By:  Daniel Golden

Catch Game Scratch Cards

Introduction:

This resource provides step-by-step instructions for creating a catch game using Scratch. Put simply, a catch game is one in which the player controls a sprite that moves from left to right along the bottom edge of the screen and receives points for collecting objects that fall from the top of the screen. As with other Scratch Cards, this set is useful insofar as it breaks down a more complex project into simple steps. Each card covers a small part of the broader project, breaking these small steps down even further and explaining what each block of code does. They also contain several tips intended to provide users with a general understanding of how to use Scratch.

Overall, I feel that these cards are very useful for several reasons. For one, their design makes them accessible to a wide range of learners. By making use of both words and images, these cards can be used across cultures, languages, and degrees of coding knowledge. Moreover, these cards are useful for their effective generalization of the lessons learned. While the cards are centred around a very specific task, they contain several tips and in-depth explanations that are meant to deepen students’ understanding of how Scratch works. As a result of this pedagogically sound layout, I think that these cards are useful not only for making a catch game but for building student confidence in Scratch more generally.

This resource could be used in any classroom where students are learning to code. Given that the project is slightly more complicated than those in other Scratch Cards, I imagine it being most successful for grades 5 to 8. This particular activity does not easily lend itself towards integration in other subject areas. It would be more successful as an exercise to teach students how to use Scratch effectively.

Given that the outcome of the exercise is a game (and a fun one at that!), it provides a good incentive for students to complete it. These cards could also be useful for educating instructors in the basics of Scratch. In this sense, the fun and easy-to-use nature of the resource makes it an incredibly versatile classroom tool. Thankfully, using this resource is also incredibly easy. The cards can be accessed online as a PDF and downloaded for free. For those who prefer more tactile instruction, physical cards can also be ordered online from the official website or 3rd party platforms like Amazon.

Resource Information:

Tags: Scratch Cards, Catch Game, Tutorial, Block Coding

URL Link to Resource: https://resources.scratch.mit.edu/source/cards-old-scratch2/InDesign-files/catch/Catch%20Game%20-%20Scratch%20Cards%20Files.pdf

Costs: Free