CODING for KIDS

An unmissable introduction to the world of coding; A simple, unique, fun and

enjoyable guide to learning the two most popular kids' programs (Python and
Scratch).

Includes 50 games and activities.

Mark B. Bennet
 Table of Contents

Coding with Scratch

CODING WITH SCRATCH
NOTE TO PARENTS
INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO SCRATCH
HOW CODING WORKS
REASONS FOR CODING
CODING IS USED NEARLY EVERYWHERE
WHY SCRATCH?
WHAT IS IN THIS BOOK?
CHAPTER 1: MEET SCRATCH 3 – YOUR DIGITAL FRIEND
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
CREATING A PLAN FOR YOUR PROJECT
CHAPTER 2: OPEN THE APP
ADD A BACKGROUND
CHAPTER 3: LOOKS AND ANIMATION (PART I)
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
COSTUMES
BACKDROPS
SIZE
SHOW AND HIDE
SAY AND THINK
CHAPTER 4: LOOKS AND ANIMATION (PART II)
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
CREATE SOME NEW LOOKS
COMBINING EFFECTS
ANIMATING EFFECTS
LAYERS
 ACTIVITY – TELL A STORY
CHAPTER 5: PRACTICING WITH SCRATCH
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
TRON
SPACE INVADERS
MOON LANDING
SOLUTIONS
CHAPTER 6: CODING TIPS AND TRICKS
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
CHAPTER 7: OPERATORS CONNECT US ALL (PART I)
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
OPERATORS
WHAT IS AN OPERATOR ANYWAY?
MATH OPERATORS
CHAPTER 8: OPERATORS CONNECT US ALL (PART II)
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
CONDITIONAL OPERATORS
LOGICAL OPERATORS
WORD TRICKS
ACTIVITY
CHAPTER 9: BUILDING YOUR FIRST GAME
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
CHAPTER 10: LET US PLAY BASKETBALL
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
CONCLUSION
GLOSSARY

Coding with Python

CODING WITH PYTHON
NOTE TO PARENTS
INTRODUCTION
WELCOME TO PYTHON
WHY LEARN TO CODE?
WHY PYTHON?
WHAT IS IN THIS BOOK?
CHAPTER 1: LEARNING TO PROGRAM
 WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
PYTHON BASIC (GET TO KNOW YOUR ENVIRONMENT)
INSTALLING PYTHON (WINDOWS - MAC - UBUNTU)
ONCE YOU HAVE INSTALLED PYTHON
SAVING YOUR PROGRAM
USING IDLE (GUIDE A TO Z)
ACTIVITY 1: ROCK PAPER SCISSORS
ACTIVITY 2: GUESS!
ACTIVITY 3: CHOOSE A CARD
ACTIVITY 4: RANDOM NUMBER GENERATORS: MIMIC A COIN FLIP
ACTIVITY 5: COIN FLIP GAME ALGORITHM
CHAPTER 2: MAKING CHOICES AND DECISIONS
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
IF-ELSE STATEMENT
INDENTATION
IF-ELIF STATEMENT
FOR-IN LOOPS
WHILE LOOPS
CONTINUE
BREAK STATEMENT
INPUT TEXTS (1)
INPUT TEXTS (2)
PASS STATEMENT
EXERCISE: TRAFFIC LIGHT
SUMMARY
QUIZ
ACTIVITY 6: THERE’S A LOOP FOR THAT!
ACTIVITY 7: LOOP DE LOOP, WHICH HULA HOOP LOOP?
ACTIVITY 8: IFFY LEGS
ACTIVITY 9: PASSWORD-PROTECTED SECRET MESSAGE
CHAPTER 3: TURTLE GRAPHICS
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
BRINGING UP THE SCREEN
TURTLE SETUP
DRAWING A RECTANGLE
CIRCLE
STARS
ACTIVITY 11: LET’S DRAW A STAR!
ACTIVITY 12: FORTUNE-TELLER
ACTIVITY 13: RAINBOW TURTLES!
ACTIVITY 14: CIRCLECEPTION
ACTIVITY 15: TOOGA’S HOUSE
CHAPTER 4: VARIABLES IN PYTHON
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
DATA TYPES AND VARIABLES
ACTIVITY 16: INTRODUCE YOURSELF
ACTIVITY 17: TO QUOTE A QUOTE
ACTIVITY 18: THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS
 ACTIVITY 19: SHAPESHIFTERS
ACTIVITY 20: RANDOM FACTORY
CHAPTER 5: LEARNING GAMES IN PYTHON
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
ACTIVITY 21: ROCK PAPER SCISSORS
ACTIVITY 22: GUESSING GAME
ACTIVITY 23: DRAWING GAME BOARDS
ACTIVITY 24: IF THIS, THEN THAT
ACTIVITY 25: SLICING AND DICING
ACTIVITY 26: TO CHANGE OR NOT TO CHANGE
ACTIVITY 27: CHOOSE YOUR ADVENTURE
CHAPTER 6: WORKING WITH PYTHON FUNCTIONS
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
HOW TO DEFINE AND CALL FUNCTION?
UNDERSTANDING FUNCTIONS BETTER
QUIZ
ACTIVITY 28: SUPER FUNCTION!
ACTIVITY 29: FUNNY FUNCTIONS
ACTIVITY 30: WHAT TIME IS IT OVER THERE?
ACTIVITY 31: FACTORIAL FUNCTION
ACTIVITY 32: MATH CODES
ACTIVITY 33: CUPCAKECOOKIE
CONCLUSION
GLOSSARY
ANSWER KEY
CHAPTER 3: MAKING CHOICES AND DECISIONS
CHAPTER 7: WORKING WITH PYTHON FUNCTIONS
 CODING WITH SCRATCH

The Ultimate Step-By-Step Guide To Developing Your Kids’ Skills In Coding

And Creating Computer Games And Activities Create Your Projects While
Having Fun

Mark B. Bennet
 © Copyright 2020 - All rights reserved.

The content contained within this book may not be reproduced, duplicated or transmitted without
direct written permission from the author or the publisher. Under no circumstances will any blame or
legal responsibility be held against the publisher, or author, for any damages, reparation, or monetary
loss due to the information contained within this book. Either directly or indirectly.

Legal Notice:

This book is copyright protected. This book is only for personal use. You cannot amend, distribute,
sell, use, quote or paraphrase any part, or the content within this book, without the consent of the
author or publisher.

Disclaimer Notice:

Please note the information contained within this document is for educational and entertainment
purposes only. All effort has been executed to present accurate, up to date, and reliable, complete
information. No warranties of any kind are declared or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author
is not engaging in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. The content
within this book has been derived from various sources. Please consult a licensed professional before
attempting any techniques outlined in this book.

By reading this document, the reader agrees that under no circumstances is the author responsible for

any losses, direct or indirect, which are incurred as a result of the use of information contained within
this document, including, but not limited to, errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.
 Note to Parents

C
oding with Scratch is an easy-to-understand introduction to both
programming and video game development using Scratch, a
popular online coding environment for kids. This book will teach
your child just how fun, useful, creative, and empowering
computer coding can be.
Coding is a blast to learn, especially when you are building video games.
For younger children (ages 6–8 years), I recommend that parents sit with
their children and help them navigate the beginning concepts until they are
confident enough to use Scratch all by themselves.
Coding is not only a valuable ability for kids to have but also an engaging
activity that helps promote creativity, develop problem-solving skills, and
give them a head start in a respected career. Parents can provide guidance
and support throughout this process, which will not only aid in the child’s
growth but also establish a connection that bonds them emotionally and
intellectually. Critical thinking skills and learning how to solve problems
are important skills that are highly needed in the 21st century. There are
many career paths that are going to be open to those that have these kinds of
skills, and coding is a great way to help build them. Even if a child does not
take up coding as a career choice, the experience of learning to code will
help them in whatever endeavors they become involved with.
Scratch, a children-oriented coding website provides users with the basic
building blocks they need to be properly introduced into the domain of
coding without overwhelming them. The simplicity of this website allows
children to build a necessary knowledge and understanding that permits
growth later in life in regard to coding.
When guiding your children with Scratch, it is important not to force them
to do it. Not everyone is going to be inclined to do computer programming.
If some children find it uninteresting, let them try something else. It is not
going to be the end of the world if your child does not grow up to be a
coder.
This book is going to teach you exactly how to code in Scratch. It will teach
you about all the different blocks and extensions, so you will be a master in
no time! Whether you are creating a Scratch project for the first time or
have played around with it before, this book is meant for you. It will teach
you a whole bunch of tips and tricks that you will need to take your project
to the next level. Think of this book as a jumping-off point, so you can take
off and soar into the world of Scratch!
 Introduction

Welcome to Scratch

H
ey, kids! Are you ready to build your own video games? It is
really fun and easy to build video games using Scratch. What is
Scratch? It is a website that allows you to build and launch video
games on the web for the world to play. Yes, all of your friends
and family members will be able to play the video games you
make! And, to make it even better, you do not even need typing skills!
Scratch uses drag-and-drop coding—just clicks and drags with your
computer mouse—to build your games.
Are you wondering what you will need to begin this journey? Well, if you
have this book, then you are already halfway there. All you need now is a
computer or tablet with Internet access.
You may wonder, what is programming? Programming, also known as
coding, is putting ideas into a form that the computer can understand.
Scratch lets you express your ideas using pictures. Other ways for people to
program usually involve typing words on a keyboard. But Scratch does the
work for you by turning the pictures you create into those words!
Yes, we are going to build actual video games. But do not worry, we will
start with steps as simple as one line of code, then slowly progress towards
coding complete games.
All of the lessons include easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for
programming. Each lesson is illustrated with clear screenshots. My goal is
not only to teach you but to also challenge you and help you show off your
creativity and game-building skills.
If you have trouble remembering any of the words or concepts, just check
the back of the book for a glossary of coding terms.
By reading Coding With Scratch and trying the games, you will embark on
a fun adventure that will teach you not only amazing skills for building
video games today but also skills that will serve you well into your future—
maybe even as a career!

Is Scratch ‘Real’ Coding?

Some people think that Scratch is not ‘real ’coding because it uses blocks
instead of typed instructions. But these people are misinformed! Coding in
Scratch is just as real as coding in Python. It requires all of the same skills,
too: logic, organization, and attention to detail.

Here is a basic walkthrough of the Scratch window:

How Coding Works
Code is written in special languages called programming languages. We
also write code inside of special applications called code editors.
This is where Scratch 3 comes in!
Scratch 3 is both a programming language and a code editor. The Scratch
language is made of special blocks; each represents one command that we
can use in our list of step-by-step instructions. We connect these blocks
together like toy bricks.
Different blocks let us do different things. For instance, there are blocks that
control motion; blocks that control sound; and blocks that control using a
combination of these codes, of stuff that we see on screen. By using a
combination of these code blocks, we can create truly incredible projects!
At the most basic level, coding is a great way to train your mind to think in
more organized and advanced ways. Although math is not directly involved
with coding, it is a mathematical way of thinking. Coding can be a way for
children to improve their math ‘muscles, ’even if they are not doing it
directly.
Coding also helps you to organize your thoughts and focus. One of the best
ways to help mitigate Attention Deficit Disorder is to become a coder. The
reason this works is that intense focus is necessary for successful coding. It
can help calm the mind, as the child focuses on figuring out a problem and
getting it solved.

Reasons for Coding

Learning some coding skills early is something that children can do to help
bolster their resume in these competitive times. Even getting into college, or
at least the college that you want is something that can be made easier if the
child can already demonstrate some practical skills.
Coding can also help children understand the technical world that is all
around them. They can understand the internet, smart TVs, and
smartphones they cannot seem to put down. By understanding how things
work, they can also begin to get inspired and think of their own ideas.

Coding Is Used Nearly Everywhere

One of the best things about coding is that the more widespread computer
use becomes, the more areas of life are touched by coding. This means that
no matter what you are interested in, coding can play a role. For example, if
you like music, there are many applications of coding in the music industry.
Or, if you like airplanes, coding is used extensively to help the plane fly and
get home safely. Coding is even used in sports, where coaches are using it
to help their teams perform better. It seems like no matter what, coding is
being used in any area of life that you find interesting and fun. When you
can apply computer programming to something that you find interesting,
you are going to discover that you enjoy coding and will it fun.

Why Scratch?
Do you remember your first word as a child? Probably not. Perhaps you can
ask your parents what your first word was. Was it Mommy? Or Daddy? Or
hello?
If you were a computer, your first words would likely be ‘Hello, World.’
Huh? Why ‘Hello, World? ’It may sound silly, but it is a tradition for new
coders to make the computer say ‘Hello, world. ’Telling the computer to do
this, is the first program most computer programmers ever run.
So, how do you make a computer say ‘Hello, World? ’First, you need to
talk to the computer in its own language. But what language does a
computer speak? Computers speak in a language called binary, which only
has two symbols: 0 and 1. For example, a computer might understand
something written like this: 01101000 01101001. (This is the word ‘hi ’in
binary.)
Of course, writing 0s and 1s for humans is pretty confusing, so computer
engineers and computer scientists created languages that both humans and
computers could understand. We call those languages ‘programming’
languages.
Scratch is a computer programming language, and it is cool because it looks
and reads very much like how you would speak to a friend. With a little
practice, you might even start thinking in Scratch code!
When someone is writing a computer program, we say they are coding.
When you create a video game using Scratch, you are writing a computer
program. A program is simply a set of instructions for a computer to follow.
Computer programs can be short or very long in length, depending on the
video game or application. You might consider the word coding to be very
similar to writing. Try using the word ‘coding ’in conversation. Here is an
example: “Sorry, Madam President, I will have to meet with you later. I am
busy coding a video game.”
Scratch is just one of many computer coding languages in the world, and
new languages are invented all the time. But Scratch has a lot of advantages
as a first programming language to learn:
1. It is designed for kids.
 2. It uses drag-and-drop coding (no typing required!).

3. You can quickly build and share video games.

4. You can see inside the code of other games (see Running a
Program).

5. It includes lots of sounds, images, and backdrops.

6. It is free to use—no subscription fees or credit cards needed!

Scratch is also super-fast for prototyping games. Do you know the word
‘prototype’? A prototype is a quick rough draft of an idea. For example, if
you want to build a game about hippos that fart rainbows, you can quickly
build a prototype of the game using Scratch. When I say quickly, I mean in
about 30 minutes. If you were to code a similar game prototype in a
different computer language, like JavaScript, it might take many hours to
complete.
Even professional coders love how easily and quickly you can code games
with Scratch. It is a language that appeals to all types of coders and game
makers, regardless of their age. Are you excited yet? I hope so because it is
time for you to launch the Scratch website and start coding!

What Is In This Book?

You will see a lot of examples in this book. They are a great way to learn
how to code. Once you understand how the example code works, you can
make it your own and change it however you like. That is really important
when you are learning to code. It is hard to come up with something from
nothing. When you work from an example, you are starting from something
that can give you some great ideas to tweak, and that will help you create
your own masterpiece!
Have Fun!
 CHAPTER 1:

Meet Scratch 3 – Your Digital Friend

What You Will Learn

1. Creating a plan for your project

2. Open the app

3. Making an animal

4. Adding a background

5. Fun activities

Creating A Plan For Your Project

Many people do not like this concept. The worst thing that you can do when
starting a project is to just jump in and start working on it. Instead of doing
that, you should think about your project beforehand.

The Importance Of Having A Plan

Let us think about two different types of projects. First, consider a story.
You could just open up Scratch, and then build your story as you go. You
could pull up character sprites, and just make up stuff for the characters to
say. You could keep doing this until you had a large number of scenes
worked out.
The story would be complete, but do you think it would be the best possible
story?
There might be a better way to come up with a story app for your Scratch
project. Supposing that instead of just working it out on the fly, you took
some time to think about your story first. You could even use a pencil and
paper. Start by drawing the main characters. Or you can just write down
their names and what they look at.
Think hard about the characters in your story. Who are they and where do
they come from? What do they want?
Then, build up an overall outline for the story. At this stage, you do not
have to fill in all the details. Just outline the main points of the story. You
could name each scene you would like to have, and then write out what is
going to be said and how things are going to develop. You can also write
down some ideas about how each scene is going to transition into the next
scene.
Keep in mind that this does not mean you cannot change things later on.
This is just to help you set up the story, and get it to flow in the best
possible way. When you plan things out ahead of time, when you get on
your computer and start using Scratch to actually create the story, this is
going to make building your application a lot easier. It will take less time to
build it as well, and it is going to come across better to people who watch it.
Again, this does not mean that you cannot change the story later on. You
can even change it after you have built up all the scenes in Scratch. It can be
changed at any time. But by planning, you will find that you save a lot of
time and energy, and your work usually turns out better than it would have
if you just rushed ahead with it on the computer.

The More Complex The App, The More Planning You Need
If you are going to design a complicated game, using the same procedure
can be of immense help. If you are building a script that is going to be
really complicated, then it is even more important to first plan out how you
are going to do it. The worst thing that you could do is jump on the
computer, and just start trying to build a game or large application, without
having any idea about how it is going to work and progress.
Let us say you want to build a maze game. A good way to approach this is
to draw out all of your mazes on paper before you even open up Scratch.
You might find that some mazes that look good on paper are too hard to get
through when you actually put them up on the computer screen. But one
thing for sure is that your building the game is going to be accomplished in
a much shorter time once you get on the computer in Scratch than if you
had not planned it out ahead of time.

Planning is Best as a Middle Ground

It is best to plan out your programs, but do not overdo it. You do not want to
write down every last detail. Have you written any papers in school? The
way to write a paper is to start by making an outline. You can think of that
here. Think of your planning stages for coding as making an outline for
your paper. Then, when you actually start working on it on the computer
and building your scripts, you can fill in all the details and potentially make
changes.

Use the Planning Stage to Hone Your Ideas

During the planning stage, talk to others (maybe friends) who are using
Scratch. Discuss your ideas with them to see what they think, and see if
they have some ideas that can make your project even better. It is easier to
work things out like this in the planning stage if you are working on a large
project. If you dive in to building your project and have a large number of
sprites and scripts, having to go into all that detail to make major changes to
the scripts can be very time consuming and frustrating. If you are working
on a really large project, the project can actually get so complex that it is
nearly impossible to make changes.

Planning with Pseudo-Code

When you are working with Scratch, you create actual code in your scripts.
It can be helpful to plan out your scripts ahead of time, by writing what is
called pseudocode on a piece of paper. What this means is that you write
out the steps that are going to be used in your script. So, we can write
something like this:
If a cat touches the green bar then
Play meow sound
Increase score by one point
So, in other words, we are basically thinking and writing down the steps
that our program is going to take, ahead of time. This is an informal
process, so you do not need to have all the steps perfectly laid out.
Think of the time you will save by doing this, though. When you write all
the steps out, then opening up Scratch, and actually building the scripts is
going to be so much easier, that you are going to be amazed.

Start With The End Goal In Mind

Start the planning process with two statements. First, write down the
starting point of your project. Then, write down the endpoint or goal of the
project. If someone were to use your application, what is the end result of
them doing so? This exercise should be used each time that you decide to
start a new project on Scratch. Once you have the two endpoints clearly
defined, then filling in the intermediate steps to get you from point A to
point B becomes a lot easier.

Draw Scenes on Paper

Do not just write out pseudocode when planning out your project. You can
actually draw out the scenes the way you want them to look. Are you a
lousy artist? Do not worry if you are. The point of doing this is not to
impress anyone with your artistic ability. You do not even have to show the
drawings to anyone else if you do not want to. The point of doing the
drawings is to help you get organized and get your project done, faster and
more efficiently. People who do not plan things out this way can end up
wasting a lot of time in front of the computer screen. Wouldn’t you rather
be efficient and get your work done fast? It will also help you reduce
frustration because you can open up your project and start building it
quickly, according to the plan that you have already laid out.

Scheduling Your Work

You can also create a calendar and schedule for your project. You can
specify what you are going to do on each day on the calendar. This will help
you work more efficiently, which means that you will get more done in less
time.
 CHAPTER 2:

Open The App

How To Sign Up For Scratch

S
igning up for Scratch is very simple to do, and after you sign up,
you will get to use the tools on the site to bring all of your dreams
to life! Before you sign up, it is really important that you ask for
your parents ’permission. The internet is a big place, and it is
really easy to get lost or get into trouble.
Step 1: First, go to https://Scratch.mit.edu. There should be two options at
the top that reads, Join Scratch or Sign In. Because this is your first time on
Scratch, you should click Join Scratch to register. Whenever you want to
come back to work on a project on Scratch, click on Sign In, then input the
username and password that you chose when joining Scratch.

Step 2: After clicking Join Scratch , you will be asked to create your own
username and password. Do not make your username your real name!
Choose something special that shows other people on Scratch what you are
all about. For example, if you absolutely love cupcakes, it could be
something like ‘CupcakeLover3000’ or ‘CoolCupcakeCat.’ It can be
anything that you want, as long as it is not unkind, horrible, or
inappropriate. When choosing a password, make sure it is easy for you to
remember, but hard for others to guess. If you need help remembering, ask
any of your parents to write it down for you, and keep it somewhere safe.
Step 3: Next, you will be asked questions about your birthday, gender, and
the country you live in. The answers that you provide here will help make
your experience on Scratch be customized to your exact needs and wants.
Step 4: You will need your parents ’help with this step. Ask them to enter
their email address to confirm your account. That way; you can begin
commenting and sharing your projects with other members of Scratch.

Step 5: The next page will confirm your new Scratch account. An email
will be sent to your parents that will help you activate all the features to
begin making friends, and creating your own content using tools in Scratch.

Now That You Have A Scratch Account

Even though the goal of this website is to express yourself and have fun,
having a Scratch account is a big responsibility that you must be aware of.
The Scratch community is made up of other kids (like yourself), teachers,
and parents who deserve to be treated with respect and kindness. Even
though this is an online website, where you probably will not see these
people face to face, think of it as a school. A school is a place where you
come to learn, make friends, and enjoy yourself. Like at a school, people
can see what you are doing on Scratch. The way you act online is how
people will see you. You do not want to look mean or nasty, do you? You
would not want someone being mean or nasty to you, right? Scratch, like a
school, has rules to make sure that it is a welcoming and friendly space for
everyone. These are called Community Guidelines. Everyone who joins
Scratch must follow these.

