then your trousers. When you write a program it is very important to put the various commands or instructions in the right order. If you don't do this the computers will make silly errors, like if you put your pants on over your trousers. In the languages that we will use, computers "read" instructions like we do, from top to bottom and from left to right. If we want the computer to run more than one program at the same time then we can create programs in parallel, with events that cause them to be read at the same time by the computer. For example, we can have a program that says "When someone presses the green flag there is a dog that always moves to a random position" running at the same time as another program that says "When someone clicks on the dog it will bark", because we want both things to happen at the same time, without having to wait for each other. Events Programs are initiated by events, i.e. actions that cause something to happen. "When someone presses the green flag" is an event that starts the code that follows that command, for example the main character dances (moves to certain positions and at certain times in a sequence programmed by us).

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Cycles Computers can repeat the same task over and over again without getting bored, and they are very good at it. But if we were to write the same instructions over and over again so that the computer repeats the same task, we would be the ones who get tired and bored, we would have programmes with hundreds of lines of code and it would take us a long time! To program a repetitive task faster, we can use loops, and everything we put inside will be repeated. With a loop we can tell the computer to repeat a set of instructions a certain number of times (for example, make a picture appear and disappear 10 times), repeat all the time while the program is running (i.e. while it's being read by the computer), or repeat until something happens (for example, always play the Minecraft song until someone presses the "stop" button). Variables Computers use variables to store information. Just as we can store our toys in a box, or our socks in a drawer, variables can store numbers, text or values such as "true" or "false". Generally when a program runs it needs to store information in its memory (unless it's a really simple program). Variables are then used to store, change and view that information as the program runs. They work like boxes with labels or tags so that you always know what's inside. For example, in a game, a "Score" variable is normally used to store and display the player's points throughout the game.

QUESTIONS: 1. What does programming mean? 2. What is an event? What are some examples of events? 3. Where do you go to introduce a character? And a setting? 4. What can we use to repeat instructions? 5. What does it mean to go to "a random position"? 6. What is a variable, what is it used for?

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