Module 1

Getting Started

Computers Rule the World 8

Say “Hello” to Scratch 9
Using Scratch 10
Exercises 11
Playing with Pictures 13
Exercises 14
Tell me what to do 15
Exercises 16
Playing With Music 18
Exercises 18
End of Module Quiz 20

© 2019 Lero
Computers Rule the World

Computers, Internet websites, calculators and mp3 players simply would not function without software.
Thousands of lines of code are required for your modern mobile phone or games console to operate.
Take a look at some amazing facts that show us how software is present everywhere we look in our
everyday lives.

The first computers were huge machines. For The technology contained in a single handheld
example, the ENIAC computer weighed nearly console exceeds all the computing power that was
thirty tons and occupied 680 square feet of floor used to put the first man on the moon.
space. ENIAC contained more than nineteen
thousand vacuum tubes and performed about five
thousand addition or subtraction operations every
second. That is super slow for today but it was
super fast back in those days. Today computers are
tiny compared to what they were in 1949.

$233 billion
Value of merchandise sold on Amazon in 2018, this
is the equivalent to the GDP of Portugal.
Glen Beck (background) and Betty Snyder (foreground)
program the ENIAC in BRL building 328.
So
To

In 2019 Facebook had more than 2.38 billion

Fo

ld
Le
r
Sa

registered users.
t
le

1... 2 abc 3 def Dublin native Brian Fallon set up Daft.ie in 1996.
It was his transition year mini-company in
4 ghi 5 jkl 6 mno St. Mary’s College, Rathmines.
Daft is now Ireland’s biggest property website
and is estimated to be worth millions.
According to the Irish telecom regulator ComReg,
an average of 25 million text messages are sent in
Ireland every day.

8 | Scratch Workbook
Say “Hello” to Scratch

We will learn problem solving and programming

skills using Scratch.

Scratch is a programming language that makes

it easy to create your own interactive stories,
animations, games, music, and art and share your
creations on the web.

Scratch is completely free. To start

creating with Scratch 3.0 go to http://
scratch.mit.edu

The Scratch Interface

Tabs Script Area Stage

Click tabs to edit scripts, Drag blocks in, snap Where your creations
costumes, or sounds them together to come to life.
make Scripts

Green Flag
A way to start
scripts

Sprite List
Thumbnails of your sprites
Blocks Palette
Blocks for programming
your sprites Create New Sprites
From the library or your own
pictures or drawings
Scratch Extensions
Load more block libraries

Module 1 | 9
Using Scratch

Check out the Scratch 3.0 Introductory Video at https://youtu.be/98awWpkx9UM

The “go to x y” block will

The x and y coordinates of a update itself to the x and
sprite are displayed here. Drag y coordinates of where
the sprite around with the the sprite has been
mouse and watch the x and placed
y coordinates change to their
new positions.

This script runs when

you click on the green
flag

Snap the commands

together to make a
script

Take commands from

different blocks and
drag them into the
script area

It is a good idea to put

comments in to explain the
script you have written by
right clicking on the script
area and choosing add
comment

10 | Scratch Workbook
 Projects are automatically
saved when you are logged
into your Scratch account

Choose the file menu option if

you want to upload a project
from your computer or to
download to your computer

Exercises

 Assemble the commands from the events, control and motion areas of Scratch. Write a description
of what happens in the script when the green flag is clicked.

Script Description

 Using Scratch write a script that will do the following

1. Move a sprite to the starting position x:50 y:70
2. Turn the Sprite upside-down
3. Glide for 2 seconds to x:-50 y:-50
4. Turn the sprite upwards again

Module 1 | 11
 The Scratch Interface Quiz

A B C

E F

Task:
Look at the Scratch Interface above.

In the table below see if you can match the letters to the different features of the Scratch Interface:

A Blocks palette
B Stage
C Sprite list

D Tabs Bar

E Scripts Area
F Scratch Extension Blocks

12 | Scratch Workbook
Playing with Pictures

You can add a new sprite to your

projects by using these buttons
located under the sprite list:

It is also possible to draw your own

sprite by clicking on this button:

You can also upload a sprite from

your computer using this button:

You can get a surprise sprite using

this button:

You can change how a sprite looks with any easy to use paint editor.

Undo and Redo

You can use

your computer’s
Toolbar webcam to create
a costume

Create a new
cosutme for this Zoom in and out.
sprite only.
Vector / Bitmap.
Vector mode
(shown)
is preferred

Module 1 | 13
Exercises

 Modify the script below to make the cat move across the stage as the costume changes. Make it
appear like it is going for a walk.

Return to the Code tab. Code this

script using Scratch allowing the
sprite to change costume. The
wait command ensures it doesn’t
happen too quickly

Open the Costumes tab for the

cat sprite. A sprite may have
many costumes with different
names. You can easily edit, add, or
remove these costumes

 Create a sprite from a photograph that you have taken.

Tip: Use the eraser to remove

background items from the
picture of your sprite.

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Tell me what to do

Algorithms

Sets of instructions that solve a problem.