Community Guidelines
Everyone who contributes to Scratch needs to:
Be respectful. This means when you share your projects or post comments
on other people’s projects, remember that kids of many different ages –
some may even be younger than you - can see what you have shared.
Be constructive. When making comments on other people’s projects, say
something you like about it, and tell them what you think they could do
better next time.
Share. It is okay to remix projects, images, ideas, or anything you find on
Scratch – and anyone can do the same with anything that you create. Be
sure to give the other person credit when you remix.
Keep personal info private. To keep everyone on Scratch safe, do not use
your real names, anyone else’s name. Do not post contact information like
phone numbers, addresses, or anything that could put you or someone else
in danger.
Be honest. Do not pretend to be other Scratchers, tell stories that are not
true, or try to fool the community into thinking that you are someone that
you are not.
Help keep the site friendly. If you think a project that someone made, or a
comment that someone posted is mean, rude, or causing harm to someone
else or yourself, you should tell the Scratch team about it. By clicking
Report, you can let the Scratch team know about it and solve the problem.
No bullies are allowed on Scratch!

Make Your First Game

Let us get to it. You are now in the Scratch Editor Interface. You will first
give the project a name, then make the Cat character move and say
something.

Name Your Project

To name your project, simply click on the middle box on the top, which
currently reads Untitled .

Enter a name; let us name it My First Game.

Then, press Enter on your keyboard to save it.

The title is now saved.

Add A Background
The backdrop is the background of your stage. It is rather boring to have a
plain background, so let us add some a Colorful City background.

Adding a backdrop
To add a backdrop, find the (+) icon on the right of the Stage panel, and
click the Search button.
A screen will show with plenty of backdrop in the gallery. This game needs
a night and a day backdrop.
Search for a night image and find the Night City backdrop; add it, then
search again and find/add Colorful City:

The stage will show the last drop you added. So, it should look like this:

Note: The backdrops can be found on the left side, just beside the Blocks
panel, there is a Backdrop tab.
Click on it and see that there is a list of backdrops, one for the night city,
and one for the day city.
You can click on the backdrop you want by default; we want the Colorful
City by default.
 CHAPTER 3:

Looks and Animation (Part I)

What You Will Learn

· Costumes

· Backdrops

· Size

· Show and hide

· Say and think

Think about what you look like. Do you always look exactly the same every
single day? No, you wear different clothes every day and get different
haircuts and things like that. In Scratch, you can make changes to how
things look as well. The Looks blocks allow you to change backdrops,
costumes, colors, what sprites are saying, and more. If you want to get your
sprite looking great, you will have to find out how to give it just the right
touch-ups. Let us learn about some of the different blocks that can change
what your game looks like.

Costumes
Now we are going to learn how to use the blocks to change costumes while
the script is running.

Costume
The costume is the picture or image that a sprite displays. Set a sprite to a
specific costume, to have it display that image on the stage.
Each sprite has one or more costumes. Each costume is a different image. If
you click on a sprite and then click on the Costumes tab near the top of the
screen, you will see all of the costumes for that sprite.
Each costume has a number and a name. These are two of a sprite’s Looks
variables. Each sprite has its own separate costume number and name
variables since each sprite might have a different costume.
You might be asking “when do I get to use these variables”? Good question.
Here is an example. Does your sprite have special powers in your game?
Perhaps it can power up and get stronger with a different costume. You can
have the game check the costume name or number, to see if it can defeat
certain enemies.
You can click on the first, second, or third costume here to change which
costume the toucan will show on the stage. But what if you want to change
the costume in the middle of a game? You cannot have the player stop the
game, choose a different costume, and then start the game again!
One way you can change the costume using blocks is with the ‘switch
costume to’ block. This lets you switch the costume to whichever one you
want. You can go from the second costume to the third costume, and back
again (skipping the first one), so it looks like the toucan is flying! If you do
not want the costumes to switch in a specific order, you can use the ‘next
costume’ block. This will simply change the costume to the next one in line,
instead of going to the one you choose.

Backdrops
Just like with your sprites ’costumes, you can have quite a few backdrops
too! You can even change them the same way you change your sprites’
costumes. If you go to the Costumes tab after clicking on the stage
workspace, you will see all of the backdrops you have chosen for your
project so far, and you can switch to which one you want. Just like you can
switch your sprites ’costumes with the ‘ switch costume to’ block or ‘next
costume’ block, you can choose your backdrop with the ‘switch costume to’
block, or switch to the next one with the ‘next backdrop’ block. You can
also use the ‘switch backdrop to ’ block to go back to the last backdrop or
use a random backdrop.
There is one more block that switches the backdrop that is a little different
from the rest: the ‘switch backdrop to _______ and wait ’ block. This block
works with a block in the yellow Events blocks section, called ‘when
backdrop switches to _______.’ The ‘switch backdrop to _______ and wait’
block will change the backdrop, and then wait for all of the codes that start
with the ‘when backdrop switches to _______’ block, before it moves on to
the next block.

There is one Looks variable you can use with backdrops: the ‘ backdrop
_______’ block. Just like the ‘costumes _______’ block, there are two
options you can choose: number or name. When you click on this block, it
will tell you either how many backdrops you have chosen (number), or
what the name of the backdrop you have chosen is (name).
Take a look at this picture. If I used the ‘backdrop number ’block, what
would come up? What about if I changed it to ‘ backdrop name’ instead? If
you said ‘two’ for the first question and ‘Party’ for the second, you are
right!

Size
All of the sprites you can choose from Scratch are usually about the same
size. But that does not make sense, does it? An elephant and a doughnut are
not of the same size! Their sprites should not be either!
Well luckily, you can change the size of your sprites with both the ‘change
size by _______’ block, and the ‘set size to _______ %’ block. These
blocks either make the sprite grow by the number you put in the white oval
or set the size to that number.

Be careful though. You can make a sprite only so large or small. You cannot
make the sprite’s size zero, otherwise, it will disappear! And you cannot
make the sprite’s size too big, otherwise you will not even be able to tell
what it is! How large can you go? Once the size of the sprite is about twice
the size of the stage, you cannot make it any bigger. Can you work out what
size that would be? Usually, it is several thousand percent for most sprites.
Do not worry though. Setting it to the maximum still makes the sprite look
enormous! If you want to get the sprite back to its normal size, change the
size to 100 (100 percent). That is considered the normal size for every
sprite.
Every sprite remembers its current size, and the last size of each sprite is
also saved with your project. This means when you come back to work on it
next time, each sprite will still be the same size as when you left it. You can
tell what size it is by looking at the sprite area and checking the number in
the Size field. You can also show the size of the sprite in the top left corner
of the stage, by checking the box next to the size Looks variable.

Show and Hide

Sometimes you do not want a sprite to appear right away in your game.
That is what the show and hide blocks are for! They will make a sprite
appear or disappear!

Control when your sprites show up with these blocks. Maybe you do not
want a character in your game anymore, but it might come back. Maybe
there is an obstacle that your character needs to get by, and once you get
past it, it should disappear.
The Show and Hide blocks are great for that! Be careful though. Any other
effects that you have going on with the sprite also disappears when you hide
it. For example, if a sprite tries to say something, it will immediately
disappear once it is hidden.
Sometimes you might have a sprite that does not need to show up right
away when your project starts. You can hide these sprites right after the
green flag is clicked, and show them when you want them to appear.

Say and Think

Even if you can see your sprite, it still cannot talk directly to you. But it can
still say and think things! This is great for leaving messages to other kids
playing your game, or just to make your game a little more fun!
You can also add a ‘say _______ ’or ‘ think _______’ block with no text to
make the speech or thought bubble go away.
There are two different kinds of blocks that you can use: the ‘say _______’
block and the ‘ think _______’ block. These blocks keep your speech or
thought bubbles up until another ‘say _______’ or ‘think _______’ block is
played. This lets you make your sprite say or think different things, as the
game goes along!

If you want your speech or thought bubble to go away after a certain

amount of time, you can use the ‘say _______ for _______ seconds ’or
‘ think _______ for _______ seconds’ blocks. This means the blocks will
not move on to any following blocks until that amount of time has passed.
Your bubble will show up for exactly that amount of time, and then it will
go away.
A neat trick is to have your sprite speech bubble show up but to hide your
sprite. Set its Ghost effect to 100. You will learn more about this effect (and
others!) a little later in the chapter. You might like to do this if you do not
want your character visible anymore, but still want it to say something.
 CHAPTER 4:

Looks and Animation (Part II)

What You Will Learn

· Create some new looks

· Layers

· Activity—tell a story!

Create Some New Looks

What if you have looked at all of the costumes for a sprite, and you are still
not happy with how it looks? Well, Scratch has a solution for you! You can
use graphic effects to make your sprite look even more different!

Graphic Effects
Graphic effects change how the entire sprite looks, even if you change its
costume.
There are a whole bunch of really cool effects that you can put on your
sprite. You do this with the ‘change _______ effect by _______ ’ and ‘set
_______ effect to _______’ blocks. If you want to get rid of all of the
changes you have made, use the clear graphic effects block.
If your script changes a sprite’s graphic effects, it is good practice to clear
your graphic effects at the very start after a green flag block. This sets
everything back to normal, so your game always looks the same when it
starts.
Let us take a look at all of the affects you can create with these blocks.

Color
The first effect you can play with is changing the color of your sprite! You
can change it to pink, green, blue, purple, or any color in between, using
this effect. If you want the color to change a lot, like going from yellow to
dark blue; you should set the number in the block to be really high, up to
200. If you want it to only change a really tiny amount, like going from a
light blue to a dark blue, use a really low number. Let us take a look at
Scratch Cat with its color effect set to 100.
Fisheye
This effect makes the middle of a sprite look really big, and the outer part of
the sprite look really small. The larger the number of the effect, the more of
a Bubble effect you will see from the sprite. Here is what Scratch Cat looks
like with the Fisheye effect at 150.

Whirl
This effect makes it look like your sprite is all twisted up! It twists your
sprite around a center point to make it look like it is spinning around. This
is what Scratch Cat looks like with the Whirl effect set at 200, but you can
use numbers much higher for even more Whirl effect.

Pixelate
Pixelating your sprite makes it look fuzzier, like a 1980s video game. You
can use this one if you do not want people, playing the game, to know
which sprite you are using. Here is the Pixelate effect on Scratch Cat set to
20. Higher numbers will make it even fuzzier, and harder to know who it is.
Mosaic
This effect lets you create many smaller copies of your sprite in the same
space. Set the number higher for more copies to appear! Here is what
happens when you set the Mosaic effect to 9.

Brightness
Just like you change the brightness of your phone screen, you can also
change the brightness of your sprite. The more you raise the brightness, the
lighter your sprite will become until everything is bright white! Let us see
what Scratch Cat looks like with a Brightness effect of 50.
Ghost
This effect makes your sprite more transparent, which means you can see
through it more easily, like a ghost! The higher the number you use, the
easier it is to see through it, though it will still have the same colors. This is
what a Ghost effect of 50 looks like on Scratch Cat.

Combining Effects
You do not have to have just one effect going at a time. You can use a
couple of these blocks in a row to create some really cool effects. For
example, if you want four blue Scratch Cats in a square to look fuzzy, you
could use the Color effect combined with the Mosaic and Pixelate effects.
The Ghost effect can also be used to hide your sprite, without using the
Hide block. Why would you want to do this? Well, it can be useful if you
want the ‘say ’or ‘think ’bubbles to show up, but not your sprite.
They will not show if your sprite is hidden, but they will show if your
sprite’s Ghost effect is set to 100 (which makes it invisible).
Animating Effects
By changing an effect rapidly, you can create animation-style effects. You
can create an animated effect by repeating the ‘change _______ effect by
_______ ’ block. In the following example, if you hold down the space bar,
it will change the sprite’s Pixelate effect together with a Ghost effect. This
results in a slow pixelation and fade out of the sprite (see some of the
different frames in the following diagram of what happens over time). Then
you can click the green flag to reset it back to normal.
The blocks here animate the sprite to change its effect to Pixelate, combined
with a disappearing effect using G host.

Layers
Sometimes you might be looking for your sprite and not be able to find it. It
might be hiding behind something else! You can bring it in front of
everything else with the ‘go to _______ layer ’block. That lets it cut in front
of all the other sprites on the screen, so you can get to see it.

If you want a sprite in front of some sprites but behind others, you can use
the ‘go _______ _______ layers ’block. This lets you move a sprite behind
or in front of other sprites, without sending it all the way to the front or
back. Think of this as cutting in front of your friend in line for lunch. You
would be going forward one layer in the line, and your friend would be
going back one layer.
Let us do an example with the Lion, Beachball, and Crab sprites. Can you
tell which sprite is in the front layer, and which is in the back?

Layer
When sprites are positioned on top of each other, they are arranged in
layers. The layer for the sprite decides if that sprite is in front of or behind
other sprites.
If you said the Lion is in the front layer and the Crab is in the back, you are
right!
Now, if you tell the Beachball sprite to ‘go to the front layer, ’it will move
the ball up. If you tell the Beachball sprite to ‘ go backward 1 layer,’ it will
move the ball down. This is really useful if you want to hide a sprite behind
another one.

Activity – Tell a Story

In this activity, you are going to tell a story of two characters getting ready
for a birthday party.

1. Choose Your Sprites

Add two sprites to the stage. You can pick any sprites you like, but consider
choosing ones that have more than one costume. This example uses the cat
and monkey sprites.
2. Create Your Scene
Select a backdrop for the party scene. You can select an existing backdrop
from the library, or you can upload your own picture. This example uses the
Witch House as the party scene.
You can see if a sprite has multiple costumes when you move your mouse
over a sprite you are selecting. It will run through the different costumes it
has if there are more than one.

3. Start the Conversation

Have your characters plan how to decorate for the party. For example, you
could have the cat say, “How about we add some balloons?” Then the
monkey can reply, “That is a great idea!”
You do not want them talking at the same time though. We are going to use
an Events block that you have not seen before, called the ‘ wait _______
seconds’ block. As you would imagine, this block waits for a certain
amount of time before the next block runs. Add that in, before the monkey’s
‘say _______ for _______ seconds’ block, so it does not talk at the same
time as the cat. Since the cat’s dialogue is shown for two seconds in this
example, the monkey should wait two seconds before showing its dialogue.
4. Add Balloons
If you want your monkey and cat to have some balloons at their party, you
will have to add some blocks, to show them after they have finished talking.
Let us add a balloon sprite. But that seems a little too big, and you do not
want it to show up at the start. What blocks do you think you should use?

You always want the balloon to start with its first costume, so add a ‘switch
costume to _______ ’block. You are going to add more balloons, so you
will be changing the other balloons to a different costume.
The balloons should show up after the monkey finishes talking. That means
you need to add a ‘wait _______ seconds ’after the ‘ switch costume to
_______’ block. How much time do you think you should set it for? Well,
the cat spoke for two seconds, and then the monkey spoke for two seconds,
so the balloons should show up after four seconds.
A party with just one balloon is no fun. Let us get some more! Right-click
on the balloon sprite and select Duplicate twice. You should now have
three balloons. Drag them around on the stage where you want them to be;
then click on each balloon in the sprite area, and change the blocks of code
to have a different costume. This way each balloon will look different.

5. Blow Up the Balloons

In this example, the balloon size is set to 50 percent of its original size. Let
us blow up the balloons to make them bigger! First, the cat and monkey
should talk about it though. Let us add a few more ‘say _______ for
_______ seconds ’ blocks to Scratch.
Now we have to make the balloons blow up. First, you want to wait for the
cat and the monkey to finish talking, so you should probably add another
‘wait _______ seconds ’ block, this time for five seconds. Then add a few
‘change size by _______’ blocks with ‘wait _______ seconds’ blocks in
between, to watch the balloons get bigger and Bigger and BIGGER!
6. Now It is Time to Dance!
Now that the party is decorated, it is time to have some fun! Let us have the
cat and monkey do a few dance moves, by changing their costumes back
and forth. And there you go! You just created a nice little dance party with
the cat and the monkey.
Now that you have all the blocks you need, click the green flag and see all
your characters in action!
 CHAPTER 5:

Practicing with Scratch

What You Will Learn

· Tron

· Space invaders

· Moon landing

· Solutions to the games

Although the logic behind programming is important, what is the use of
logic if it is not put into practice?
In this section, you will find basic projects that you can complete within an
hour or two. Be sure to take out time to understand the challenges, and try
to do them on your own before coming back and reading the solutions from
the book. Remember that in programming, the process is more important
than the outcome.
There is no one true way to achieve an outcome in programming. Yes, there
may be more efficient and optimal ways, but in truth, it all comes down to
whether, at the end of the day, you have achieved your goal or not. Similar
to mathematics, where there are hundreds of ways to achieve the equivalent
of two, accomplishing a certain goal in the world of programming can be
achieved through various means.
Fall in love with the process, and do not be too fixated into the outcome.
Listed below are some of the projects taken from the internet that you could
start working on right now; it will only take around 1-2 hours to complete
each project. (Note: Make sure to try to solve the problem on your own,
before checking out the solutions at the end of this chapter.)
Tron
If you are familiar with the game of Tron, then you know the simple
mechanics of the game. In this game, you simply have to make sure that
your character avoids the trail emitted by the other light cycles, as well as
your own by outmaneuvering the opposing players.
Here are a few of the variables that you would have to consider when
making the game:
· Movement
The movement for the game is simple and basic. You simply use your arrow
keys to move your character around the map. However, it should be that the
two characters are moving at the same time; neither one slows down or goes
ahead of the other. If the player does not click an arrow key, then the sprite
should just continue on the path that it was already on.
· Hitting the trails or other sprites
Once your character hits a trail or the other sprite, then the game ends, and
you lose. This also holds true in the case that a sprite hits the edge of the
map. All of these are programmable using the blocks in Scratch.
· Character
Your character should be set to be an individual on a bike. If the game ends,
then either your character or the opponent becomes an ‘explosion ’costume.
So, in simpler terms, you just have to program the two sprites, their trails,
and their respective icons in case the sprites touch the trails, the other bike,
or the edges of the window.

Space Invaders
Space Invaders is another simple program that many beginner programmers
complete.
In this program, you simply shoot the on-coming aliens while you avoid
their lasers. You will have three lives, and each time you get struck by an
alien laser, you lose a life.
In contrast to the original Space Invaders games, the alien ships do not
approach you. Instead, they simply sweep from right to left, and it is your
job to destroy them.
This program will require you to set up the following variables:
· Characters
There are two essential characters here: the player and the opponents. Now,
both sides are represented by differing ships
· Movements
The movements of the ships are simple, for the ships simply shift left to
right.
· Lasers
Like the players, the lasers are representative of the opposing sides. Now,
these lasers can be of any color, but I suggest picking totally opposing ones
as this creates a better graphical user interface and a better gaming
experience for the user.
· Lives
A player is given three lives in this game. A counter should be visible, and
each time a player gets struck by a laser, then the counter goes down by
one.

Moon Landing
This program is certainly more difficult than preceding projects.
In this program, we have to simulate landing a moon lander on the surface
of the moon. If you land on anywhere but the landing pad, then your moon
lander gets destroyed.
To make it easier, here are the things that you will need to have in your
program:
1. Movement
Obviously, the movement will be an essential component of the whole
project. In this game, you will have to be able to move your spacecraft left
and right, as well as up and down, taking into account that there is no air
resistance in space. Once your character starts moving in one direction, then
it should keep gliding in that direction.
2. Crashing
This is one of the simpler things that you will be programming. You will
essentially need two costumes: the lunar lander sprite and the explosion
costume. Since all of the rocks will be grey, you simply have to create the
program such that when the lunar lander sprite touches something grey, it
switches to the explosion costume before ending the program, essentially
meaning you lost.
3. Gravity
Like all planets, the moon has gravity, and this gravity pulls things towards
the ground. Try to incorporate that into your code.
4. Landing
The goal of this program is such that when the lander touches the landing
pad, the game ends. However, you could make it such that if the lander
lands too fast on the landing pads, the ship falls apart.

Solutions
Now, this is the part of this chapter where you will find the solutions, but
please remember that these are not the only correct solutions. If you have
come up with your own solutions (as many of you should have), then I
congratulate you on your grit and determination! However, regardless of
whether or not you had completed the projects by yourself, I still urge you
to read the solutions here, for you might find better and more efficient
solutions than the ones you made.

Tron
Here is a possible solution to the game:
 · Player Starting Position and Trails

These blocks of code set the starting position of the characters. The sprites
labeled bike are set to the position of (-175,0) while facing the 90-degree
direction. From here, the following lines of code make it so that when the
character is moved, it would leave a pen trail of the specified color.
· Crash Checker
This is, as the name suggests, checks whether or not the sprite has crashed.
The blocks of code do so by checking the pen trail that the characters have
left behind. If the character ends up touching its own pen trail or its
opponent’s, the sprite turns into the ‘explosion ’character. If the character
touches the other sprite, then they both transform into ‘explosion’
characters.
· Player Movement

These lines of code control the movement of the characters. They control
the direction in which the character is moving. Because of the pen up and
pen down blocks, the characters will continuously move unless told
otherwise. As such, these blocks are meant to more of direct the sprites
rather than actually move them.

Space Invaders
· Player
This is the main body of the program that basically describes the
functionality of the player. Here, you will find that once you start the
program, you will be given two variables: Health and Points. The code will
then continue to set the position of the sprite, choose a sprite, and show the
variables.
The second half of the blocks of code is essentially the win-checker. Once
either the player has obtained five points or the player has lost all his lives,
the game ends. Until then, the player will continue to move around, by
either pressing the right arrow key or the left.
· Your Laser
These lines of code explain how your laser works. Basically, if you press
the space bar, it will release a sprite in the form of the laser. If this sprite
makes contact with the edge, it simply vanishes. If the laser makes contact
with a yellow color, which is the color of the aliens, then it destroys them.
Although it is not explicitly stated in this block of code, it will be stated in a
different block.
· Opponent
This is the block of code wherein you will find the functionality of the
opponent aliens. It sets the starting position of the alien and creates its
functionality wherein the sprite would continue drifting left to right in a
single direction until it hits the edges of the game. If the sprite gets struck
by one of your lasers, then your point tally goes up, the sprite is replaced by
an explosion sprite before vanishing.
· Bad Laser
This is the portion of the program that controls the functionality of the ‘bad’
lasers, or more appropriately, the lasers shot by the alien sprites. Essentially,
the aliens shoot lasers at random intervals, and if they hit the player, the
player loses a life; otherwise, the laser simply disappears.

