Module 1

Getting Started

Computers Rule the World 2

Say “Hello” to Scratch 3
Using Scratch 4
Exercises 5
Playing with Pictures 7
Exercises 8
Tell me what to do 9
Exercises 10
Playing With Music 12
Exercises 12
End of Module Quiz 14

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Version 2.01 MMXI:III:XXIV © 2011 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.

$60 billion
Value of merchandise sold on eBay in 2009, this is
the equivalent to the GDP of Cuba.
Glen Beck (background) and Betty Snyder (foreground)
program the ENIAC in BRL building 328.
So
To
Fo

ld

In 2010 Facebook had more than 500 million

Le
r
Sa

registered users; if it were a country it would be

le

the 3rd biggest in the world.

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.

2 | 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 use and can

be downloaded from the Scratch Website
at http://scratch.mit.edu

The Scratch Interface

Module 1 | 3
Using Scratch

Check out the “Scratch Introductory Video” in the resources section of Module 1
at http://www.scratch.ie/students

4 | Scratch Workbook
Don’t Forget to Save your Work

Exercises

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

Script Description

o 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 | 5
p The Scratch Interface Quiz

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 Presentation Mode Button

E Tabs
F Scripts Area
G Tool Bar

6 | Scratch Workbook
Playing with Pictures

You can add a new sprite to your projects by using

this button located under the stage.

It is also possible to draw your own sprite by

clicking on this button .

You can change how a sprite looks with any

easy to use paint editor.

Module 1 | 7
Exercises

n 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.

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

8 | Scratch Workbook
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
4. Hand items to cashier. 1. Leads to completion. the milk mixture and beat well.
5. Wait for cashier to say 2. Is accurate and 2. Add the melted chocolate
total price. unambiguous. 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
cold, split in half & use half the
practical solutions.
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 | 9
Exercises

n 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.

o 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. ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

10 | Scratch Workbook
p 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 | 11
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

n 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.

12 | Scratch Workbook
o Using Scratch commands from the sounds block palette get your sprite to play a musical scale
when the space key is pressed.

p 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 | 13
End of Module Quiz

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

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

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

p 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

q 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.

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

Sprite List Blocks Palette Tool Bar Tabs

14 | Scratch Workbook
s Match the letters from the diagram of the
Scratch paint Editor to the correct description.

A. Colour palates
B. Current Colours
C. Zoom
D. Change Size
E. Rotate
F. Toolbar
G. Add image from a file
H. Flip

t Which of the following is the most accurate description of the project that is being saved in the
image below?

A. Filename: Daft Dogs, Folder: My Documents, Project Author: Mary Ryan

B. Filename: Crazy Cats, Folder: Scratch projects, Project Author: Mary Ryan
C. Filename: Crazy Cats, Folder: My Documents, Project Author: Mary Ryan
D. Filename: Crazy Cats, Folder: My Documents, Project Author: Molly Ryan

Module 1 | 15
u 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

v 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

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

A.

B.

C.

D.

16 | Scratch Workbook
Module 1: References

Images used for Computers Rule the World (Page 2), Farmers Problem (Page 11)
Taken from http://www.morguefile.com/, http://www.freefoto.com and Irish Computer Society.

Eniac Fact and photo (Page 2)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ENIAC
Goldstine, Herman H. (1972). The Computer: from Pascal to von Neumann.
Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-02367-0

Facebook Fact (Page 2)

http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics

Text messages Fact (Page 2)

http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg10106.pdf

Ebay Fact (Page 2)

http://www.ebayinc.com/who

Daft Fact (Page 2)

http://www.skoool.ie/skoool/senior.asp?id=4419

Scratch Interface Diagram (Page 3)

Scratch Reference Guide Page 2
http://info.scratch.mit.edu/Support/Reference_Guide_1.4

| 17