Buying items in a shop Baking a Cake

1. Choose a packet of crisps 1. Mix milk and vinegar. Melt the

and a drink from shelf. chocolate. Sieve flour, cocoa
2. Go to checkout. A Good Algorithm
and soda into a bowl. Add
3. Wait in queue. margarine, sugar, eggs and half
1. Leads to completion.
4. Hand items to cashier. the milk mixture and beat well.
5. Wait for cashier to say
2. Is accurate and
unambiguous. 2. Add the melted chocolate
total price. and remaining milk. Beat
6. Take out money. 3. Has the appropriate
until smooth. Transfer to
7. Hand money to cashier. level of detail.
8” round cake tin which
8. Wait for change. 4. Has well ordered has been greased & lined.
9. Take items. instructions. Bake in a preheated oven at
5. Covers all possible 325°F,160°C,Gas Mark 3 for 1
outcomes with ½ hours approx. When cake is
practical solutions. cold, split in half & use half the
filling to sandwich cake. With
remaining filling, completely
cover cake & decorate to your
choice.
3. Put sugar & evaporated milk
into a saucepan. Stir and bring
to the boil, then simmer for 5
minutes. Remove from heat.
Add the broken chocolate &
stir until melted. Repeat with
margarine. Pour into a bowl &
leave in fridge until it thickens.
Giving Directions

From the town hall, follow Orchard Road for 2 kilometres until you reach a set of
traffic lights. Turn left onto Western Road. Continue driving along Western Road
until you reach a T-junction. Turn Right onto O’Connell Avenue and continue
forward for 1 kilometre until you pass the Post Office on your left. Just after the
Post Office turn left onto Meadow Drive. Mary’s house is the second house on the
right.

Module 1 | 15
Exercises

 In the box below write a good computer algorithm to explain how to top up your mobile phone
credit. Make sure you use a step by step clear set of instructions.

 With human algorithms we can rely on

• Intuition
• Initiative
• Prior knowledge
• Independent decision-making
• Learning from experience

Computers do not have these things. Look back on the 3 algorithms on the previous page.
In the box below list 3 algorithms that you execute in your daily life.

1. ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

16 | Scratch Workbook
 Solve the Farmers problem

A farmer has to take three items, a dog, a goat and a cabbage, across a river.
He has a boat but it can only take two objects at once, in other words, the farmer
and one other item.
If the dog and the goat are left together the dog will bite the goat.
If the goat and the cabbage are left together the goat will eat the cabbage.

Write an algorithm to tell the farmer how to get the three items across the river.

Module 1 | 17
Playing With Music

Often when using a computer it needs to respond to an event triggered by the user. For example a
computer will react when you press buttons on a joy pad when playing a game or simulating piano
playing on a keyboard.

Exercises

 Create a script using Scratch that will make your sprite move in different directions using the arrow
keys. When you have a working script use it to fill in the blank commands below.

18 | Scratch Workbook
 Load the Scratch Music extension as shown below.
Use Scratch commands from the music extension blocks to get your sprite to play a musical scale
when the space key is pressed.

1. Click on the Scratch 2. Choose the Music 3. The Music extension

extensions button at the extension. blocks will appear in the
bottom of the blocks blocks palette.
palette.

 Create your own band using Scratch.

Use sound commands to make music for the band.
Animate your sprites by using costumes and motion commands.
Figure out how to introduce a background to make the stage fit in with the image of your band.

Module 1 | 19
End of Module Quiz

 A software application that allows users to make voice and video calls over the Internet is called
A. YouTube
B. Snapchat
C. Skype
D. Ebay

 An electronic device for playing digital audio files is often known as

A. Touchscreen
B. MP3 player
C. Eniac
D. Audio Speakers

 In Scratch your creations come to life in the area

shown in the image know as
A. The Stage
B. The Sprite
C. The Screen
D. The Interface

 What does this script do?

A. A sprite will rotate forwards by 90
degrees and move 100 steps up
when the green flag is pressed.
B. A sprite will rotate forwards by 90
degrees and move 100 steps down
when the green flag is pressed.
C. A sprite will rotate backwards by
90 degrees and move 100 steps up
when the green flag is pressed.
D. A sprite will rotate backwards by 90
degrees and move 100 steps down
when the green flag is pressed.

 Match the following parts of the Scratch interface to the images

Sprite List Blocks Palette New Sprite Button Tabs

20 | Scratch Workbook
 A B

 Match the letters from the diagram of the

Scratch paint Editor to the correct description.

A. Zoom
B. Switch between vector / bitmap modes C
C. Colour palettes
D. Flip
E. Toolbar
F. Add image from a file

E F
D

Module 1 | 21
 A written explanation that can be attached to code as shown is known as

A. A Comment
B. A Cursor
C. A Sticky Note
D. A Script

 Which of the items listed below is not a feature of a good algorithm?

A. Accurate and unambiguous

B. Written in random order
C. Leads to completion
D. Covers all possible outcomes with practical solutions

 Identify the script below that matches the game instruction. Hit “a” to move left and hit “b” to move
right

A.

B.

C.

D.

22 | Scratch Workbook