Moon Landing
· Movement
This block of code simply moves the character around using the left, right,
up, and down arrow keys. The logic behind this code is very similar to the
logic behind the blocks for movement for Tron and Space Invaders. After
all, movement is movement, and in most games, movement mainly pertains
to the change in position of the sprite in relation to the background of the
program.
· Crash
This additional block of code is responsible for checking whether or not the
lander has crashed. It simply says that if the sprite touches the color gray,
then it should switch to an ‘explosion ’costume.
· Movement
The change in these blocks of code simply shows that instead of changing
the position of the sprite in relation to the background, we change the speed
to simulate the presence of gravity in the program.
· Up and Down

Similar to the change that you had input in the previous section, you replace
the code that is used for up and down movement so that instead of simply
changing the position of the sprite in the program, we also try to simulate
the presence of gravity in our program.
· Landing
Finally, this separate block of code is used as a landing checker. It simply
states that if the moon lander sprite touches a yellow color (the landing
pad), but is moving slower than a speed of -2, then your sprite implodes on
impact.
Looking at the solutions to the projects above, you will find that the
projects increase in difficulty. As you continue programming, you will find
that the projects that you create will require you to add more and more
variables to your projects. The sheer complexity of the projects, that you
will soon be creating, might seem daunting at first, but perseverance and
determination will get you anywhere. Note, however, that the solutions
above are not the only solutions out there. It is best to try and come up with
your own solutions! The library of programming solutions and concepts is
so wide, and the variety of solutions that you can come up with are
plentiful.
Now this part of the book has given you some increasingly difficult
challenges. You do not need to accomplish the projects, but in doing so, you
would have shown general mastery in the use of Scratch.
 CHAPTER 6:

Coding Tips and Tricks

What You Will Learn

· Useful tips and tricks in coding in Scratch

Clarity, Clarity, Clarity

Be sure to frequently add comments. Not only will these comments help
other people who may be looking at your code, but it may also help you
understand your code if you check back at it later.

Repetition
Keep your code as concise as you can, meaning that if you notice that you
are doing the exact same thing everywhere in your code, then it might be
time to create your own block, or use a Repeat block. Just don’t use the
repeat block too many times, as anyone who may be looking at your code
could get confused.

Record = Infinity??
Creating a game and want to have the highest record?
When you create your Record variable, off to the side, set your record
variable to 1

followed by as many zeroes as you can (or copy and paste this:
1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000).
Then, place a for-loop around a ‘change record by __’ block (with the long
number in it).

These two blocks combined will change the variable to display its value as
infinity.

The second, non-numerical method of doing it is to just type in ‘infinity’ in

the ‘set record to __’ block instead of a number. This will also display
‘infinity’ as the record.

If you do a simple comparison of the player’s score to the record, the record
should always be greater.

Record NaN?!
In the ‘set __ to _ ’block, instead of typing a numerical value, type in any
letter you want! Then, use the ‘change __ by _ ’block for the particular
variable and use the number ‘1 ’in the number space. After you have done
this, the variable will be displayed as having a value of NaN, meaning
‘nonexistent.’

Size it up
Have you ever had the experience of trying to make your sprite really large,
but it is just not getting big enough? Make two costumes in the sprite. In the
first costume, make the character super small. Then, use your grow code
until the sprite (in the smaller costume) seems like it is not growing
anymore.
Then, switch the costume of your sprite to the regular-sized costume. This
can be useful in multiple instances. (One example is if you want a piece of
art to be shown closer than it is normally shown on Scratch.) See if you can
figure out a practical use of this Scratch secret!

Varying Variables
You may already know this one by now but regardless, we are going to talk
about it anyways. Are you tired of having the same type of display for your
variables on the screen? If you are, you can right-click on the variable
display on the screen and you should get the following options: Normal
readout, Large readout, and Slider. The last option, Hide is another way to
hide your variable display. The other three options are different ways that
your variable display can appear on your screen! With this knowledge, you
can either make the score of a player be in the Large readout option, or you
could use the Slider option for pen size in a pen game!

Days since 2000??

You may have been looking through the Sensing tab and noticed a block
called ‘days since 2000. ’If you clicked on the block, it would prompt a
number that is pretty large. Yes, that number is the actual number of days
since the year 2000. The year 2000 is actually pretty important to computer
scientists.
The year 2000, commonly known as Y2K, was the center of discussion
back in the year 1999. Primarily, Y2K was an issue, since many programs
in the 1990s, that had to do with time, did not account for the years 2000
and later. These programs would instead assume that the year would be, for
example, 1900 instead of 2000.
This issue was resolved by changing to the program to account for the years
in the 2000s. The block ‘days since 2000’ may be a nod to that particular
point in history.
The block’s purpose may seem a bit ambiguous at first, but the block itself
is pretty interesting. You can find this block in the Sensing tab. Is there a
way this can be useful in your future projects? Perhaps…

Rotation Styling
Have you ever been in a situation where you need to change the rotation
style from one type to another, mid-project?! It is actually rather easy to do
(it can be done with a not-so-prominent block). If you observe the Motion
section, there is a block called ‘set rotation style __ ’with a drop-down
menu.
WeDo
Have you ever wondered if you could use Scratch to program something
else? A LEGO robotics set called WeDo is compatible with Scratch! A cord
that is part of the set can be connected to the computer. Turning on Scratch
after connecting the cord to the computer shows you a few more blocks
based on motor movement!
The sets can be used alone or combined to make even larger things. They
do have simple examples you could make from the set, but see what you
can make and program, without instructions!

Password Please?
When you are creating a project for other users to see, and you want to test
if a user has already been on your project before, you can use the username
block, which is located in the Sensing tab. It is a round block that is useful
when making a project that you are sharing publicly. You can use this block
to display messages to a specific user. The only problem is anyone can see
the message if they open up your code and read it.

Timer
For the entire course of this book we have been telling you to make your
own variable for a timer, when in reality, there is already a block for a timer.
The two blocks related to timer can be found underneath the Sensing tab,
and are the Timer block (which is a round block with a check-box next to it)
and the Reset Timer block (a regularly shaped block). These blocks work
well, but the only issue is that this timer starts at 0 and will continue to
increase nonstop until you use the Reset Timer block (after which it will
continue to increase… also nonstop). This is not entirely useful, you could
say. However, there are multiple places where you could use this variable. If
you are making a game where the objective is to last the longest, you can
save the user’s best time using the timer, a variable, and the Username
block.

And Action!
Have you ever wanted to see yourself in your own project? Under the
Sensing tab, there are blocks related to video, however, you would need a
video camera on your computer to achieve this.

The Fifth Operator?

You (hopefully) already know the operations addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division; but there is also another operation! It is called
a modulus. If you know long division, you know that division searches for
the quotient, however, modulus looks for the remainder! Modulus is often
used in languages such as Java! To use modulus in Scratch, you need the
‘__ mod __ ’block. If you know the phrase ‘inside, outside, up, above ’for
remembering the placement of numbers in long division
(numerator/denominator), you put the number that goes on the inside first,
and the number that goes on the outside second (numerator first,
denominator second).

‘Round the World

Have you ever wanted to find a way to round a number in your code the
same way that you do in school? Actually, it is not that hard! If you go to
the Operators tab and find the block ‘round _ ’(a circular block), you can
round variables or other numbers or even miniature calculations inside of it!
Perhaps you should make your own block that implements the ‘round _’
block!

So Much Floor Tan This

Even though you probably will not be using this often, the last block in the
Operators section is the ‘__ of __ ’block. This block has a dropdown with
many options, including abs (absolute value), floor, ceiling, sqrt, sin, cos,
tan, etc. These are often used in programming languages such as Java.
However in basic Scratch, there is not that much use for them. When
creating games with complicated calculations though, this is the perfect
block to use.
Again, you do not need to use this block in your code; you may not even
create projects that need it. But this could even be applicable in projects
such as a Scratch Calculator!
That is all we have got for you so far! Hopefully, you not only learned a
significant amount from reading this book, but you also had a lot of fun!
 CHAPTER 7:

Operators Connect Us All (Part I)

What You Will Learn

· What is an operator?

· Math operators

Operators
Think about math class, what do you learn? Addition, subtraction, maybe
even multiplication and division! These are called operations, and you can
do this math with codes too! You need to learn to use operators in Scratch,
so you too can perform just the right action to get what you need to be done.
You might have to make something twice as big, half as loud, or increase a
score in your game. With operator blocks, you will be able to do this and so
much more.

What is an Operator Anyway?

Adding two numbers together is called addition. Subtracting two numbers is
subtraction. Both addition and subtraction are called operations. The
symbol you use in these operations, like the (+) and (-) symbols, are known
as operators.
Addition needs at least two numbers to operate on, because trying to add
just one number does not make any sense at all! There are some operator
blocks, such as ‘round _, ’which need only one number. There are even
Operator blocks in Scratch that can do their job with words instead of
numbers!
Operator blocks can be grouped together based on the types of things they
can do. It is important to understand these groupings, so you know the right
situation to use them in. The first set of Operator blocks are out of math
operators.

Math Operators
When you need to do some math in Scratch, the math Operators blocks
have your back. Starting from the simpler ones, there are the (+), (-), (*),
and (/) blocks. These are the blocks for addition, subtraction, multiplication,
and division respectively.
These operator blocks are also called Reporter blocks. Just like a report
card from school, they tell you (or whatever block they are in) the number
they calculate. If you click on one of these math Operators blocks when
they are by themselves, they do not have any other block to report the
number to, and so they will just show it in a little bubble.
If you want to see the answer without having to click on it each time, you
can put the operator inside a ‘say _____’ block to have your sprite say the
answer instead.

Essential
Clicking on the blocks is a great way to test what your block actually does,
and figure out any problems with your script. Often, you can work out
problems in your blocks by disconnecting them, clicking on each of them
separately, and slowly building them back together. This will help track
down any problems you have.
You do not have to use just one Operators block. The blocks can be
combined together or stacked to create longer operations. For example, if
you want to find out what ‘2*3*4 ’is, you can put an Operators block
inside of another Operators block like this.

You might have learned in school that there is a certain order you have to do
math operations in. If you do them out of order, it might give different
answers!

Alert
If you have not learnt about parentheses and exponents in school yet, do not
worry. You will learn about them in a few years, and you do not need to
know about them to be able to code with Scratch.
For example, let us look at a simple equation like 2+3*4. What do you think
the answer is? Did you guess 20? Sorry, it is 14, but good try! If you do this
operation by adding 2 and 3 together first, you would get 5. Then if you
multiply by 4, you would get 20.
But math has rules about what order to do everything in. First, you do
everything in parentheses. Then you do any exponents. Then, you do all of
the multiplication and division. Finally, you add or subtract whatever is left.
So, let us look at that math problem again. The rules tell you to multiply
before adding, so multiply 3 by 4. You should get 12. Now it is time to add
the 2, and you end up with 14. That is not the same as 20!
Scratch helps you with this order when you stack blocks together. The way
you stack them will determine which order it does these operations in. Let
us take a look at that math equation again, this time using Scratch. If you
put the ‘2 +3’ block inside of the ‘___*4’ block, it will add the numbers
first and then multiply. If you put the ‘3 *4’ block inside of the ‘2
+_______’ block, it will multiply the numbers first.

Essential
Think of it like the highest or topmost Operators block always go first, then
the next block under it would go, and so on until the end of the script.
Besides the four normal math Operators blocks, there are a few others. The
‘round _______ ’Operator block rounds whatever number you put in, to the
nearest whole number. That means it gets rid of any decimal part of a
number.
Any number that has a decimal between 0.0 and 0.49 will be rounded down,
so you do not see the decimal point. For example, 10.25 would be rounded
down to 10. Any number that has a decimal between 0.5 and 0.99 will be
rounded up to the next closest number. So, for example, the number 10.75
would be rounded up to 11.

The ‘round _______ ’Operators block can be very helpful when used with a
Sensing block, or other math operations that have a lot of decimals, that you
do not want to show. For example, if you put the timer block inside the
‘round _______’ block, it will count by the number of seconds, instead of
showing all those annoying parts after the decimal point changing like
crazy!
When you play games, you might have noticed that some mobs of monsters
have a lot of randomness to them. They seem to find their way to attack, but
they do not go right to you. They kind of just wander in different directions.
The ‘pick random _______ to _______’ block can make your sprite do the
same thing.

You can put things into random places, make them appear at random times,
and much more. This is one of the most useful blocks in Scratch, to make
your projects more challenging and fun.
What if you needed a random number to include decimals? To get the ‘pick
random _______ to _______ ’block to also pick decimals, all you have to
do is put a decimal in the block! For example, if you want to get a decimal
between 0 and 1, all you have to do is use ‘0.0 ’or ‘1.0 ’in your block.

Essential
Coding often requires you to look up how to do things on the Internet.
These blocks are there, in case someone with a little more experience tells
you to use it. Once you learn about these functions, you can come back and
use them in Scratch!
 CHAPTER 8:

Operators Connect Us All (Part II)

What You Will Learn

1. Conditional operators

2. Logical operators

3. Word tricks

4. Activity

Conditional Operators
That is enough numbers for now. There are other types of operators that you
can use from this section as well. Another type is conditional operators. Let
us learn about them!
This is also useful for checking to see if things are close to the bottom of
the screen. Why would you want to see if your sprite is close to the bottom
of the screen? Well, maybe you created a game where your sprite is falling.

While it might seem like these blocks are good only for numbers, you can
also compare words. This can be useful when you want to know if a
variable is the right value. In this example, it checks if the dragon sprite’s
costume is currently the ‘dragon-c ’costume before it runs the if/then block.
The if/then block here uses the operator to decide whether to do the ‘think
_______ for _______ seconds’ block that is inside the if/then block.
When you are putting words into these blocks, you do not have to worry
about capitalizing letters. Scratch ignores uppercase and lowercase letters
and keeps them all the same. More advanced programming languages do
not do this, so be careful if you start programming in Python or JavaScript.
You can also use the comparison conditional operators to sort strings
alphabetically. In this case, cats are not greater than dogs! The word ‘cat’
starts with a ‘c, ’so it would come before (or is less than) the word ‘dog.’

Conditional operators appear in the green hexagon-shaped blocks in

Scratch. They are also sometimes called Boolean operators, which is really
fun to say. These blocks always report one of only two things. They report
whether something is true, or something is false. Did you ever play the
game Twenty Questions? Where you had to try to guess what someone is
thinking of by asking ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions, like “Is it an animal?” Well,
conditional operators work the same way.
There are two different types of conditional operators: the ones that work
with numbers and words, and the ones that work only with other conditional
operators.

Comparison of Conditional Operators

The three conditional operators that work with numbers and words are
known as comparison conditional operators . The first block asks if the first
number is less than the second number. The second block checks to see if
the two numbers are equal. The third block checks if the first number is
greater than the second number. For example, if you ask if 5 is less than 3,
and click the block, it will show ‘false.’

Logical Operators
The conditional operators reviewed so far can work with numbers and
words. There are three other conditional operators that work only with other
conditional operators. They are called logical operators: the ‘___ and
___’block, the ‘___ or ___’ block, and the ‘not ___’ block.
These first two blocks do exactly what you might expect. If someone tells
you to clean your room and vacuum the stairs, you would understand that it
is different from someone saying, ‘clean your room or vacuum the stairs.’
Scratch ‘____ and ____’ and ‘____ or ____’ blocks work the same way.

The ‘not _______ ’block is useful to swap things around. If something is

true, not makes it false. In the previous block , you could add a not to the
first part of the block, and it would check if the sprite is wearing its first
costume, and if it is not near the bottom of the screen.

Word Tricks
Often you will want to combine different words together for a sprite. It
might be that you want it to say something that uses one of its variables,
like its costume name here.
This block just connects two sets of words together. Anytime you have text
or words instead of numbers, it is usually referred to as a string. There are
two strings that join blocks. The first is the string ‘ My costume is,’ and the
second is the variable c ostume name. Make sure to add a space at the end
of the first string. If you do not, the two words will smooch together!

Fact
String
A string is a set of text or words used in coding.
There are three other blocks that also work with strings. The ‘letter _______
of _______’ block finds the letter that is at a specific count in a string. So,
for example, ‘letter 1 of world’ would be the letter ‘w’ and ‘letter 5 of
world’ would be ‘d’ .

Sometimes you will want to know how long your string is. The ‘length of
_______’ block tells you how many letters are in the string. In this
example, the ‘length of world’ is five.
The final block that works with strings is the ‘_______ contains _______?’
block. This can be helpful if you need to know if a string is part of a
different string. For example, let us say you have a sprite that has five
costumes: ‘Charlie- 1,‘ ’Charlie-2-bouncing-ball,‘ ’Charlie-3-dunking,’
‘Charlie-4-holding-ball, ’and ‘Charlie-5-sitting. ’If you want to know if
Charlie is currently wearing a costume with a ball, then you can use the
‘_______ contains _______’ block to tell you.

Activity
In this activity, you will get to create a math game to challenge your
friends! Just like in Jeopardy! Ripley will give the answer and ask you a
question. You can put in a lot of distracting answers to make it harder, and
each one that the player clicks on will show if it is right or wrong!

Alert
You can either use one of the space backgrounds found in Scratch or you
can use a picture from the Internet like the one in this example.
1. Add the Sprites
First, add a sprite to give the player the question. Then, add a backdrop to
make it more fun. You can pull one from the internet or use a background
from Scratch. Let us use Ripley for this example. You want to make sure
the player knows what to do, so have Ripley give some directions, and then
ask the question.

Click the Paint icon to draw your own sprite. Draw the costume with some
text, by clicking the Text icon and adding your own math equation, such as
32*3 in the example. Do this a few times, making sure that only one
equation is right.

2. Make the Wrong Answers Speak

Now, you want to make a wrong answer tell the player that it is wrong if it
is clicked on, so let us use a ‘when this sprite clicked ’Hat block to get
these blocks started. Now you need to attach a ‘say _______ for _______
seconds’ block, so the equation will tell the player he or she is wrong. In the
first blank, you will need to use some operators to tell the player what that
equation actually equals. Which operators do you think you would use to
tell the player that 11– 5*10 is not the right answer? Well, you are going to
want to join a text string with a number, so you will want the ‘join _______
_______’ block. In the first part, you can tell the player that is not the right
answer with something like ‘It is not me. I am.’ Then in the second part ,
you can add the equation using Operators blocks, so it will do the math for
you!
To make this a little more fun, you can make it such that the wrong answers
go away over time. When the game starts, you can have all of the answers
show up, and then wait a random number of seconds before hiding them.

Do the same thing for each of the wrong answers. The more wrong answers
you make, the more difficult it will be. But now you need to add the correct
question. It would be pretty frustrating to play with no correct question!

Alert
Later on, try to have each sprite’s question check if its answer matches the
answer that Ripley asks for, so that Ripley can ask more questions. You can
even have more than one right question!

3. Add a Right Answer

Add one more sprite with the correct question. This time, all you need is a
simple block that tells the player that they got it right!
 CHAPTER 9:

Building Your First Game

What You Will Learn

· A step-by-step guide to building your very first game using
Scratch

· The five different phases in building your game

Description
Let us start with an overview of the game we want to build. It is a maze
game. Scratchy, the cat, wandered too far away from home, one night. Now
he is lost, and cannot find his way back home. Help Scratchy find his way
through the maze and return home.

What We Need
As I have mentioned, we will be using most of the blocks we have learned
about so far, and some simple cool tricks.
Adding a sprite: First, we will add a Sprite. I am using Scratchy, the cat, for
mine. You can use any of the human or animal sprites for this game. We
will also work on positioning a Sprite as well.
Drawing a backdrop: We will be drawing a maze for our context. This game
will make use of some simple shapes for drawing. We will also learn to
color, duplicate, and resize shapes.
Event blocks: We will be using Events blocks when the green flag is
clicked to start our game, and position Scratchy.
Motion blocks: To get Scratchy home, he will have to move through the
maze. We will be using some Motion blocks to make this happen.
Button control: You will learn to use button control as well. The player of
the game will be able to move Scratchy through the maze, using the up,
down, and right keys of your keyboard.
Conditional commands: Remember when I said we would be using
conditional commands a lot when we build games? This game will have a
number of them. We will use if/then controls, to tell Scratchy to return to
its starting position when he touches any part of the maze or the edge of the
stage.
Sensing blocks: We have not learned about Sensing blocks yet. They are
used to make your game character sense when something happens in the
game and respond accordingly based on the script you have written.
Sound blocks: Finally, when Scratchy finds his way home, we want the
game to play an exciting sound. We will be using Sound blocks to get that
done.
We will be using all of these blocks to make a simple but fantastic game. I
will guide you through the basics, but you are free to play around with some
of the blocks and add some exciting features to your game if you want.
Ready! Steady! Let’s go.
Phase 1: Setting Things Up
Step 1: Open a new project: you should start your game by creating an
entirely new plan. You can give it any name of your choice, and save it.
Step 2: Let us set the stage for our game. We will not be choosing one of the
fancy backdrops for our game. Instead, we want to use a blank backdrop on
which we can draw our maze. You still remember how to choose a blank
backdrop for bringing, right? Do not worry; I will remind you. Go to the
backdrop area below the stage, and hover over the Backdrop icon. Select
the Brush icon from the list of options. A blank white canvas should be
displayed on the left-hand side of the page. This is your blank backdrop
page.

Phase 2: Draw the Maze

Next, we want to draw the labyrinth, through which Scratchy will have to
travel. For now, we will keep the maze as simple as possible. However, as
you get better, you can build your version of this game with a more
complex maze. Will you do that? That will be great. You can create the
labyrinth and share it with other smart kids like you, on the Scratch
community platform.
We will be drawing our maze with shapes. You can either use the rectangle
icon on the bottom-left side of the list of symbols or use the line icon
above it. Select the rectangle icon, go to the blank page, click and drag over
the page. You should have a beautiful little box on the page. Keep in mind
that you are drawing a maze. Keep your box short with a minimal width
(like a thick line).
To resize the box, click on the Select arrow icon on the top-left side of the
icon list. Go to the shape you wish to edit, and click on it. Adjust the hands
and height to your preference. Move the box to a position where you want
the first line of the maze to be. Be sure to leave enough space for Scratchy
between the table and the edge of the page.
Next, we color the line of the maze that we have drawn. Select the rectangle
again then click on the Fill icon to choose a color. You can further adjust
some of the color properties if you know how it is done. We need three
more lines like this. To duplicate the line, click on Copy , then Paste, three
more times. Adjust the position of the shapes to form a maze.
Now that the maze is ready, we can proceed to add Scratchy to the game or
position him if he has already been added.
Phase 3: Add Scratchy to the Game
Go to the Sprite icon below the stage and click on it. Select Sprite1
(Scratchy the cat) from the library of Sprites.
Positioning: Typically, Scratchy will appear in the middle of the stage. But
we want our game to begin from the sides of the stage. We must now
position Scratchy to appear on the bottom-left edge of the page.
Option 1: You can drag Scratchy to where you want him to be.
Option 2: Use the coordinate system to position Scratchy exactly where you
want him to be. The Sprite information area below the stage has space for
automatically placing a sprite, using the grid (coordinate system).

Phase 4: Let Us Start Building

Step 1: Set Scratchy to a start position automatically, when the green flag is
clicked (at the start of the game). To do this, you need the ‘when the green
flag is clicked’ block and the ‘go-to x: y:’ block. Join these two blocks.
This will make sure the Sprite always returns to a specific position for x
and y. Now, you need to edit the value of x and y to match the coordinate
value in the Sprite information area. (Ensure that your Sprite is in the
position you want it to be when you check the Sprite positioning
information).

Step 2: Make Scratchy move up when you press the Up arrow button on
your keyboard. For this, you will need the ‘when _ key is pressed’ block
under the event palette. Also, go to the motions palette and choose the
‘change y by _’ block. Set this number to 10 (you can use a lower amount if
you want you Sprite to take shorter steps)
Helpful tip: Do you remember what y represents? It is the vertical position
of your object. Changing it can be used to make your objective go up or
down on the same line.
Step 3: Make Scratchy move down, when the Down arrow key of your
keyboard is pressed. For this, you do not need to pick a new block from the
palette. Duplicate the blocks from Phase 2 above. Change the Up arrow key
to the Down arrow key. You should also change the number of steps to -10
since this button will make Scratchy go down and not up.
Step 4: Make Scratchy move right, when the Right arrow key is pressed on
your keyboard. Drag in the ‘when _ key is pressed’ block, and edit to the
Right arrow key. Since you want this key to move Scratchy from left to
right on the x-axis, you will have to select the ‘change x by _’ block. Set the
number of steps for this as well.
At this stage, when you click on the green flag, your Sprite should
automatically appear in the starting position, and you can move it through
the maze quite easily using the arrow keys.

Phase 5: Let us Make This Game Awesome

Do you still remember the description of our game? We do not want
Scratchy to move through the maze in any direction. The cat has lost its
way home, and guiding it through the maze is the only way to get home.
Our game needs some rules.
Rule 1: Scratchy will return to the starting position if he touches the red line
of the maze.
Rule 2: Scratchy will return to the starting position if he reaches the edge of
the stage.
You can add as many rules as you want into the game, as long as you know
how to write the code for the state. Let us start with these two simple rules.
We use if blocks or conditional statements to add rules to games.
Let us start with the first rule.

Rule 1: Make Scratchy Return To The Starting Position If He

Touches The Red Line.
Step 1: Pick an ‘if/then’ block from the controls palette and drag it into the
script area.
Step 2: We want the Sprite to know when he touches the forbidden red line.
For this, we will need a block from the Sensing palette. Drag the Touching
color block into space on the ‘if’ block. Now click on the color on this
block. To change it to the exact color of the maze, click the small color
picker pen icon at the base of the color palette; then click on the red on the
labyrinth.
Helpful Gems: You can pick the color directly from the palette too. But you
must ensure it is the exact color.
Step 3: Add what happens if Scratchy touches the color. You will need the
‘go to x:_ y:_’ block for this. Drag this block into space in the ‘if’ block
and edit x and y to match the value of the grid for the original position of
the Sprite.
Rule 2: Make Scratchy Return To The Starting Position If He
Touches The Edge Of The Maze
Step 1: Pick another If, then block and drag it into the script area.
Step 2: To make the sprite touch the edge of the maze, add a touching
block from the Sensing palette. Edit this pallet by selecting an edge from
the options. Add this to the ‘if’ block.
Step 3: Add what happens when Scratchy touches the edge of the box. Add
the ‘go to x:_ y:_’ for this as well with the correct grid value.
Combine the blocks for rule one and rule two. Duplicate this combined
block two times. Add this combined rule block to all three of the ‘when _
key is pressed' blocks (up, down, and right).
When all of these have been done, click on the green flag and try to play the
game using the arrow keys.
 CHAPTER 10:

Let us Play Basketball

What You Will Learn

1. Create an animation about a cat that plays basketball

2. Step-by-step instructions with illustrations to guide you

The cat on this animation is a very skillful basketball player. He can bounce
the ball, jump, shoot to the hoop, and score!

Getting Started
You will have to find the Scratch Jr application on your device. Tap on the
Home button. Press on the plus ( + ) sign to start a new project.

Did you know?

Basketball was created in the US by a professor named Dr. James Naismith
in 1891. The first basketball games had nine players on each team and used
a soccer ball.
Now you can choose a background, and get your basketball player ready for
the animation.

1. Changing the Character

Delete Felix and tap on the plus sign to add a new character.
In the library find the ‘Cat Walking ’character, and tap on the brush to edit
it.

2. Changing the Character’s Appearance

Let us make the cat look like a basketball player.
1. Change its color by clicking on the bucket on the bottom-right
side.

2. Choose a color, and then tap on the cat.

3. Add a headband by tapping the line at the top-left corner of the

screen.

4. Choose the thickest line at the bottom and choose a color, as

you did in Step B. Draw the headband.

3. Add an Object
The cat needs a ball to play basketball. Add a basketball from the library to
Page 1.

4. Add a Background
Tap the background button at the top of the screen, to go to the background
library.
Find the gym background and tap it twice. Add the same background to a
second page.
Drag the basketball player and the ball, and position them in the middle of
the court. Drag the player, and place its right hand in front of the ball to
make it look like they are bouncing it.
Did you know?
Sheryl Swoopes became the first-ever player to be signed by the WNBA
(Women’s National Basketball Association) in their first season in 1997.
She played for the Houston Comets.
You now have the background and characters to start programming your
basketball animation.

5. Resize Character
Let us make the basketball smaller, to make it fit better with the cat’s size.
Tap on the ball and copy the following code:

This block will make the ball smaller. The bigger the number, the smaller
the ball will become.
This code will make the animation start when you tap on the basketball.
The orange envelope at the end will send a message to the cat to shoot at
the hoop. This is called a trigger message. Tap on the basketball on Page 1
to test your animation.

Did you know?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s top scorer of all time. He scored 38,387
points throughout his career!
 6. Using a Trigger Message
After bouncing the ball, the cat will have a shot at the hoop. Tap on the cat
and add the following code:

You might have noticed that this program starts with an orange envelope in
the ball’s program, which triggers an action on the cat.
Tap on the ball again and add the following blocks to the program you
created in Step 6.
The red block at the end will move the animation to Page 2:

Tap on Page 2, and add the basketball player character and the basketball.
Place the ball under the hoop, and the basketball player in the middle of the
court.

7. Resizing Characters and Sequencing

Tap on the basketball and add the following code:

Finally, tap on the cat and add the following program:

Now, tap on the basketball on Page 1 to show the whole animation.

Troubleshooting
Sometimes the trigger message might make the animation look slow. To
solve this, add speed blocks (medium or fast) after the trigger message, to
make the action faster.

Did you know?

Men’s basketball was first played in the Olympics in 1936 and women’s
basketball became an Olympic sport in 1976.

Challenge
Use the purple looks blocks to add a speech bubble to the player saying
“Yes!” after they score.
Can you make the player dribble the ball?
Using the blue motion blocks, try to make the player dribble the ball.
 Conclusion

I
want to thank you for taking out time to read this book! I certainly
hope that you have found it informative and useful. The goal in this
book was to keep things simple so that beginners can understand
Scratch and get started with using it. Hopefully, we have kept it
interesting and fun as well.
In this guide, we have had the opportunity to discuss the most important
features in Scratch. Since this guide is dedicated to those who are not that
knowledgeable but still interested in programming, we tried to keep it as
simple as possible. However, we wanted to give you as many entertaining
projects that you can try to create on your own, as we could. It was
important to become familiar with Scratch and the environment in which
you are supposed to work. Furthermore, we explained all of the basic
commands that Scratch offers and walked you through the different kinds of
games and animations, so you can use that material for practicing.
In the end, we dedicated a lot of time to variables which are one of the key
concepts of programming. Once it happens that this guide becomes less
advanced for you, feel free to use all of the additional files and resources
that we mentioned, at least when it comes to the version of Scratch that we
used in this guide.
The best approach is not only to find simple tasks on the site but also tasks
that are interesting. One task that is good to try is the one we touched on in
the book. That is the animated letters. This is a fun task that children enjoy,
and it lets them directly connect the commands they are giving to the action
that they see on the screen. The animation process can also involve several
different methods, and so it also gives the children a chance to learn a lot
about Scratch, in a simple context.
 Glossary

Animation
Something that moves around on the screen and looks like it has come to
life.
Character
A person or animal in a story.
Code
A language for expressing information and instructions that can be
understood by a computer.
Coder
A coder is someone who writes code. A coder creates computer games.
Coordinate
A set of numbers used to locate a point on a line, map, or grid.
Crash
To crash means to stop working. When computer games crash, people
cannot keep playing them.
Data
Data is saved information that can be used later. The Scratch program can
save data.
Detect
To detect is to discover or learn something. Sensing blocks in Scratch help
the program save data.
Ellipse
A shape that looks like a flattened circle.
Equations
Equations are mathematical statements that include an equals (=) sign.
Operators blocks in Scratch involve equations.
Felix
Felix is the name of the orange cat that you see at the start of every project.
You can use Felix in your project, or delete him and add a new character.
Grid
Turn the x-y coordinate grid on and off.
Interact
To communicate or spend time with something.
Interface
It is the way a computer program looks on-screen; for example, the layout
of the screen and the menus.
Library
A collection of characters and backgrounds.
Motion
Used for moving sprites around the stage.
Orbit
A repeated movement around an object, such as the moon orbiting Earth.
Palette
The range of colors used in a painting or design.
Random
Showing no clear pattern or plan.
Selections
Selections are a type of code that computers use to choose between different
options. A coder uses selections to tell the computer which messages to
display in the game.
Sequence
The order in which instructions are given to the computer.
Simulate
To mimic or act like something else.
Sound
Used for playing recordings or musical notes.
Variables
Variables are things that have values and that can be measured. Data blocks
save variables in a Scratch program.
Visual
Something that can be seen. Scratch is a visual programming language
because the user can see it.
 CODING WITH PYTHON

A Playful Way Of Programming, Coding, And Doing Projects With Your Kids.
Learn Computer Science Quickly While Stimulating Your Kids’ Creativity.

Mark B. Bennet
 © Copyright 2020 - All rights reserved.

The content contained within this book may not be reproduced, duplicated or transmitted without
direct written permission from the author or the publisher. Under no circumstances will any blame or
legal responsibility be held against the publisher, or author, for any damages, reparation, or monetary
loss due to the information contained within this book. Either directly or indirectly.

Legal Notice:

This book is copyright protected. This book is only for personal use. You cannot amend, distribute,
sell, use, quote or paraphrase any part, or the content within this book, without the consent of the
author or publisher.

Disclaimer Notice:

Please note the information contained within this document is for educational and entertainment
purposes only. All effort has been executed to present accurate, up to date, and reliable, complete
information. No warranties of any kind are declared or implied. Readers acknowledge that the author
is not engaging in the rendering of legal, financial, medical or professional advice. The content
within this book has been derived from various sources. Please consult a licensed professional before
attempting any techniques outlined in this book.

By reading this document, the reader agrees that under no circumstances is the author responsible for
any losses, direct or indirect, which are incurred as a result of the use of information contained within
this document, including, but not limited to, errors, omissions, or inaccuracies.
 Note to Parents

T
his book is intended for children who wish to learn to
programming, especially in Python language.

As the computer world is very advanced and fast-paced, new

solutions for a particular problem appear every day. This means that kids
interested in computers have to follow the innovations and news in the field
they want to explore further, no matter what it is. For example, if they are
interested in making video games (which most kids initially use a computer
for, even before they are old enough to start preschool education), they
constantly have to follow computer science news or the innovations in the
computing field, programming languages, and updates to programs and
languages used to create computer programs and applications.

Imagine you have coded a calendar. It is a basic one, in which you have 12
months/365 days with just a small space next to each day, where you can
note your appointments and tasks for that day. This is good for today, but as
soon as tomorrow comes, a program with more advanced functions will
appear on the market. Someone else may have found a way to put, for
example, more space for editing besides each day, or may have coded a
clock into the calendar. In this new, advanced calendar, besides the date,
you may be able to keep track of time during each day, or perhaps holidays
or the ability to set audible reminders in the calendar are now included. This
is the kind of innovation we are talking about in this book.

The reasons mentioned here make programming one of the most useful and
beneficial skills to possess, for both children and adults alike. As with most
other science-based disciplines, it is best to start learning early in childhood
- the sooner, the better. Therefore, this book is written to motivate children
to start learning to code in order to enhance their imagination and logical
reasoning skills, and to prepare them for their future adult lives. Today,
computer literacy is mandatory. This book can help you give the children in
your life the tools they need to be successful when they grow up.
 Introduction

Welcome to Python
Hey there!

I
f asked what a core subject in school is, English, Mathematics and
Science are most likely the subjects that jump to mind. However, in
recent years, we have seen coding appearing as a new ‘must teach’
subject, although there is an air of controversy over whether it should
or shouldn’t be taught. Wherever you stand on this debate, there is no
denying that learning to code will provide children with valuable skills that
can be used in all areas of their life.

Even if you are learning to code as an adult, this book is the perfect starting
point for a much-needed foundation. This book is most definitely not just
for kids.

This book contains proven steps and strategies on how to start teaching
children (or adults) to code. It includes hands-on activities that can be used
both in the classroom and at home to consolidate coding concepts, as well
as useful resources for working with code on a computer or tablet.

It is written in an easy-to-read way such that even parents or teachers who

don’t have much coding knowledge or experience will be able to learn and
teach the activities.

What is Coding?
Coding sounds daunting if you aren’t technologically minded. We imagine
it to be complicated jargon, which of course it is until you understand it. In
reality, anyone can learn to code, just like anyone can learn a new language,
or how to play a musical instrument. It just takes perseverance.

Computer code is simply a set of instructions that tells a computer what to

do. We call it code because the words and symbols used in computer
languages are known as code.

You see, while we think that they are smart, computers are, in fact, useless
unless somebody methodically tells them what to do. A person who writes
this code is known as a computer programmer. These instructions are then
used to tell a computer how to run a specific program, follow a command,
or open an application (app). For example, when you click the button on
your mouse, pre-existing code written to tell the computer what to do is
activated when the button is clicked.
Why Learn to Code?
According to Code.org, there are more than 500,000 unfilled computing
jobs, and programming jobs are the number one source of new wages.
Coding truly has evolved into the new literacy of the Augmented Age. Even
if you do not become a software engineer or work a computing job, you will
still be impacted by its prominence in the industry. Developing at least a
fundamental understanding of programming is a valuable skill-set for future
employment opportunities and understanding the implications of
technology use. Technology is such an integral part of this generation, that
it is rather naive to not have some understanding of software that controls
billions of devices and how they work.

Programming is about problem solving and troubleshooting. Computers are

innately moronic. It takes the cognitive effort of a human being to get them
to perform a task. Before solving a problem or building an application, it is
essential you understand the underlying process and can explain it before
writing code. Why do you think programmers and trendy tech startups like
whiteboards and glass windows sell so much?
Why Python?
Just like humans can understand many different languages, a computer can
understand the ideas and concepts that we put in through several different
programming languages. In this book, we will focus on the Python
programming language, because Python is easy to understand, can be used
in many different ways, and can be learnt quickly. Also, it is a popular
language that runs on almost every machine and is used at many influential,
important organizations like Google, Instagram, NASA, and Spotify.
What Is In This Book?
This book is designed to teach you the basics of coding in the Python
programming language so that you become code-literate, and can apply the
learned concepts to other applications or languages. As an introduction, this
book covers the constructs that are shared across almost all languages,
although some are Python-specific. By the end of this book, I cannot
promise that you will be able to build the next Facebook or build an
artificially intelligent system like Mark Zuckerberg’s project, Jarvis, but
you will have the tools you need to learn more about an area such as game
development and pursue a project. If you plan on enrolling in AP Computer
Science A, at school, or a self-challenging AP test, this book does not cover
Java. However, the concepts acquired will still be helpful to develop a
fundamental understanding of the material.
 CHAPTER 1:

Learning to Program

What You Will Learn

· Python basics (get to know your environment)

· Installing Python (Windows - Mac - Ubuntu)

· Once you have installed Python

· Saving your program

· Using IDLE (A to Z guide)

Python Basic (Get to Know Your Environment)
To start programming, there is need to understand computer language.
Computers do not speak like us. They take commands, one at a time, and
unfortunately, they do not speak plain English, so we need to learn a
computer language. Programming is done in several languages that any
computer can understand, such as C, C++, Python, JavaScript, Ruby, and
many more. All of these languages enable us to instruct our computers on
what to do. In this book, however, we are going to explore Python, which is
a simple language, but powerful enough to let you code pretty much
everything, including games.

Python is a fully-featured programming language that is taught in many

courses around the world. Some start learning it in elementary school, while
others study it in software engineering and computer science classes at
university level. This powerful, yet easy-to-understand programming
language is even used by some of the most popular technologies in the
world. For instance, YouTube and Gmail are some of the most famous
examples, among many more. Now, to get you on your path to learning
Python, you need to perform three actions. First, you need to download
Python from the official website, and then install it on your computer. Once
you have done that, you can give it a try by creating a basic program. But
first, why learn Python at all? If you like games or if you look at the big
software developers, you will see that many of them use C++, C#, or other
languages.
Installing Python (Windows - Mac - Ubuntu)
I know you want to dive right into coding, but you cannot do that until you
have the right tools. I will walk you through the step-by-step process of
installing Python. Let us get started!

ON A PC
If you are on a Windows computer, you probably do not have Python
installed already. This is because Windows operating systems do not usually
come with the Python language. That is okay though! We can get it
ourselves.

1. On your computer, open an Internet browser like Google

Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

2. In the address bar, type https://www.Python.org/downloads/ to

go to the official Python Downloads section.
3. Through the magic of coding, the website will probably know
what type of computer you are using, and the Download
button will show you the correct version of Python to install. In
our case, we wanted Python 3.7.0 which was the latest version
as at the time this book was written. Do not worry if it tells you
to download a newer version. Go ahead and click the
Download button.
4. A download will start and will probably go to the bottom of
your window as shown in the picture.

5. Once your download is complete, click on it to begin the

installation. When you do, a window should pop up.
6. Go ahead and click the Run button. Then, you will see this
window (yours may say 32-bit if that is right for your
computer).

7. Make sure to check the Add Python 3.7 To PATH checkbox.

8. Click Install Now. Python should start installing. You should
see a window like this one:

9. Wait for the installation to finish and the green bar to be

complete. Once it is done, the final screen should appear,
saying that your installation was successful.

10. You are done! Click the Close button and you are ready
to go. You have installed Python on Windows!
ON A MAC
1. On your computer, open an Internet browser like Google
Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

2. In the address bar, type https://www.Python.org/downloads/ to

go to the official Python Downloads section.

The website will probably know what type of computer you are using, and
the Download button will show you the correct version of Python to install.
You can also find the installer for the specific computer you are using in the
Files section.

3. After clicking on the version, a download should start. Wait for

it to finish before starting the installer.

4. When you start the installer, you should see a window like the
one below.
5. Click the Continue button. You will then be presented with
some important information that you can choose to read or not.

6. Click the Continue button. Next, you will see the license
information.
7. Keep going! Click the Continue button. You will be asked to
agree to the terms of the software license agreement.

8. Click the Agree button. You will reach the final window, as
shown below.
9. Click the Install button. If you need to, enter your personal
username and password for your account on your computer.
Mac OS sometimes asks for this to make sure you want to
install something. If you do not see this pop-up window, you
can continue to the next step.

10. The installation should begin.

 11. Wait for the installation to finish. Once it is done, you
should see the below window.

12. Congratulate yourself! You have just installed Python

on your Mac!

Note: You may have noticed we asked you to type

https://www.Python.org/downloads/. But is “https://” really necessary, or
could we just start with “www.”? The answer is this: Python is good at
redirecting you to the right site, but adding “https://” before typing web
addresses is a good practice to get into, so you can be sure your computer is
going to a secure site!
Once You Have Installed Python
Open up IDLE on your computer (if it is not already open). Whenever you
open up the IDLE program on your computer, you will always be brought
to the Shell first. The Shell is the interactive window that allows you to
write Python code within it and then see the results of your code right away.
You will know when you are in the Shell because it will say Python 3.7.0
Shell in the title bar of the window.

In the Shell, go ahead and type the following code:

print("Hi Python!")

Now, hit the Enter key. Do you see something like this?

Great job! You have written your first line of Python code! Give yourself a
pat on the back or high-five the person closest to you. You are about to
learn some awesome things next.
Saving Your Program
Even though it is a short program, Let us save our Python greeting to a
separate file, so you can see how easy it is to save your work.

First, let us create a new file:

1. On the Menu bar in your Shell, click the File tab to open its
context menu, which is a list of actions that you can perform.

2. Click New File.

3. A new window should pop up, like the picture below.

 4. Type in your greeting, using Python code: print("Hi Python!").

We have to put our greeting into this piece of Python code so that the
computer knows to write this message for us on the screen (you will learn
more about this later).

Great! Now you have your code in a file that we can save. This is important
because the first code we wrote was in the Shell, which means it will not be
saved once you close the window. Writing code directly in the Shell is just a
quicker way to run Python code and see the results right away. Always
create a new file and save it, to keep track of your work and save your
progress!

Now that we have created a file with our greeting code, let us save it.

You can save your program in IDLE by following these next steps.

5. On the Menu bar of your Shell, click the File tab to open its
context menu.
6. Click Save.

7. The next window will ask you to name your file. Go ahead and
give it a name. I will call mine ‘greeting.’
8. Make sure to save your Python program in a place that you will
not forget! If you do not choose another place, new files are
usually saved in the same folder where Python was
downloaded, so go ahead and change the Save In folder to a
better one. I created a folder called Cool Python in my
Documents directory, so that is where I will save my programs.
9. Click Save. That is it!
Using IDLE (Guide A to Z)
When you download and install Python, it will also install an application
called IDLE. IDLE is short for Integrated Development and Learning
Environment (that is a mouthful!), and it is an integrated development
environment (IDE), that helps us in writing Python programs. Think of it as
an electronic notepad with some additional tools to help us write, debug,
and run our Python code. To work in Python, you will need to open IDLE;
opening Python files directly will not work!

Let us take a look!

ON A PC
1. Click the Windows Start menu.

2. Start typing ‘idle, ’then select the search result ‘IDLE (Python
3.7 64-bit).’
Note: Yours might say IDLE (Python 3.7 32-bit) if that is the kind of
computer you have.
 3. A window should pop up that looks like this:

4. Ta-da! Awesome! You opened IDLE in Windows, and are now

ready to start writing some code in Python! :)

ON A MAC
· Navigate to Go > Applications.

· Find the Python 3.7 folder and open it.

· Double-click on the IDLE icon.

· A window should pop up that looks like this:

· Whoo-hoo! Congratulations! You opened IDLE on a Mac and are
now ready to start writing code in Python!
Activity 1: Rock Paper Scissors

The first game will be Rock, Paper, Scissors, which is normally played by
two people, but in this case, it’s going to be you against the computer. The
first thing we need to do when creating a game is brainstorming. Using a
pen and paper, map out how the game should be designed. Start by first
considering the rules of the game, and only then worry about the
programming side.

This classic game involves choosing one of three objects, as the name
suggests. Once both selections are made, the items are revealed to see who
wins. The player who wins is determined by three simple rules: Rock will
crush Scissors, Scissors will cut Paper, and Paper covers Rock.

To handle these rules we are going to create a list of choices, similar to the
list of colors we created before in some of our drawing programs. Then, we
will add a random selection function that will represent the choice the
computer makes. Next, the human player will have to make his or her
choice. Finally, the winner is decided with the help of several if statements.

Before we continue with the code, you should start performing these steps
on your own. You already have the plan and you know which steps you
need to take. So, simply break down the game into easy sections, and work
on each section one at a time. If you don’t remember how to write an if
statement correctly, go back to the chapter about if statements and refresh
your memory. The point of this chapter is to help you apply what you
already know. So give it a try before you read the following code.

Have you tried to create your version of the game yet? If so, good job! Even
if you didn’t finish it or you wrote the game and are still getting some
errors, you should still reward yourself for trying. Now, let’s go through the
code and see how this game should turn out:

import random

selectionChoices = [ “rock”, “paper”, “scissors”]

print (“Rock beats scissors. Scissors cut paper. Paper covers rock.”)

while player != “quit”:

player = player.lower ()

computer = random.choice(selectionChoices)

print("You selected " +player+ ",

and the computer selected" +computer+ ".") if player ==
computer:
print("Draw!")

elif player == "rock":

if computer == "scissors":
print ("Victory!")
else:
print("You lose!")
elif player == "paper":
 if computer == "rock":
print("Victory!") else:
print("You lose!")
elif player == "scissors":

if computer == "paper":
print ("Victory!") else:
print("You lose!")
else:
print("Something went wrong…")
print()
First, we import the random package which allows us to use a number of
functions that we are going to take advantage of, giving the computer the
ability to make random choices. Then, we create a list for the three game
objects and print the game rules so that the human player knows them. The
computer will already know what to do because it is programmed, after all.
Next, we ask the player to type his or her choice, and then a loop is
executed to check the choice of the player. The player also has the option of
quitting the Prompt window, and when that happens the game is over. Our
loop makes sure that if the player doesn’t select the quit option, the game
will continue to run.

The next step is to ask the computer to select one of the three game objects.
This choice is done randomly, and the selected item is stored inside a
variable called “computer.” After the choice is memorized, the testing phase
begins to see which player will win. First, a check is performed to see
whether the two players have chosen the same item. If they did, then the
result is a draw, and nobody wins. Next, the program verifies whether the
player chose rock, and then it looks at the computer to see if it chose
scissors. If this is the case, then the rule says Rock beats Scissors, so the
player wins. If the computer neither selected Rock nor Scissors, then it
certainly chose Paper. In this case, the computer will win. Next, we have
two elif statements, where we perform two more tests that check whether
the player selected Paper or Scissors. Here, we also have a statement that
checks to see if the player chose something that isn’t one of the three
possible items. If that is the case, an error message is sent that tells the
player he either chose something that is not allowed, or he mistyped the
command.

Lastly, the user is prompted to type the next selection. This is where the
main loop goes back to the beginning. In other words, the game starts
another round of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

This game is simple, but it is fun because anyone can win. The computer
has a chance of beating you and there’s also a real chance of the game
ending up in a draw. Now that you understand how to create a random
chance type of game, let’s look at other examples to add to our game library
while also learning Python programming.
Activity 2: Guess!
This project will be another fun chance-based game that will make use of
the random module. The purpose of the game will be choosing a number
between a minimum and a maximum limit, and then the opponent tries to
guess that number. If the player guesses a higher number, he will have to try
a smaller one, and vice versa. Only a perfect match will turn into a win.

Comparing numbers is something we already did in the previous chapters

by using the if statement. We have also used the input function to interact
with the program, and we are going to make use of it here once again. In
addition, we will need a while loop as well.

In this project, the random module is needed because of certain functions.

For instance, we know that we need to generate a random number, therefore
we will use a function called “randint” which stands for random integer.
The function will have two parameters, which represent the minimum
number we can have, as well as the maximum number. You can try out this
function on its own. Just import the module and then type the following:

import random

random.randint (1, 20)

Python will now automatically generate a random figure between 1 and 20.
Keep in mind that the minimum and maximum values are included in the
number generation; therefore, Python can also generate numbers 1 or 20.
You can test this command as many times as you want to make sure that
you are truly getting random values. If you execute it often enough, you
will see that some values will repeat themselves, and if the range is large
enough you might not even encounter certain numbers, no matter how
many times you run the code. What’s interesting about this function though,
is that it isn’t truly random. This is just a side note that won’t affect your
program, but it is intriguing nonetheless. The randint function actually
follows a specific pattern; the chosen numbers only appear to be random,
but they aren’t. Python follows a complex algorithm for this pattern instead,
and therefore, we experience the illusion of randomness. With that being
said, let’s get back to the fun and games. Let’s create our game with the
following code:

import random

randomNumbers = random.randint (1, 100)

myGuess = int (input (“Try to guess the number. It can be anywhere from 1
to 100:”))

while guess != randomNumbers:

if myGuess > randomNumbers:

print (myGuess, “was larger than the number. Guess again!”

if myGuess < randomNumbers:

print (myGuess, “was smaller than the number. Guess again!”

myGuess = int (input (“Try and guess again! “))

print (myGuess, “you got it right! You won!”)

That’s it! Hopefully, you tried to create this game on your own because you
already have the tools for the job. Remember that programming is only easy
as long as you practice it enough on your own. Just take it one step at a
time. With that being said, let’s discuss the code in case you need some help
figuring the game out. Just like before, we first need to import the random
module so that we can use the random number generating function. Next,
we use the randint function with two parameters. As mentioned before,
these parameters are the lowest number we can guess, which is 1, and the
highest number we can guess, which is 100. The random number generator
will generate a number within this range. Once the number is generated, it
is stored inside the “randomNumbers” variable which we declared. This
number will not be known by the player because he or she needs to guess it.
That’s the point of the game.

Next up, the player needs to guess the hidden number. This guess will then
be stored inside a new variable called “myGuess.” In order to check
whether the guess is equal to the number, we are using a while loop with the
“not equal to” operator. We do this because if the player gets lucky and
guesses the number correctly on the first attempt, the loop simply doesn’t
finish executing because there’s no need.

Next, if the player guesses the wrong number, we have two if statements
that check whether the guess is a higher value than the hidden number or a
lower one. An appropriate message is then printed for the player in each
case. In either scenario, the player receives another chance to make the right
guess. Finally, in the end, if the user guessed the number correctly, the
program declares victory by printing a message and then the program stops
running.

To make the game more interesting, you can challenge yourself to modify
the random number generator to include different values. You can also add
a statement that enables the game to print the score to see how many times
the player tried to guess the number. Also, since the game ends when the
player guesses correctly, you could write the main loop so that the player
can choose to restart the game instead of automatically quitting. Have fun,
and don’t be afraid to try anything.
Activity 3: Choose a Card

Card games are always fun, and they also rely on random elements to some
degree. No matter what the card game is, chances of having multiple
identical games are quite small. This means you won’t get bored any time
soon. With what we discussed so far about Python programming, we can
create a card game. It might not look good unless you have an artistic friend
to draw everything for you, but you could still create the graphics with the
help of the Turtle module, as we did for other projects. This will require
some patience though. In any case, we can create a card game even without
graphics by simply generating the name of each card. Instead of seeing a
virtual card, we will see the name “four of spades,” or “queen of hearts.”

Before we continue, you should take note that this project is your challenge.
You have learned everything you need to write such a game, and we already
created two other fairly similar projects. So, this time, you are almost
entirely on your own. As usual, start with a pen and paper and figure
everything out in logical order. Worry about the code afterward. However,
to help you out a little, we are going to brainstorm together just to give you
some ideas.

One of the simplest card games we can create involves a game with two
players that battle each other to see who draws the card with the highest
value. Each player will randomly pull a card from the deck, and the one
who has the higher card will win. It is a simple yet fun game due to the
element of randomness.

Since we won’t be using any graphics, we will have to create our deck of
cards some other way. We are going to set them all up as a list of strings as
we will be using their names instead. Next, we need to give the players the
ability to randomly pull a card from the deck. This means that we are going
to use the random module once again, and we will add a choice function
that randomly distributes cards to the players. Finally, we need a way to
compare the two cards that are drawn by the two players. As you probably
guessed, this is a case for comparison operators.

That is pretty much all it takes to create a card game. You can add more
features, or remove some, if you aren’t interested in them. Whatever you
do, design the game on paper so that you know your goals beforehand.
Then, work on those goals by writing one line of code at a time. This way
you will write your game in no time and you will be able to fix whatever
problems you encounter fairly quickly.
Activity 4: Random Number Generators: Mimic a Coin Flip
Now, before we can write a coin flip/toss program, we need a way to
produce random numbers. That may sound like something difficult if not
impossible. After all, how in the world do you make something random?

Well, the good news is that there is a way for you to generate random
numbers with the help of Python programming. As you might have guessed,
it requires some serious math. But don’t worry. Someone else has done the
math for you.

You don’t have to come up with the mathematical formula or the algorithm
that will create random numbers. It has all been done for you. In fact, there
are several ways to produce random numbers in Python.

We will introduce you to one of these Python language constructs so you

can create the coin toss game. To do that, we will need to use a function
called choice( ). This is only one of several functions in Python that are
used to generate random numbers.

Not only do these functions produce random numbers, but they can also
manipulate the randomness of the numbers being created. In a way, they
give you some degree of control, so you can decide which set of numbers
can be produced.

Note that these functions are used in many games, apps, lottery programs,
and many other applications where an element of randomness is needed.
They are pretty useful actually.

The choice( ) Function

As mentioned earlier, for this coin flip or coin toss game we will use the
choice( ) function. So, what is it?
Remember, it is spelled with a small letter “c” at the beginning. The choice(
) function will output only one random number. That makes things easier
for now since all we want is something that will produce either one of two
results.

We can use the choice( ) function to randomly generate either the number 1
or 0—well, we can also choose 1 or 2, too. It’s all up to you which two
numbers you will choose. The next question is how does this function
work?

Here is an example of how the choice( ) function will look like in a Python
program:

print (random.choice([5, 4, 3, 2, 1]))

You are already familiar with the print( ) function. Next, as you can see
from the sample above, you use the choice( ) function by using the
following line of code:

random.choice( )

From the said example above, you will also notice a set of numbers
enclosed within a pair of square brackets, which are the following:

[5, 4, 3, 2, 1]
This function will choose any of the numbers inside the set contained
within the square brackets. Note that only the numbers in this container will
be used. That is the control that will be given to you when using this
random number generator.
What we have below is called the syntax of a statement. In programming
terms, the syntax is the proper arrangement of terms in a programming
language so that it can be interpreted correctly (or translated correctly into a
language that can be understood by a computer).

The following is the official syntax of the choice( ) function:

random.choice([sequence])
Here are the parts of this function:

· random.choice – This is the function call or the right way to make

use of this function. You need to add the word “random.” (followed
by a dot) before the word “choice.” So you might be thinking what
is this “random” part of the statement? Well, that is called the
module (we’ll talk about modules in a minute). What this part of
the code is telling us is that “choice” is part of “random” or
contained inside “random.”

· [sequence] – This part will contain a sequence of numbers or in the

case of our coin toss program it will contain either of two words
(i.e. heads or tails). This part of the choice( ) function is the list of
items from which the output will be selected.

choice( ) is a useful function if you want to specify exactly which numbers

will be included in the selection. There are downsides, of course. What if
you want to choose any number ranging from 1 to 500,000?

Writing all those numbers in your Python code will become way too long if
you do it that way. Don’t worry. Other functions can handle such a task. For
now, let’s just concentrate on using the choice( ) function since we want a
limited set of numbers to choose from.

Open your Python console and enter the following lines code:
 >>> import random

>>> print(random.choice(["heads","tails"]))
Import Statement

We used the following statement:

>>> import keyword

And now you have:

>>> import random

The reserved word “import” is a statement that is used to import/make use
of/bring in predefined codes. Don’t let that technical jargon scare you. This
statement makes use of the import system in Python programming.

You remember that it was explained earlier that other people have written
the algorithms and the Python code for a lot of tasks that you will need in
programming. In this case, when you need a program that will generate
random numbers, other programmers have already done the job for you.

All you need to do is to use their code. That means someone else already
wrote the code for the choice( ) function that we were discussing earlier.
Now, for you to use that function, you need to import it from the code that
they wrote into your own code.

That eliminates the need to write what they already wrote. All you need to
do is to import it. In this case, you will import something called “random.”

In Python programming, “random” is something called a module. Think of

a module as a collection of programming code that has already been made
for you to use. You have now learned two modules in this programming
language—random and keyword.
You can’t use the choice( ) function without importing the random module
first. That is why you start with an import statement first and then use the
choice( ) function.

Moving forward, notice that when you press enter after this line of code:

>>> print(random.choice(["heads","tails"]))
The system will display either heads or tails. Press the Up arrow key to
display that command again. Pressing the Up arrow key on the command
console of Python will display the last command that you entered. That way
you don’t have to retype everything over and over again. This only works
on the command-line console.

Notice that the pattern produced is random. There is no specified number of

times the words “heads” or “tails” will be selected.
Activity 5: Coin Flip Game Algorithm

Now we are ready to create the algorithm for the coin flip game. Here it is:

1. Greet the player and mention the name of the game.

2. Explain the rules of this game: a virtual coin will be tossed. There will be
no graphics involved. Just an imaginary or virtual coin toss for now.

3. The player will guess whether the coin will show heads or tails.

4. Flip or toss the coin.

5. The player that guesses the side of the coin correctly gets 1 point, the
player who doesn’t guess correctly has 1 point deducted. The player who
gets 3 points first, wins.
 CHAPTER 2:

Making Choices and Decisions

What You Will Learn

· If statement

· Indentation

· If-else statements

· For-in loops

· While loops

· Input texts

If Statement

if test-expression:
statements

The if statement executes the statement only if a specified condition is true;

it does not execute any statement if the condition is false.

Example

a = 200

b = 100

if a > b:
 print ("a is greater than b.")

Output:

a is greater than b.

Explanation

a > b is a test expression; it tests whether 200 > 100. If it returns true, it will
execute the code print( ), if it returns false, it will not execute the code
print( ).
If-else Statement
if test-expression:
statements # run when text-expression is true
else:
statements # run when text-expression is
false

Example

a = 100

b = 200

if a > b:

print ("a is greater than b.")

else:

print ("a is less than b")

Output:

a is less than b.

Explanation

a > b is a test expression; it tests whether 100 > 200. If it returns true, it will
execute the code print(‘a is greater than b’). If it returns false, it will
execute the code print(‘a is less than b’).
Indentation
In Python, indentation is used to mark a block of code. To indicate a block
of code, you should indent each line of the block of code by four spaces,
which is the typical amount of indentation in Python.

Example
a = 100

b = 200

if a > b:

print ("a is greater than b.") # indent four spaces

else:

print ("a is less than b") # indent four spaces

The print() statements are indented four spaces. Correct!

Note:

if a > b:

print ("a is greater than b.") # error!

else:

print ("a is less than b") # error!

The print() expression is not indented, so errors occur!

If-elif Statement
if test-expression:
statements # run when this text-expression is
true
elif test-expression:
statements # run when this text-expression is
true
else:
statements # run when all text-expressions are
false

Example

Num = 200

if num < 100:

print ("num is less than 100")

elif 100 < num < 150:

print ("num is between 100 and 150")

else:

print ("num is greater than 150")

Output:

num is greater than 150

Explanation

elif is short for else if.

For-In Loops
The for-in loop repeats a given block of code a specified number of times.

for <variable> in <sequence> :

<statements>

A variable stores the value of each item.

A sequence may be a string, a collection, or a range( ) which implies the

number of times of loop.

Example

for str in 'Good':

print ('Current Character :', str)

Output:

Current Character: G

Current Character: o

Current Character: o

Current Character: d

Explanation

for str in 'Good' loops four times because ‘Good ’has 4 characters. str stores
the value of each character.
For Variable In Range( )
A for variable in range( ) can generate a sequence number.

for var in range( n)

for var in range(n1, n2)

range( n) generates a sequence from 0 to n-1.

range(n1, n2) generates a sequence from n1 to n2-1.

(1)

Example

for var in range(6):

print (var)

Output: 0,1,2,3,4,5.

(2)

for num in range(3,10) :

print (num)

Output: 3,4,5,6,7,8,9.

Explanation

A for variable in range( ) can generate a sequence number.

While Loops
While loops are used repeatedly to execute blocks of code.

while <test-expression> :
<statement>

<test-expression> looks like a < 100, b! = 200. c==d[1], etc.

Example

n=0

while n < 9:

print (n)

n=n+1

Output:

012345678

Explanation

n < 9 tests the n value. If n is less than 9, while-loops will execute the print
(n) and will continue to run the next loop. Until n is greater than or equal to
9, while-loops will terminate the loop.

n = n + 1 adds one to n in each loop.

Continue
continue

The continue keyword can skip the next command and continue the next
iteration of the loop.

Example

num=0

while num<10:

num = num + 1

if num==5:

continue

print (num)

Output:

1234678910

Explanation

Note that the output has the number 5.

The statement, if num==5: continue, skips the next command, print (num),
when num is 5, and then continues the next while loop.
Break Statement
break

The keyword break is used to stop the running of a loop according to the
condition.

Example

num=0

while num<10:

if num==5:

break

num=num+1

print (num)

Output:

Explanation

The statement, if num==5: break, will run the break command if num is 5;
the break statement will exit from the while loop, and will run print (num).
Input Texts (1)
Sometimes users need to input some text via the keyboard.

variable = input(“prompt”)

Note: Please use double quotation marks to enclose your input (in some
Python versions).

Example

name = input("Please input your name: ")

print ("Your name is: " + name )

age = input("Please input your age: ")

print ("Your age is: " + age )

Output:

Please input your name: “Jack”

Jack

Please input your age: “16”

16

Explanation

The input( ) function can accept the data from the user’s keyboard input.
Input Texts (2)
Sometimes users need to input some text by keyboard.

variable = raw_input(“prompt”)

Example

name = raw_input("Please input your name: ")

print ("Your name is: " + name )

age = raw_input("Please input your age: ")

print ("Your age is: " + age )

Output:

Please input your name: Jack

Jack

Please input your age: 16

16

Explanation

The statement raw_input( ) can accept the data from the user’s keyboard
input.

Note: The statement raw_input() is no longer used nowadays, but you need
to know a little bit about Python history.
Pass Statement
The pass statement is a null operation; it means ‘does nothing.’

It is also very useful as a temporary placeholder for future code that needs
to be inserted later.

Example

condition = True

if condition:

print ('The condition is very good!')

elif True:

pass # insert code later

else:

pass # insert code later

Output:

The condition is very good!

Explanation

The pass statement is just a temporary placeholder.

Exercise: Traffic Light
If-elif-else statement

Please go to Start > Programs > Python3.5 > IDLE (Python GUI).

Write the following code into IDLE editor:

trafficLight = input("Please input traffic light -- red, green or yellow: ")

if trafficLight == "red":

print ("The traffic light is " + trafficLight)

elif trafficLight == "green":

print ("The traffic light is " + trafficLight)

else:

print ("The traffic light is " + trafficLight)

Save the file, and run the program by pressing F5.

(Run > Run Module).

Output:

The traffic light is green.

Explanation

if test-expression:

statements # runs when this text-expression is true

elif test-expression:

statements # runs when this text-expression is true

else:

statements # runs when all text-expressions are false

Note: Please use double quotation marks to enclose your input (in some
Python versions).The statement raw_input() is no longer used nowadays,
but you need to know a little bit about Python history.
Summary
The if statement executes only if a specified condition is true; it does not
execute any statement if the condition is false.

In Python, indentation is used to mark a block of code. To indicate a block

of code, you should indent each line of the block of code by four spaces,
which is the typical amount of indentation in Python.

The for-in loop repeats a given block of code a specified number of times.

The for variable in range() can generate a sequence number.

While loops are used repeatedly to execute blocks of code.

The keyword, continue, can skip the next command and continue to the
next iteration of the loop.

The keyword, break, is used to stop the running of a loop according to the
condition.

Sometimes users need to input some text via keyboard.

variable = input(“prompt”)

The pass statement is a null operation; it means ‘does nothing.’

The pass statement is very useful to work as a temporary placeholder for

future code that needs to be inserted later.

If/Then Games
These games are based on conditional statements.
Quiz
1. What is an iteration?

A program test

A decision

The repetition of certain steps

2. Which statements will use an iteration?

if and while

for and while

if and else

3. Is the following statement true? A while loop will iterate until

told otherwise.

True

False

4. Which symbol is translated as ‘equal to ’in Python?

!=

==

5. Is the statement 5 >= 5 true?

Yes

No
6. Which loop is used to repeat a statement a specific number of
times?

Indentation

For-loop

While-loop

7. Which data type can only be true or false?

Integer

Boolean

Float

8. Which symbol needs to be placed at the end of a conditional

statement?

9. Is the following statement correct? Repeat loops will repeat if

the condition is true.

True

False

10. Which symbol means greater than or equal to?

>>

=>

>=
Activity 6: There’s A Loop For That!
Let’s say we want to output a greeting to our friends and tell them what our
favorite dessert is: print("Hi! My name is Adrienne. My favorite dessert is
ice cream.")

This works if your name happens to be Adrienne. Oh, and if your favorite
dessert also happens to be ice cream. What if it was chocolate? Or cookies?
Or cake? What if you had a different name? How would you change the
print() function to output your name and favorite dessert?

You could write a print() function for each combination. It would look like
this: print("Hi! My name is Adrienne. My favorite dessert is ice cream.")

print("Hi! My name is Mario. My favorite dessert is creme brulee.")

print("Hi! My name is Neo. My favorite dessert is cake.")

That’s a lot of work, though. If you look at the three print() functions, do
you notice any kind of pattern? All of them are exactly the same, except for
the name and the dessert! This would be a great case to use an f-string and
some loops!

What to Do

Write a loop that outputs the name of a person and their favorite dessert
using the two lists below. The order of favorite desserts matches the order
of the people who like them, so don’t worry about that. Use an f-string to
print out the message.

people = ['Mario', 'Peach', 'Luigi', 'Daisy', 'Toad', 'Yoshi']

desserts = ['Star Pudding', 'Peach Pie', 'Popsicles', 'Honey Cake', 'Cookies',

'Jelly Beans']
Expected Result

Hi! My name is Mario. My favorite dessert is Star Pudding.

Hi! My name is Peach. My favorite dessert is Peach Pie.

. . . (and continued for the rest of the list)

Activity 7: Loop De Loop, Which Hula Hoop Loop?

Nacho, the cat, is walking through the neighborhood when he sees some
hula hoops by a playground. He notices that there are a few placed together
by the swings and another few propped up by the basketball court. Nacho
gets the idea to invite his friends to come and play.

What to Do

Using your knowledge of loops, write either a for-loop or while loop to

cycle through Nacho’s cat friends and send them to a specific set of hula
hoops.

Nacho has requested that his more athletic or younger friends be sent to the
hula hoops by the swings, since those hula hoops are more difficult to jump
through while the swings are in motion. If the cat friends are older or less
athletic, they should go to the hula hoops propped up by the basketball
court, as they are easier to jump through.

Here’s some code to help you get started:

nachos_friends = ['athletic', 'not athletic', 'older', 'athletic', 'younger',

'athletic', 'not athletic', 'older', 'athletic', 'older', 'athletic']

hula_hoops_by_swings = 0
hula_hoops_by_basketball_court = 0

As you cycle through Nacho’s friends, determine which group they belong
to. Then, add another count to that group to keep track of how many cats
are in each. Finally, print how many cats are at the hula hoops by the swings
and how many cats are at the hula hoops by the basketball court.

Sample Expected Output

Cats at Hula Hoops by Swings: 6

Cats at Hula Hoops by Basketball Court: 5

Activity 8: Iffy Legs
Imagine that we worked at a zoo and needed to organize the animals based
on the number of legs they have. After organizing them, we also count the
total number of animals we have in each group. How would we do this? In
real life, we would probably take each animal one by one, look at the
number of legs it has, and then put it in an area we’ve marked as animals
having a specific number of legs. After sorting, we could then count the
total number of animals in each area.

Let’s try writing a small program to help us sort our animals instead. Sound
good?

What to Do

To start, let’s create some variables for the different groups of animal legs
and assign a starting count of 0 (since we haven’t sorted any yet!):

has_zero_legs = 0

has_two_legs = 0

has_four_legs = 0

Cool! For now, we know that these are the three types of groups that an
animal from our zoo can be placed into: a group for animals with no legs,
another group for animals with two legs, and a third group for animals that
have four legs. Here’s some information about the various animals and their
number of legs:

moose = 4

snake = 0

penguin = 2
lion = 4

monkey = 2

dolphin = 0

bear = 2

elephant = 4

giraffe = 4

koala = 2

shark = 0

kangaroo = 2

komodo_dragon = 4

Create a list with the animal leg information, use a loop to iterate through
them all, and keep count of which group we add each animal to. Print out
the total number of animals in each group.

Sample Expected Output

Animals with no legs: x

Animals with two legs: y

Animals with four legs: z

Activity 9: Password-protected Secret Message

There are times when we need to share secrets with our friends. Wouldn’t it
be cool to write a small program that only allows users to see the contents if
they provide the right password? Well, we can do that using while loops!

What to Do

Create a new Python file called ‘secret-message’ and save it. In your
program, create three variables: one for a password, one for a user’s guess,
and another for your secret message. I started some below for some
inspiration:

password = 'cupcakes'

guess = ''

secret_message = 'Tomorrow, I will bring cookies for me and you to

share at lunch!'

Now, create a while loop. Our while loop will be checking the password a
person tries through the guess variable. Our program should continue to ask
for a password if the person’s guess is incorrect!

To make sure that only those with the right password can view your
message, have your while loop check to see that your password variable is
not equal to the guess variable. If it isn’t, that means the person using your
program has not entered either the right password or any input at all. In that
case, continue the while loop and use a print() function to ask the user for a
password. Also, within the while loop, keep re-assigning your guess
variable to whatever the user types into your program like this: guess =
input()

You should only stop your while loop once the user enters the correct
password. Once that happens, use another print() function to show your
secret message!

Save your program, then run it. You should see it continue to ask you for
the right password and only show you the secret message once you provide
it!

Activity 10: Guess-the-Number Game

Using Python’s built-in random module (see here) and while loops, build a
simple number guessing game! The computer will pick a random number
and assign it to a variable, while you take turns trying to guess that number.
Let’s code!

What to Do

Create a new Python file called ‘guess-the-number-game’ and save it. In

your program, import the random module (by typing ‘import random’ as
shown) and create two variables: one to store the number the computer
randomly picks, and one for the number of guesses you will allow in your
game:

import random

# selects a random number between 1 and 100

number = random.randint(1,100)

number_of_guesses = 0

Remember, you can change the range of the random number picked. This is
your game!

Now, create a while loop that checks your number_of_guesses variable to

see if it’s less than the maximum number of guesses you will allow for your
game.

<Write some code here>

If it is, that means you still have guesses remaining. In that case, continue
the while loop and write a print() function to ask for a number between the
range you have selected.

<Write some code here>

Also, within the while loop, assign a new guess variable to whatever you
type into your program, like this: guess = input()
By default, anything you enter into your shell is a string type. To make sure
you can check your number of guesses correctly, transform your guess
variable into an int type by using Python’s built-in int() function: guess =
int(guess)

Now that you’ve taken another guess, you should increase your
number_of_guesses variable as well.

<Write some code here>

Finally, you need to check that the guess you’ve input is equal to the
number the computer chose at the beginning of your game. Use an if
statement for this, and break out of (stop) the loop if it is. To do this, simply
type the reserved code keyword, break.

<Write some code here>

You should only stop your while loop once you either guess the correct
number or when you’ve run out of chances to guess. In either case, feel free
to write a print() function that tells you it’s game over or that you’ve
correctly guessed the right number!

Save your program, then run it. You should be able to play your secret
number guessing game!
 CHAPTER 3:

Turtle Graphics

What You Will Learn

· Bringing up the screen

· Turtle setup

· Drawing a rectangle, circle, and star

Turtle graphics is a popular module for programming for kids (and adults).

You already know that to use turtle, you need to ‘import ’it. When you
import turtle and run it, nothing happens. This is okay.

The next thing you should know is how to bring up the turtle screen, and
edit it to look the way you want it to. To do this, we would discuss a few
functions of the turtle module.
Bringing up the Screen
You need to assign turTle () to a variable to make editing the screen easy.
Here we are assigning it to the variable sr.

Example

>>> import turtle

>>> sr = turtle. Turtle ()

R: You would see a screen come up with an arrow in the center.

Congrats! You have just opened up the turtle screen.

You can also use the turtle Screen () function. (note that the S in ‘Screen ’is
in capital letters)

>>> import turtle

>>> sr= turtle. Screen ()

Next, we change the background of the screen.

Changing the Background Of The Screen

To change the background of the screen, we use the bgcolor () function.

Example

>>> import turtle

>>> sr= turtle. Screen ()

>>> sr.bgcolor (‘red’)

This will cause the turtle screen to turn red.

You can change the color by typing in any color you want.

We would use white as the background color as we go on.

Naming our Screen

We could name our turtle screen by using the function .title().

Example

>>> import turtle

>>> sr= turtle.Screen ()

>>> sr.bgcolor (‘white’)

>>> sr.title (‘learning turtle’)

This will cause the turtle screen to be named ‘turtle screen. ’You could
name your turtle screen anything.
Turtle Setup
For the turtle setup, we will specify the size of the turtle. To do this, we use
the .setup function.

Example

>>> import turtle

>>> sr= turtle.Screen ()

>>> sr.bgcolor (‘white’)

>>> sr.title (‘learning turtle’)

>>> sr.setup (width = 800, height = 500)

This makes the turtle screen 800 points wide and 500 points high.

This has a lot of significance, which will become very obvious when we
begin to draw on the turtle screen.

Next, we move the turtle around.

Moving The Turtle Around

To move the turtle around, we can use the following functions:

turtle.forward (distance)

turtle.backward (distance)

turtle.left (angle)

turtle.right (angle)

turtle.forward
This is used to move the turtle forward by a specific number of points or
pixels.

Example

>>> import turtle

>>> sr= turtle.Screen ()

>>> sr.bgcolor (‘white’)

>>> sr.title (‘learning turtle’)

>>> sr.setup (width = 800, height = 500)

>>> turtle.forward (150)

R: This will move the turtle forward by 150 points to the direction the
arrow is facing.

We can accomplish the same by using:

>>> turtle.fd (150)

turtle.backward (distance)
This moves the turtle in the opposite direction.

Example

>>> import turtle

>>> sr= turtle.Screen ()

>>> sr.bgcolor (‘white’)

>>> sr.title (‘learning turtle’)

>>> sr.setup (width = 800, height = 500)

>>> turtle.backward (150)

R: This moves the turtle in the opposite direction.

We end up with the same result by using the turtle.bk () or turtle.back ()

function.

turtle.left ()
This moves the turtle to the left, across the angle specified.

Example

>>> import turtle

>>> sr= turtle.Screen ()

>>> sr.bgcolor (‘white’)

>>> sr.title (‘learning turtle’)

>>> sr.setup (width = 800, height = 500)

>>> turtle.fd (150)

>>>turtle.left (60)

>>> turtle.fd (150)

R: You should have straight lines at right angles to each to other.

turtle.right ()
The turtle.right function moves the turtle in the direction opposite to that
which the turtle.left function moved it.

Example
>>> import turtle

>>> sr= turtle.Screen ()

>>> sr.bgcolor (‘white’)

>>> sr.title (‘learning turtle’)

>>> sr.setup (width = 800, height = 500)

>>> turtle.fd (150)

>>>turtle.right (60)

>>> turtle.fd (150)

Pen Up and Pen Down

These turtle functions help to command the turtle pen to show or not show
some of the lines that it has drawn.

Pen up means that no line will show as the turtle moves, while pen down
means the lines will show.

The codes for pen up are turtle.penup(), turtle.pu(), and turtle.up(). You may
use any one of them.

The codes for pen down are turtle.pendown(), turtle.pd(), and turtle.down().

Example

>>> import turtle

>>> sr= turtle.Screen ()

>>> sr.bgcolor (‘white’)

>>> sr.title (‘learning turtle’)

>>> sr.setup (width = 800, height = 500)

>>> turtle.bk (150)

>>>turtle.left (90)

>>> turtle.bk (150)

>>> turtle.left (90)

>>> turtle.pu()

>>> turtle.bk(150)

>>> turtle.pd()

>>> turtle.left(90)

>>> turtle.bk(150)

The code above draws a square on the Python screen we created earlier. The
square has its bottom missing.

This is because the pen up function was applied when the turtle was to draw
the bottom of the square. Hence the line did not show.

You can try to apply the pen up function on your own, on any line, and also
with lines drawn at various angles.

Pen Speed
You may have noticed that the pen moves a little slower whenever it is
drawing the square. You can make it move faster.

The function for that is the pen speed function, which is applied by using
the code turtle.speed().

There are specific speeds at which the turtle can move:

“fastest”: 0

“fast”: 10

“normal”: 6

“slow”: 3

“slowest”: 1

If you type in a number greater than 10 or smaller than 0.5, the speed is
returned to 0.

You can play around with different speeds of the turtle.

Pen Width
The pen width controls the thickness of the lines drawn by the turtle. The
bigger the turtle pen is, the bigger the lines are.

The code for changing the pen size is turtle.width or turtle.pensize.

You can increase the pen size from 0 (the thinnest) to as high as you want.

Note: From here on, we will assign our turtle the variable, t.

Example

>>> t= turtle
Drawing a Rectangle
Drawing a rectangle is comparable to drawing a square.

Example

>>> import turtle

>>> sr = turtle.Screen ()

>>> sr.bgcolor (‘white’)

>>> sr.title (‘learning turtle’)

>>> sr.setup (width = 800, height = 500)

>>> t= turtle

>>> t.speed(8)

>>> t.width(3)

>>> t.bk (200)

>>> t.left (90)

>>> t.bk (100)

>>> t.left (90)

>>> t.bk (200)

>>> t.left (90)

>>> t.bk (100)

This block of code tells the turtle to move backwards by 200 points, then
turn 90 degrees, then to draw a line going down by 100 points, then turn
another 90 degrees, then to move another 200 points, then to turn another
90 degrees, this time upwards, then draw another line 100 points in
distance. This gives us a rectangle.

You can play with the code, thereby changing the length of your lines.

Note, that I am using a turtle speed of 8 for my drawing. You can use
whatever pace you fancy.

I am also using a pen width of 3 for my rectangle.

Circle
To draw a circle, you use the function turtle.circle (). In the parenthesis, you
input the radius of the circle you want to draw.

Example

>>> t= turtle

>>> t.speed(8)

>>> t.width(3)

>>> t.circle(50)
Stars
Remember the loop we used for drawing a square simply? We can modify
the loop to give a star!

Example

>>> t= turtle

>>> t.speed(8)

>>> t.width(3)

>>> for i in range(1, 9):

t.forward(100)

t.left(225)

This code produces an eight-point star.

Unlike with the square where we looped 4 times with range (1,5), we loop
this eight times with range(1, 9).

Also, we tell the turtle to move forward 100 points after each loop. We also
make the turtle turn 225 degrees to the left, instead of 90 degrees to the left.

We can have a lot of fun with this star-drawing loop.

Examples

>>> t= turtle

>>> t.speed(8)

>>> t.width(3)
>>> for i in range(1, 9):

t.forward(100)

t.left(125)

>>> t= turtle

>>> t.speed(8)

>>> t.width(3)

>>> for i in range(1, 9):

t.forward(100)

t.left(145)

You can just keep changing the size of the angles and the distance the turtle
will travel each time.
Activity 11: Let’s Draw A Star!

Now that we’ve learned about the turtle module and what it can do, let’s
draw a star! We’ll create a small program that can do this for us.

What to Do

1. Create a Python file and save it with the name ‘star.’

2. Import the turtle module:

import turtle

3. Set the color mode to 255: turtle.colormode(255)

4. Create a pen variable and assign a turtle object to it. This makes it easier
to understand that we’re drawing something, instead of dealing with a
turtle!

pen = turtle.Turtle()

5. Choose some RGB values for a shade of yellow you like, or choose a
different color. For this activity, I’m using a bright yellow: pen.color(255,
215, 0)
6. Let’s also change the pen size so our star is nice and visible! You can
choose whatever size you want: pen.pensize(5)

7. Now let’s hide the shape so we can see our star a bit better: pen.ht()

8. Let’s draw! We’ll move our pen forward by 100 points, then turn our pen
144 degrees to the right. We’ll do this five times to create a five-pointed
star. The code will look like this:

pen.forward(100)

pen.right(144)

pen.forward(100)

pen.right(144)

pen.forward(100)

pen.right(144)

pen.forward(100)

pen.right(144)

pen.right(144)

9. Finished! Save your code by pressing the CTRL and S keys together.
Then press the F5 key to see your star drawn in front of you! Bonus: Can
you optimize the code above to use a for-loop instead?
Activity 12: Fortune-teller

What to Do

Create a new file called ‘fortune-teller ’and save it. Within it, import the
turtle module and the random module: import turtle

import random

Create a new copy of the turtle object and call it ‘pointer’; you can leave it
as the default arrow shape because that’s what we’ll need! Also, set its size:
pointer = turtle.Turtle()

pointer.turtlesize(3, 3, 2)

Create another copy of the turtle object and call it a ‘pen. ’We’ll use this to
create our fortune-teller board: pen = turtle.Turtle()

Finally, create a variable to hold your spinner amount, and use the random
module to pick a random number: spin_amount = random.randint(1,360)

Now, lift your pen so that it doesn’t start drawing. We only want it to draw
on the spots we tell it to: pen.penup()

Use the goto() function to move your pen to the four sides of your screen.
On each side, write some answers that your fortune-teller pointer can land
on. These can be simple “Yes” or “No” answers or silly ones like “Never in
a million years!” To help you out, I’ve provided the coordinates for the four
sides of the screen:

# right side

pen.goto(200, 0)

pen.pendown()

pen.write("Yes!", font=('Open Sans', 30))

pen.penup()

# left side

pen.goto(-400, 0)

pen.pendown()

pen.write("Absolutely not!", font=('Open Sans', 30))

pen.penup()

# top side

pen.goto(-100, 300)

pen.pendown()

pen.write("Uhh, maybe?", font=('Open Sans', 30))

pen.penup()

# bottom side

pen.goto(0, -200)

pen.pendown()

pen.write("Yes, but after 50 years!", font=('Open Sans', 30))

pen.ht()

Finally, pass your spin_amount variable to your pointer’s left() or right()

function to make it spin a certain direction.

Save your file. Now, every time you run your fortune-teller program, you
will get a random answer to your questions!
Activity 13: Rainbow Turtles!

What to Do

Using your knowledge of the stamp() function, create a program that

stamps a turtle in each color of the rainbow. Make sure the turtles are in the
same order as the colors of the rainbow!

Helpful Hints

Use a for-loop to iterate through the steps you need to repeat. This includes
changing the color of the turtle, and stamping and moving the turtle a
certain amount.

Sample Expected Output

Activity 14: Circleception

Create a circle within a circle within a circle . . .

What to Do

Using the circle() function and your knowledge of filling in shapes with
colors, draw one big circle, and fill it with a color. Then, draw a medium-
sized circle and fill it with a different color. At this point, make sure that
you can still see the medium-sized circle and that it’s contained within the
big circle. Finally, draw one smaller circle, fill it with a different color, and
make sure it is contained within the two larger circles.

Helpful Hints

Again, for-loops will be your best friend in creating this drawing, as a lot of
steps are repeated! First, keep track of each step you take to draw a circle
and fill it with color. Once you have found the repeated steps, try moving it
into a for-loop. Then, figure out which parts you need to change to create
different-sized circles and change colors.
Activity 15: Tooga’s House
Now that we know how to use the turtle module’s built-in functions, let’s
create a proper home for Tooga!

What to Do

Create a new turtle named Tooga and a new pen to build Tooga’s home:

tooga = turtle.Turtle()

pen = turtle.Turtle()

Using the penup() and pendown() functions, and the changing colors and
pen sizes, draw some shapes to create a house for Tooga. Make sure Tooga
is actually inside the house you created for him!

This can be a simple square around Tooga with a triangle above the square
to represent the roof. Get creative with the colors and pen sizes. Tooga
would surely appreciate a non-boring, colorful home!

Helpful Hints

Use the penup() and pendown() functions to lift and drop the pen when you
need to draw and not draw, respectively. This will make sure you don’t
draw on Tooga!

Sample Expected Output

 CHAPTER 4:

Variables in Python

What You Will Learn

· Data types and variables

· Variable input exercise

· Declaring variables

· String operations

· Casting
Data Types and Variables
A variable is a programming construct that represents data, such as a
number or a word, that can be modified or used later. In math, you have
encountered variables in courses such as Algebra I, where x represents a
value and can be plugged into an algebraic equation. There are different
forms of data we encounter in the world, such as sentences composed of
multiple words; decimal numbers that represent temperature; whole
numbers that represent shirt sizes; and binary conditions, such as whether it
is day or night. All these scenarios contain different data types or
classifications of data.

Variables are essential to any decent-sized program, to keep track of user

input, data that is being processed, program features, and a plethora of other
factors. For example, in many games, like Angry Birds, there is a variable
that represents the player’s score, and this changes its value according to
whether the player gains points or not. In applications that require an
account login, the username and password entered by the user are often
stored in variables. Variables are vital constructs to any programming
language and software development project. Trying to code without them
would be like trying to ride a bike without wheels: an utter waste of time.

Variable Input Exercise

Let us try writing a small program that uses a variable to greet the user with
their username in the Python console. Create a new Python file (Click File
> New File in IDLE), then save it as ‘input_exercise.py. ’Add the following
code:

# take input from the user and print welcome #message

name = input(“What is your name? ”)
 print(“Welcome ” + name)

Run the program (Run > Run Module), and notice how it prompts you to
enter input. Enter your name and press Return. Notice how the welcome
message is printed in the console.

What is your name? Cole

Welcome, Cole

This code uses the built-in Python input function to prompt the user to enter
a value. After they enter their name, this value is assumed in place of the
variable in the print statement on the following line. Without the use of
variables, we would not be able to take user input, because we would either
have to hard code a name in the print statement, or we would need to call
the input function inside the print statement, which would be messy.

Data Types
To represent the various types of data, it is important you fully understand
data types, which is the way data is classified in programming. Not all
objects are created equal. The classification of data types is like the
different states of matter: each has its own qualities and properties; e.g. a
liquid can change shape to fit the container it is in, but a solid retains the
same shape. Here are the main data types you should be aware of:

String: It represents words or a series of characters encapsulated within a

set of double or single quotations. Examples: a sentence is a string, jar,
word, 4534%$@%.
 # various variable declarations of type String
message = “A message is considered a string”
name = “John Doe”
area = “32” # string since it is in quotes
secret_code = “%%$5&*(&((”

Integer: It represents a whole number, and can be either negative or

positive. Examples: 5, -43563, 25466, 1, 0, 12.

# various variables that are Integers

# Notice there are no quotations
# Quotes around a number make it a string
student_count = 31
building_number = 244
num = 10

Float: It represents a decimal number, and can also be either negative or

positive. Examples: 3.14, 22.0, 2.3333333.

# various variables that are Floats

percentage_complete = 89.53
 temperature = 72.0 # still considered a float since it is written with a
decimal

example = 657.3432445423

Boolean: It represents a condition that only assumes two values: True or

False. (In assigning a Boolean value, the first letters of the words True and
False must be capitalized.)

# various variables that are Boolean values

working = True
passed test = False
lights_on = True

Variables in Python are dynamic, meaning they can change data types.
While this can be advantageous, some drawbacks could cause your
programs to perform an unintended action. For example, you may make a
variable an integer, but then try to print it to the screen as a string, thus
causing your program to crash. Dynamic typing in Python is very different
from other languages, such as Java, where you must set the type when
declaring the variable, in what is known as static typing, after which it
cannot be changed. For example, if you create an integer in Java called
‘score, ’and decide you want to make it into a float point value, you cannot
simply assign your old variable a decimal value. Instead, you must create an
entirely new variable to store this value.

Declaring Variables
Initializing a variable in Python is very simple; you choose the name of
your variable and assign it a value with an equal sign (=). Unlike other
languages, you do not need to declare the variable data type before the
name. See the structure below for the syntax.

# the variable is named var

# the data can be any type or be any object
var = data goes here

You can give your variable any name, except you cannot use Python
reserved words such as in, as, and assert. It is important to name your
variable something relevant to the data it will contain so that your code is
more readable in the future. For multiword variable names, camel casing is
the standard naming convention in languages such as Java. However, in
Python, the convention is to separate words with an underscore. To be
aware of it for other programming languages, camel casing is a naming
convention for compound names, in which the first letter of the first word is
not capitalized, but the first letter of subsequent words are. For example,
userData or eventStartTime would both follow proper camel casing
conventions. For the variable naming convention in Python, see the
structure below:

my_variable_name = data goes here

String Operations
Strings can be manipulated using several Python functions available to us.
An important operation in programming is concatenation – the action of
combining strings. The plus sign (+) is used for concatenation, and you can
combine two or more strings. For example, the code below combines a
string and a string variable type, to print out a full statement.

to_destination = “Orange County”

from_destination = “New York”

print(“The plane landed in “ + to_destination + “ after flying from ” +

from_destination)

The code above would output the following after concatenating the strings:

>>> The plane landed in Orange County after flying from New York

A common practice while programming is to check two strings to see if

they are equal. We check for string equality using two equals signs, which
will return a Boolean value depending on if the compared strings are
exactly the same. The comparison is case-sensitive, and spaces count.

For example:

“Mikey” == “Mikey” # returns true since they #are exactly the same

“mikey” == “Mikey” # returns false since the #first m is lowercase

“ Mikey” == “Mikey” # returns false since #there is a space in the first

string
Sometimes, to make string comparisons easy, we want to make a string
either all uppercase or all lowercase. For example, if you ask a user to enter
a color and you want to use if statements to check if the color they entered
is red or green, you should convert the input to all uppercase or lowercase
letters, and compare it to the corresponding capitalization. This is important
because if the program checks for the input ‘red, ’but the user enters ‘reD,’
the expression will return as false. As a result, the contents within the if
statement will not be executed since the string values are not equal. The
lower and upper functions are available for us to convert to a capitalization
standard. See the example below for syntax.

company1 = “Acorns”

print(company1.upper())# notice the upper #function is called with its

name

print(company1.lower())# two parenthesis are #used to call the function

company2 = “SouthWEST”
print(company2.upper())# output - SOUTHWESTs

print(company2.lower()) # output - southwest

Casting

Sometimes in programming, you need to use casting to convert a variable

from one data type to another. For example, you may need to convert a
string to an integer, so that you can perform mathematical operations on it.
You will often find that you need to print a statement and some quantitative
value such as an integer, but you cannot pass an integer into the print
function without casting it into a string. A common scenario for casting
occurs when you use the input function to collect a number the user wants
to enter. However, the input function returns a string, so you must convert it
to an integer or float. Reference the next example.

degrees_farenheight = input(“What is the temperature in fahrenheit? ”) #

string value

result = (float(degrees_farenheight) * 32) - (5/9) # cast to float so we can

perform math

print(str(result) + “ degrees Celsius”) # cast # result to string so it can be

printed

The following would happen when the program is ran:

What is the temperature in fahrenheit? 72.5

22.5 degrees celsius
>>>

The subsequent table contains function calls to cast from one data type to
another. Each function takes a variable or data as input, what we call an
argument in Python (sometimes called parameters in other languages). Note
that the argument you would like to cast must contain the appropriate value
or you will receive a value error. For example, the string (73) can be cast to
an integer (73) or a float (73.0), but the string ($) cannot be cast to either of
these types, due to the value of the string. The ($) symbol cannot be
quantified as an integer or float.

Function Description

str(argument) Converts data to a string

int(argument) Converts data to an integer

float(argument) Converts data to a decimal value

bool(argument) Converts data to a boolean

The code below is an example of how values would change when casted:

num = 72 # originally an integer

num = str(num) # now a string so it is #equivalent to num = “72”
num = float(num) # now a decimal number, 72.0

num = bool(num) # not 0 so it returns true

Activity 16: Introduce Yourself
We’re going to be working with a computer a lot, asking it to do a bunch of
cool things for us. We might as well introduce ourselves and become
friends!

What to Do

Use the print() function to introduce yourself to the computer. Your

introduction should be seen in the console window (see here for the lesson
that will help you do this).

Sample Expected Output

"Hi! My name is Adrienne."

Activity 17: To Quote A Quote
A quote in non-coding terms is a sentence or short phrase that you want to
repeat from a person word for word. You usually see it written like this:

“These are the words you are repeating a.k.a. quoting.”—Person Who Said
This

What to Do

Find a quote online or use one of your own. It can be about something that
inspires you, a funny line from a movie, or even something a family
member said. Use the print() function to write a proper quote (as shown) in
the console window. Remember to print out characters like double quotes;
you need to properly them with the backslash (\) character (see here for the
lesson that will help you do this).

Sample Expected Output

"Coding is a superpower! You can do many cool things with your

imagination and code." —Adrienne Tacke
Activity 18: These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things
Now that you know how to create lists, try creating one with five of your
favorite things! Remember, lists can have a mix of objects in them.

What to Do

Create a list named ‘my_favorite_things ’and add five things to it. Print out
a message that says “These are {your name}’s favorite things: [‘your’,
‘favorite’, ‘things’]. Use an f-string to print out this message with your
name and your list of favorite things!

Sample Expected Output

'These are Adrienne's favorite things: ['Blue', 3, 'Desserts',

'Running', 33.3].'
Activity 19: Shapeshifters
One day, you and your friend decide to go to the park and watch the clouds.
You want to keep track of the different clouds you see and what shapes they
look like to both of you, so you each create empty lists (in brackets [])
before you begin: your_cloud_shapes = []

friend_cloud_shapes = []

While watching, you continue to add the shapes of clouds you see to your
lists. Once you go home, you take a look at each other’s lists:
your_cloud_shapes = ['circle', 'turtle', 'dolphin', 'truck', 'apple', 'spoon']

friend_cloud_shapes = ['apple', 'turtle', 'spoon', 'truck', 'circle', 'dolphin']

Interesting! Both of you mostly have the same shapes, but probably saw
them at different times!

What to Do

Using if statements, the == operator, and indices, write some code to check
if your cloud shape matches your friend’s cloud shape at the same position
in each of your lists. You can do this by comparing your object with your
friend’s object at each index. If your shapes match at the same position,
print out “We saw the same shape!” If they don’t match, print out “We saw
different shapes this time.” Go one by one, and compare each item on your
lists.

Helpful Hints

Remember, you can access specific items in lists by using the indices!
Example: your_list[2]
Activity 20: Random Factory
What to Do

Using your knowledge of string concatenation and accessing list items by

index, use the following list of random_items to create a proper answer to
each scenario that follows. Use f-strings to print the result of your code.

random_items = ['basket', 'tennis', 'bread', 'table', 'ball', 'game', 'box']

Example

Marie is playing ping-pong with her friends. Another friend, Pierre, says
that ping-pong is called something different in his country. Can you form
the other name for ping-pong using the random_items list?

print(f"{random_items[3]} {random_items[1]}")

Example Output

table tennis

Scenario 1

Andre is about to play tennis with some friends. He has his tennis racket,
but he needs one more thing. Write a code to print out what he needs!

Scenario 2

Jean just baked some fresh bread. He wants to bring a few loaves home to
share. What can you make from the random_items list that can help him
carry his bread home?

Scenario 3

Christina is singing the lyrics to a popular song that is usually sung at a

baseball game. Can you finish the lyrics? “Take me out to the__________
__________!”

Scenario 4

Leslie is writing a story about her favorite sport. It involves a hoop, five
players on each team, and a recognizable orange ball with black stripes.
Which sport is it?

Scenario 5

Julia just received one of the fresh loaves of bread from Jean. Thanking
him, she quickly puts the loaf she received in this item to keep it warm.

Scenario 6

Mario has a lot of board games and video games. Luckily, he can store most
of them in this item to keep his room nice and clean!
 CHAPTER 5:

Learning Games in Python

What You Will Learn

· Rock, Paper, Scissors

· Guessing games
Activity 21: Rock Paper Scissors
The first game will be ‘Rock, Paper, Scissors, ’which is normally played by
two people. But in this case, it is going to be you against the computer. The
first thing we need to do when creating a game is to brainstorm. Using a
pen and paper, think about how the game should be designed. Start by first
considering the rules of the game, and only then worry about the
programming side.

This classic game involves choosing one of three objects, as the name
suggests. Once both selections are made, the items are revealed to see who
wins. The player who wins is determined by three simple rules: the rock
will crush the scissors, while the scissors cut the paper, and the paper covers
the rock.

To handle these rules, we are going to create a list of choices, similar to the
list of colors we created before in some of our drawing programs. Then, we
will add a random selection function that will represent the choice the
computer makes. Next, the human player will have to make his or her
choice. Finally, the winner is decided with the help of several if statements.

Have you tried to create your version of the game yet? If so, good job! Even
if you did not finish it, or you wrote the game and are getting some errors,
you should still reward yourself for trying. Now, let us go through the code
and see how this game should turn out:

import random

selectionChoices = [ “rock”, “paper”, “scissors”]

print (“Rock beats scissors. Scissors cut paper. Paper covers

rock.”)
while player != “quit”:

player = player.lower ()

computer = random.choice(selectionChoices)

print("You selected " +player+ ",

and the computer selected" +computer+ ".")

if player == computer:

print("Draw!")

elif player == "rock":

if computer == "scissors":

print ("Victory!")

else:

print("You lose!")

elif player == "paper":

if computer == "rock":

print("Victory!")
else:

print("You lose!")

elif player == "scissors":

if computer == "paper":
 print
("Victory!")
else:

print("You lose!")

else:

print("Something went wrong…")

print()

First, we import the random package, which allows us to use some

functions that we are going to take advantage of when giving the computer
the ability to make random choices. Then we create a list for the three game
objects and print the game rules so that the human player knows them. The
computer will already know what to do because it is programmed after all.
Next, we ask the player to type his or her choice, and then a loop is
executed to check the choice of the player. The player also has the option of
quitting the prompt window. When that happens the game is over. Our loop
makes sure that if the player does not select the quit option, the game will
run.

The next step is to ask the computer to select one of the three game objects.
This choice is done randomly, and the selected item is stored inside a
variable called the computer. After the choice is memorized, the testing
phase begins to see which player will win. First, a check is performed to see
whether the two players have chosen the same item. If they did, then the
result is a draw, and nobody wins. Next, the program verifies whether the
player chose ‘rock, ’and then it looks at the computer to see if it chose
‘scissors. ’If this is the case, then the rule is ‘rock beats scissors, ’so the
player wins. If the computer neither selected a ‘rock ’nor ‘scissors, ’then it
certainly chose ‘paper. ’In this case, the computer will win. Next, we have
two elif statements, by which we perform two more tests that check whether
the player selected ‘paper ’or ‘scissors. ’Here we also have a statement that
checks to see if the player chose something that is not one of the three
possible items. If that is the case, an error message is sent, that tells the
player he either chose something that he is not allowed to, or he mistyped
the command.

Lastly, the user is prompted to type the next selection. This is where the
main loop goes back to the beginning. In other words, the game starts
another round of Rock, Paper, Scissors.

This game is simple, but it is fun because anyone can win. The computer
has a chance of beating you, and there is also a real chance of ending up in
a draw. Now that you understand how to create a random chance game, let
us look at other examples to add to our game library while also learning
Python programming
Activity 22: Guessing Game

The purpose of the game will be to choose a number between a minimum

and a maximum. Then the opponent tries to guess that number. If the player
guesses a higher number, he will have to try a smaller one, and the other
way around as well. Only a perfect match will turn into a win.

Comparing numbers is something we already did, by using the if statement.

We have also used the input function to interact with the program, and we
are going to make use of it here once again. Besides this, we will need a
while-loop as well.

In this project, the random module is needed because of certain specific

functions. For instance, we know that we need to generate a random
number, therefore we will use a function called randint, which stands for
‘random integer. ’The function will have two parameters, which represent
the minimum number we can have, as well as the maximum. You can try
out this function on its own. Just import the module and type the following:

import random

random.randint (1, 20)

Python will now automatically generate a random figure between 1 and 20.
Keep in mind that the minimum and maximum values are included in the
number generation. Therefore, Python can also generate numbers 1 or 20.
You can test this command as many times as you want, to make sure that
you are truly getting random values. If you execute it often enough, you
will see that some values will repeat themselves. If the range is large
enough you might not even encounter certain numbers, no matter how
many times you run the code.

What is interesting about this function though, is that it is not truly random.
This is just a side note that will not affect your program, but it is intriguing,
nonetheless. The randint function follows a specific pattern and the chosen
numbers only appear to be random, but they are not. Python follows a
complex algorithm for this pattern instead, and therefore we experience the
illusion of randomness. With that being said, let us get back to fun and
games. Let us create our game with the following code:

import random

randomNumbers = random.randint (1, 100)

myGuess = int (input (“Try to guess the number. It can be

anywhere from 1 to 100:”))

while guess != randomNumbers:

if myGuess>randomNumbers:

print (myGuess, “was larger than the number. Guess

again!”

if myGuess<randomNumbers:

print (myGuess, “was smaller than the number. Guess

again!”
 myGuess = int (input (“Try and guess again! “))

print (myGuess, “you got it right! You won!”)

That is it! Hopefully, you tried to create this game on your own because you
already have the tools for the job. Remember that programming is only easy
as long as you practice it enough on your own. Just take it one step at a
time. With that being said, let us discuss the code, in case you need some
help figuring the game out.

Just like before, we first need to import the random module so that we can
use the random number generating function. Next, we use the randint
function with two parameters. As mentioned before, these parameters are
the lowest number we can guess, which is 1, and the highest number we can
guess, which is 100. The random number generator will generate a number
within this range. Once the number is generated, it is stored inside the
randomNumbers variable we declared. This number will not be known by
the player, because he or she needs to guess it. That is the point of the game.

Next up, the player needs to guess the hidden number. This guess will then
be stored inside a new variable called myGuess. To check whether the guess
is equal to the number, we are using a while-loop with the not equal to
operator. We do this because if the player gets lucky and guesses the
number correctly on the first attempt, the loop simply does not finish
executing because there is no need.

Next, if the player guesses the wrong number, we have two if statements
that check whether the guess is a higher value than the hidden number, or a
lower one. An appropriate message is then printed for the player in each
case. In either scenario, the player receives another chance to make the right
guess. Finally, in the end, if the user guessed the number correctly, the
program declares victory for the user by printing a message, and then the
program stops running
Activity 23: Drawing Game Boards

A lot of games require a game board made up of a different number of

squares. Let’s try creating a module that creates any size game board we
need by simply giving it a number!

What to do

Create a file called ‘game-board ’and save it. Then, define two functions:
one to print some horizontal lines and one to print some vertical lines: def
print_horizontal_line():

Def print_vertical_line():

Next, use the print() function to print out the lines: def
print_horizontal_line():

Print(" --- ")

Def print_vertical_line():
Print("| _ ")

Next, we need to ask the player what size game board they need. We should
capture their input in a variable: board_size = int(input("what size game
board do you need?"))

Finally, create a for-loop that iterates as many times as the board size
requested by the player, and print the lines using your defined print line
functions!

<write some code here>

Now, to correctly print the game board, we need to change our print line
functions a bit. For the print_horizontal_line() function, how would you
change it to print as many lines as the requested game board size? (hint:
remember that weird operator that we can use to “multiply” strings?
Hmm...) Def print_horizontal_line():

Print(" --- " <write some code here>)

For the print_vertical_line() function, you’ll need to print out as many lines
as the requested board size, plus one.

Def print_vertical_line():

Print("| _ " <write some code here>)

Finally, print one last horizontal line to finish your board after your for
loop: print(" --- " * board_size)

That’s it! When you save and run your file, it will ask you what size board
you need. Give it a number, and it will print out a board for you, making the
board the number of squares in height and width. As you can see here, the
number 3 gave us a board three squares wide and three squares high!
Activity 24: If This, Then That
As we grow older, who we are, what we look like, and what we are
interested in will probably change. Let’s capture that in an if statement and
print out what we think we will be like in the next 5, 10, 15, and 20 years.

What to Do

Write an if statement that checks for the year, and then output the different
predictions you have about yourself for that year! As you can see, I’ve
helped you get started. Write the remaining elif statements, and make sure
to update your variables properly for each year.

Let’s capture three things to output with some variables. Create age,
favorite_outfit, and favorite_hobby variables, and assign each of them to
what they are today.

year == 2019

age = 10

favorite_outfit = "red dress"

favorite_hobby = "coding"

Next, start your if statement and check for the current year: if year == 2019:

Then, print out your current description:

if year == 2019:

print(f"It is 2019. I am currently {age} years old, love wearing a

{favorite_outfit}, and currently, {favorite_hobby} takes up all my time!")

Now, create four more elif statements for 5, 10, 15, and 20 years from now.
Adjust your variables, too!
Activity 25: Slicing And Dicing
This activity is about a boy named Tony. He has crates of fruits and
vegetables coming in and needs someone to sort them. If the crate has
vegetables, they need to be taken out and moved to the “dicing” area, so his
helpers can begin dicing them for the restaurant. If you find fruits though,
they need to be brought to the “slicing” area, so his bakers can prepare the
fruits for their desserts.

What to Do

Using slice ranges and the different methods we’ve learned to add items to
a list, write some code for each crate to properly separate the fruits and
vegetables, and add them to the right area.

I’ve created two variables for you to start:

slicing_area = []

dicing_area = []

Once you’ve gone through all of the crates, print out all of the separated
fruits and vegetables.

Here are the crates:

crate_1 = ['onions', 'peppers', 'mushrooms', 'apples', 'peaches']

crate_2 = ['lemons', 'limes', 'broccoli', 'cauliflower', 'tangerines']

crate_3 = ['squash', 'potatoes', 'cherries', 'cucumbers', 'carrots']

Activity 26: To Change Or Not To Change
What to Do

For each collection of items, create either a tuple or list, and store those
items within it. Then, print out the contents of the list and which type it is
stored in.

Collection 1:

first_name, last_name, eye_color, hair_color, number_of_fingers,

number_of_toes

Collection 1 Data: "Adrienne", "Tacke", "brown", "black", 10, 10

Collection 2: favorite animals Collection 2 Data: "cats", "dogs", "turtles",

"bunnies"

Collection 3: colors of the rainbow Collection 3 Data:

"red", "orange", "yellow", "green", "blue", "indigo", "violet"

Sample Expected Output

('red', 'green', 'blue') are stored in a tuple!

Activity 27: Choose Your Adventure

To help you get started, follow these instructions:

1. First, create a Python file called ‘choose-your-adventure ’and save it.

2. Use the following code to start defining your game:

# Change to your name so you can have your own game!

name = "Your name here"

# Adventure begins.

print(f"Welcome to {name}'s Choose Your Own Adventure game! As you

follow the story, you will be presented with choices that decide your fate.
Take care and choose wisely! Let's begin.")

print("You find yourself in a dark room with 2 doors. The first door is red,
the second is white!")

# This input function allows you to type in your choice. By assigning it to a

variable, you can use the choice that has been made to decide on the next

# part of the story!

door_choice = input("Which door do you want to choose? red=red door or
white=white door")

if door_choice == "red":

print("Great, you walk through the red door and are now in the future! You
meet a scientist who gives you the mission of helping him save the world!")

choice_one = input("What do you want to do? 1=Accept or 2=Decline")

if choice_one=="1":

print("""___________SUCCESS____________

You helped the scientist save the world! In gratitude, the scientist builds a
time machine and sends you home!""")

else:

print("""___________GAME OVER_______________

Too bad! You declined the scientist's offer and now you are stuck in the
future!""")

else:

print("Great, you walked through the white door and now you are in the
past! You meet a princess who asks you to go on a quest.")

quest_choice = input("Do you want to accept her offer and go on the quest,
or do you want to stay where you are? 1=Accept and go on quest or
2=Stay")

if quest_choice=="1":

print("The princess thanks you for accepting her offer. You begin the
quest.")
else:

print("""___________GAME OVER____________

Well, I guess your story ends here!""")

Use what you’ve learnt about if statements, along with your knowledge of
variables, the print() function, and several data types to continue this story.
Change the outcomes, have more than one decision to make or set your
story in a different setting. It’s up to you! Once you are finished, save your
game and then run it. You or a friend can now choose your adventure, and it
will be the game you created!
 CHAPTER 6:

Working with Python Functions

What You Will Learn

· How to define and call a function

· Understanding functions better

· Return statement

· Multiple parameters

· Lambada function

Creating and calling a function is easy. The primary purpose of a function is

to allow you to organize, simplify, and modularize your code. Whenever
you have a set of code that you will need to execute in sequence from time
to time, defining a function for that set of code will save you time and space
in your program. Instead of repeatedly typing code or even copy-pasting,
you simply define a function.

We began with almost no prior knowledge about Python, except for the fact
that it was a programming language that is in great demand these days.
Now, look at you: creating simple programs, executing codes, and fixing
small-scale problems on your own. Not bad at all! However, learning
always comes to a point where things can get rather tricky.

In quite a similar fashion, functions are docile-looking things; you call them
when you need to get something done. But did you know that these
functions have so much going on at the back? Imagine every function as a
mini-program. It is also written by programmers like us to carry out specific
things, without having us write lines and lines of codes. You only do it
once, save it as a function, and then just call the function where it is
applicable or needed.

The time has come for us to dive into a complex world of functions, where
we do not just learn how to use them effectively, but we also look into what
goes on behind these functions, and how we can come up with our very
own personalized function. This will be slightly challenging, but I promise
you, there are more references that you will enjoy, to keep the momentum
going.
How To Define And Call Function?
To start, we need to take a look at how we can define our own functions in
this language. The function in Python is going to be defined when we use
the def statement, and then follow it up with a function name and
parentheses in place as well. This lets the compiler know that you are
defining a function, and the specific function you would like to define at
this time as well. There are going to be a few rules in place when it comes
to defining one of these functions though, and it is important to do these
properly, to ensure your code acts in the way that you would like. Some of
the Python rules that we need to follow for defining these functions will
include the below rules:

1. Any of the arguments or input parameters that you would like

to use, have to be placed within the parentheses so that the
compiler knows what is going on.

2. The function’s first statement is something that can be an

optional statement, something like a documentation string that
goes with your function, if needed.

3. The code found within all functions we are working with needs
to start with a colon, and needs to be indented as well.

4. The return statement that we get, or the expression, will need

to exit a function at this time. We can then have the option of
passing back a value to the caller. A return statement, that does
not have an argument with it, is going to give us the same
return as none.
Before we get too familiar with some of the work that can be done with
these Python functions, we need to take some time to understand the rules
of indentation, when we are declaring these functions in Python. The same
kinds of rules will be applicable to some of the other elements of Python as
well, such as declaring conditions, variables, and loops, so learning how
this works can be important here.

You will find that Python is going to follow a particular style when it comes
to indentation, to help define the code, because the functions in this
language are not going to have any explicit beginning or end, like the curly
braces in other languages that help indicate the start and the stop for that
function. This is why we are going to rely on indentation instead. When we
work with proper indentation here, we can really see some good results and
ensure that the compiler is going to know when the function is being used.
Understanding Functions Better
Functions are like containers that store lines and lines of codes within
themselves, just like a variable that contains one specific value. There are
two types of functions we get to deal with in Python. The first ones are
built-in or predefined, while the others are custom-made or user-created
functions.

Either way, each function has a specific task that it can perform. The code
that is written before creating any function is what gives that function an
identity and a task. Now, the function knows what it needs to do whenever
it is called in.

When we began our journey, we wrote ‘I made it! ’on the console as our
first program, right? We used our first function there as well: the print()
function. Functions are generally identified by parentheses that follow the
name of the function. Within these parentheses, we pass arguments called
parameters. Some functions accept a certain kind of parenthesis while
others accept different ones.

Let us look a little deeper and see how functions greatly help us reduce our
work, and help better organize our codes. Imagine we have a program that
runs during the live streaming of an event. The purpose of the program is to
provide our users with a customized greeting. Imagine just how many times
you would need to write the same code if there were quite a few users who
decided to join your stream. Using functions, you can cut down on your
work easily.

For us to create a function, we first need to ‘define ’it. That is where a

keyword, called def comes in. When you start typing def, Python
immediately knows you are about to define a function. You will see the
color of the three letters change to orange (if you are using PyCharm as
your IDE). That is another sign of confirmation that Python knows what
you are about to do.

def say_hi():

Here, say_hi is the name I have decided to go with; you can choose any that
you prefer. Remember, keep your name descriptive, so that it is
understandable and easy to read for anyone. After you have named your
function, follow it up with parentheses. Lastly, add a colon to let Python
know we are about to add a block of code. Press Enter to start a new
indented line.

Now, we shall print out two statements for every user who will join the
stream.

print("Hello there!")

print('Welcome to My Live Stream!')

After this, give two lines of space to take away those wiggly lines that
appear the minute you start typing something else. Now, to have this printed
out easily, just call the function by typing its name, and then run the
program. In our case, it would be:

· say_hi()

· Hello there!

· Welcome to My Live Stream!

See how easy this can make our work in the future? We do not have to
repeat our codes over and over again. Let us make this function a little more
interesting by giving it a parameter. Right at the top line, where it says def
say_hi(), let us add a parameter. Type in the word name as a parameter
within the parenthesis. Now, the word should be greyed out to confirm that
Python has understood the same as a parameter.

Now, you can use this to your advantage and further personalize the
greetings to something like this:

If you are doing it on Shell, you need to delete the previously defined
function with

Del sayhi

Now, let us write the new function:

def say_hi(user):

print(f"Hello there, {user}!")

print('Welcome to My Live Stream!')

user = input("Please enter your name to begin: ")

say_hi(user)

The output would now ask the user their name. This will then be stored in a
variable called ‘user. ’Since this is a string value, say_hi() should be able to
accept this easily. Bypassing the user as an argument, we get it as an output:

Please enter your name to begin: Johnny

Hello there, Johnny!

Welcome to My Live Stream!

Now that is more like it! Personalized to perfection. We can add as many
lines as we want, the function will continue to update itself, and provide
greetings to various users with different names.
There may be times where you may need more than just the user’s first
name. You might want to inquire about the last name of the user as well. To
add that, add it to the first line and follow the same process accordingly:

def say_hi(first_name, last_name):

print(f"Hello there, {first_name} {last_name}!")

print('Welcome to My Live Stream!')

first_name = input("Enter your first name: ")

last_name = input("Enter your last name: ")

say_hi(first_name, last_name)

Now, the program will begin by asking the user for their first name,
followed by the last name. Once that is sorted, the program will provide a
personalized greeting with both the first and last names.

However, these are positional arguments, meaning that each value you input
is in order. If you were to change the positions of the first and surnames in
‘John Doe,‘ ’Doe ’will become the first name and ‘John ’will become the
last name. You might want to be a little careful about that.

Hopefully, now you have a good idea of what functions are, and how you
can access and create them. Now, we will jump towards a more complex
front of return statements.

Wait! There is more! Well, I could have explained it; however, you may not
have understood it completely. Since we have covered all the bases, it is
appropriate enough for us to see exactly what these are, and how these gel
along with functions.
Quiz
1. Which function will print an output to the screen?

echo

print

eval

2. What is the output of this code?

def x:

pass

print type (f())

3. What is the purpose of the following code?

def a (b, c, d)

pass

4. What is the output of the following block of code?

a = [1,2,3,None,(),[],]

print len(a)

5. State the value of the item with index 1 from the following list:

colors = ['red', 'orange', 'yellow', 'green', 'blue', 'indigo', 'violet']

 red

orange

violet

6. Is the statement “There are only two value types in Python, strings,
and numbers” correct?

True

False

7. What is the result of this code? num = '5'*'5'

333

Type Error

8. What is the result of this code? print abc

“abc”

abc

Error

9. Is the statement “There are only two types of numbers in Python,

assigned values and integers” correct?

True

False

10. What is the result of this code? print 3 / 5

0.6
0

None
Activity 28: Super Function!

What to Do

Create a function called superpower(). Have your superpower() function

accept two parameters: one called ‘name ’and another called ‘power. ’Using
these parameters, have your function print out an f-string that says who you
are and what your superpower is!

Sample Expected Output

'Hi, I'm Super Adrienne and my superpower is coding!'

Activity 29: Funny Functions

What to Do

Create a function called funny_greeting(). Have your funny_greeting()

function accept two parameters: one called ‘color ’and another called
‘dessert. ’Using these parameters, have your function print out an f-string
that mixes up the parameters on purpose to produce a silly message!

Sample Expected Output

'My favorite dessert is blueberry pie because it tastes so good, and my

favorite color red is because it is very pretty!!'
Activity 30: What Time Is It Over There?

When you have friends around the world, keeping track of the right times to
call them can get a little tricky. Depending on where they are, they can be
hours ahead of or behind you! To help coordinate, let’s write a function that
helps us figure out what time it is in our friends ’cities.

What to Do

Using the datetime() and timedelta() functions from the Datetime module
(see here) and some math, write a function that prints out the current time in
your home city and the following three cities:

Berlin, Germany

Baguio City, Philippines

Tokyo, Japan

My Home: Las Vegas, United States

First, be sure to import the following functions so you can use them: from
datetime, import datetime; from datetime, import timedelta
Next, create a function called world_times(). I’ve already started the
function for you, so just fill in the blanks to calculate the other cities ’times
and then print out the final string!

def world_times():

my_city = datetime.now()

berlin = <Write some code here>

baguio = <Write some code here>

tokyo = <Write some code here>

all_times = f'''It is {my_city:%I:%M} in my city.

That means it's {berlin:%I:%M} in Berlin, {baguio:%I:%M} in Baguio

City and {tokyo:%I:%M} in Tokyo!'''

<Write some code here> # print your all_times variable!

To calculate the other cities ’times, you’ll probably need to add some hours
to the my_city variable. You can add hours to a variable by using the
timedelta() function. The timedelta() function gives us an easy way to
properly add units of time (like days, months, hours, minutes, etc.) to a date
or time.

In this activity, you’ll only need to add hours. You do this by adding a
datetime object to a specific amount of hours. So as an example, if you
wanted to add 9 hours to the current time and then assign this result to a
variable called nine_hours_from_now, you’d do the following:
nine_hours_from_now = datetime.now() + timedelta(hours=9)

>>> Helpful Hint: You can use the Internet to find the time differences
between your home city and the three cities mentioned. Once you figure out
those numbers, use them in your function’s calculations!

>>> Helpful Hint: Don’t change the f-string I’ve provided! The resulting
times you calculate should print out to a nice, readable format.

Sample Expected Output

>>> world_times()

It is 07:37 in Las Vegas.

That means it's 04:37 in Berlin, 10:37 in Baguio City, and 11:37 in Tokyo!
Activity 31: Factorial Function

One of the most common functions every coder has to write is called a
factorial function. It’s a function that calculates the factorial of the number
you pass into it. And yes, it sounds like something to do with
multiplication, because it is! In math, a factorial is the product of a number
and all the numbers that come before it. So, if I asked you to calculate the
factorial of the number 4, you would have to multiply 4 by, 3, 2, and 1. The
factorial of 4 is 24.

What to Do

Write a function called factorial() that takes one parameter. This parameter
will be a number. Then, write the code to calculate the factorial of the
number that is passed in as a parameter. Have your factorial() function
return the answer!

Sample Expected Output

>>> factorial(4)

24
Activity 32: Math Codes

You can get in a bit of mathematics practice while playing these coding
games, as well. This can be either as part of a treasure hunt or can just be
written down on paper for the fun of solving them. You can add in an extra
challenge by saying, “How many can you solve in three/five/ten minutes?”,
and setting a timer.

For example, using the numbers instead of letters code, where A = 1 and B
= 2, etc., you can leave spaces or draw a line for each letter, and underneath
it, write a math’s sum. The child works out the sum, which gives them a
number, which they then have to translate into a letter.

An example of I LOVE YOU would be

__ ____ ___ ___ ___ ____ _____ _____

3x3 15-3 5x3 11x2 10-5 30-5 30-15 20 – 1

For example, 3x3 = 9, which corresponds to the letter I; 15 – 3 = 12, which
corresponds to the letter L; and so on. Of course, these are just examples.
Make the sums as easy or difficult as you want, depending on the age and
ability of the children. For five- and six-year-olds, you may want to use
subtraction and addition sums; for older children who are familiar with
multiplication and division, you can start using those.
Activity 33: Cupcakecookie

Dolores and Maeve are having a party together and are setting up the
dessert tables. Dolores likes cupcakes and Maeve loves cookies!
Unfortunately, when they go to the kitchen, all of their boxes have been
mixed up! Each dessert is in a special box, but all the boxes look the same!
Dolores and Maeve don’t fret, though. They know that they can tell which
dessert is which, because the cookies are in a box with a 3 on them, and the
cupcakes are in a box with a 5. Let’s write a function to help them organize
their desserts!

What to do

Write a function called dessert_sorter() that takes one parameter. Call the
parameter total_desserts. Then, write some code that will help Dolores and
Maeve separate the cupcakes from the cookies. This should be a for-loop
that goes through the total_desserts and checks for these things:

•If it’s a number that’s divisible by 3, print out the word “cupcake.”

•If it’s a number that’s divisible by 5, print out the word “cookie.”

•If it’s a number that’s divisible by both 3 and 5, print out “it’s a
cupcakecookie!”
When you’re done creating your dessert_sorter() function, pass 200 as the
total_desserts parameter, because that’s how many boxes Dolores and
Maeve have to sort!

>>> dessert_sorter(15)

Cupcake

Cookie

Cupcake

Cupcake

Cookie

Cupcake

It's a cupcakecookie!

ACTIVITY 7: ROCK PAPER SCISSORS

Rock, paper, scissors, go! This game is a very popular game to play with
friends. For as many turns as you like. You and a friend can choose between
Rock, Paper, or Scissors and see who wins between the two of you. Let’s
create this game in Python, where you can battle friends on the computer!

What to Do

Create a file called ‘rock-paper-scissors-game, ’and save it. Next, begin

creating your game!

Let’s start by greeting the players:

print("Welcome to the Rock Paper Scissors Game!")

Now, create two variables that will store the names of each player

player_1 = <Write some code here>

player_2 = <Write some code here>

Next, define a function called compare() and have it accept two parameters.
This function will compare the players ’choices (which are the two
parameters it accepts) and will tell us who won, based on the rules of Rock,
Paper, Scissors: def compare(item_1, item_2):

Now, within our compare() function, we have to write a few if statements!

Check for each combination possible in Rock, Paper, Scissors, and then
print out the winner in each combination. Keep in mind that each item is
stronger than one other item but weaker than another. To help you write the
Boolean expressions for your if statements, I’ve provided a list of Rock,
Paper, Scissors combinations, and who would win in each combination
based on the rules:

Choice 1 Choice 2 Winner Between the Two

Rock Paper Paper (paper covers rock)

Rock Scissors Rock (rock breaks scissors)

Rock Rock It’s a tie!

Paper Rock Paper (paper covers rock)

Paper Scissors Scissors (scissors cut paper)

Paper Paper It’s a tie!

Scissors Rock Rock (rock breaks scissors)

Scissors Paper Scissors (scissors cut paper)

Scissors Scissors It’s a tie!

Be sure to add one last elif statement to deal with any choice that is not
Rock, Paper, or Scissors. It would be a good idea to also tell the players that
they have entered a choice that is not possible if they do this.

Now that we have a compare() function that can check the combinations for
us, the last part is to capture the choices our players make! Create two
variables to store the player’s choices: player_1_choice = <Write some code
here>

player_2_choice = <Write some code here>

Lastly, use a print() function to print the results of the compare() function
when you pass the players ’choices into it!

print(compare(player_1_choice, player_2_choice))

That’s it! Save your file, then press F5 to run it so you can play Rock,
Paper, Scissors with a friend! Take turns entering your choices, and see
who’s won!

CHAPTER 7 ✮ CHALLENGES

CHALLENGE 1: HANGMAN GAME

Using everything you have learnt, try finishing this Hangman game. I have
provided the structure for a Hangman game below for you to use. However,
it’s up to you to fill in the blanks! Once you have filled in all of the missing
code, noted by the <Write some code here> placeholders, save your file. At
this point, you should be able to play hangman when you press F5 and run
your game!

What to Do
Create a new file called ‘hangman, ’and save it. Using the template below,
start writing the code into your hangman.py file. When you come to a
placeholder that says <Write some code here>, remove the placeholder
and replace it with the proper code. Use the comments to help you figure
out what kind of code to write.

# importing the time module

import time

# Welcome the user and capture their name in a name variable

name = input("What is your name?")

# Use a print function to greet the user by their name

<Write some code here>

# Wait for 1 second

time.sleep(1)

print("Start guessing...")

time.sleep(0.5)

# Create a variable called secret_word to store the word to be guessed

<Write some code here>

# Create a variable called guesses and assign it to an empty string ''

# We'll store the letters the player guesses here

<Write some code here>

# Create a variable to store the maximum number of turns the game will
allow
<Write some code here>

# Start a while loop

# and check if we have more than 0 turns available

<Write some code here>

# If we have turns available:

# Create a counter variable that starts at 0 to hold the number of incorrect

# guesses we make

<Write some code here>

# Start a for loop

# and iterate through every character in your secret_word variable

<Write some code here>

# As you iterate through each character:

# use an if statement to check if the letter is

# in the player's guess, aka the guesses variable

<Write some code here>

# If it is, print then out the character

<Write some code here>

else:

# If it isn't, print an underscore ...

print("_")

# ...and increase the failed counter by 1

<Write some code here>

# Check if your incorrect guesses are equal to 0

<Write some code here>

# If it is, tell the user they've won!

<Write some code here>

# ...then exit the game

break

# Otherwise, ask the player to guess another character

guess = input("Guess a character:")

# Add the player's guess to the guesses variable

guesses += guess

# Create an if statement

# and check if the guess is not found in the word

<Write some code here>

# Decrease your turns by 1

<Write some code here>

# ...and tell the player their guess was wrong

<Write some code here>

# Also tell the player how many turns they have left

<Write some code here>

# Create an if statement to check if your turns are equal to 0

<Write some code here>

# If they are, tell the player they've lost

<Write some code here>

CHALLENGE 2: TURTLE RACE!

Let’s race some Toogas! We’ll create a race track and some colorful turtles,
and then send them off! Play with your friends by choosing a turtle at the
beginning of the race and seeing if it finishes first!

What to Do

Create a new file called ‘turtle-race-game, ’and save it. Then, begin coding
your turtle race game!

First, import the turtle and random modules like this: from turtle import *

From the random module, import randint.

Next, let’s set up the race track:

speed()

penup()

goto(-140, 140)

# Create a for loop that iterates from 0 - 15

<Write some code here>

# Use the write() function to write the number of your for loop iterator.

# Set the align parameter to 'center'. These will be your steps or distances

# in the race!
<Write some code here>

right(90)

# Create another for loop that iterates from 0 - 8

<Write some code here>

# Use the penup(), forward(), and pendown() functions

# to draw dashes for your race track

# First, lift your pen

<Write some code here>

# Second, move forward 10 pixels

<Write some code here>

# Third, put your pen down

<Write some code here>

# Last, move forward another 10 pixels

<Write some code here>

# Go backward so you can draw the dashes

# for the other steps/distances

# First, lift your pen

<Write some code here>

# Then, move backward 160 pixels

<Write some code here>

# Turn left 90 degrees

<Write some code here>

# Last, move forward 20 pixels

<Write some code here>

# Now, begin creating turtles! I'll create four, but feel free to create more

# Create a turtle

<Write some code here>

# Set its shape to a turtle

<Write some code here>

# Set its color

<Write some code here>

# Lift your pen

<Write some code here>

# Now, move this first turtle to the top left

# Use the goto() function to move it to x = -160, y = 100

<Write some code here>

# Put the pen back down

<Write some code here>

# Finally, make your first turtle do a little spin

# when they get to the starting line!

# Create a for loop that iterates from zero to a number you choose

<Write some code here>

# Turn your first turtle to the right by a number of degrees you choose

<Write some code here>

# Create three (or more!) turtles with different names and colors

# Make sure each turtle repeats all of the steps and code we wrote

# for the first turtle :)

# When you get to the goto() function for each turtle

# use these coordinates:

# 2nd turtle: x = -160, y = 70

# 3rd turtle: x = -160, y = 40

# 4th turtle: x = -160, y = 10

# any other turtle afterward: x = -160, y = the last turtle's y coordinate

minus 30

<Write lots of code here>

<Code for the three other turtles>

# Finally, after your code for three other turtles,

# make the turtles race!

# Create a for loop that iterates 100 times

<Write some code here>

# For each turtle, move them forward by a random number

# chosen by the random function. Give the random function

# a range of 1 - 5 to pick from

<Write some code here>

That’s it! Save your game, pick a turtle, and press F5 to run your game.
You’ll get to watch your race track be drawn, and all of your turtles race!
 Conclusion

T
his brings us to the end of this guide. I hope that you enjoyed
learning more about the world of programming, and how
powerful and versatile it can be. Programming has become one of
the most valuable skills you can acquire today, not only in your
professional life but in your personal life as well. I cannot count how many
times I have written a small script to help me with my daily tasks. It is
something you can use for the rest of your life.

I hope that you were able to grasp the core gaming concepts, as well as the
fundamental programming techniques. Note that the lessons you learnt do
not only apply while programming games. They can also be used for
creating apps and other types of programs as well.

Thus far, you have only gone through most of the basics—yes most of
them. There are a few more ideas that we could have covered like file
processing, dictionaries, tuples, but they are for another time.

There is still a ton of stuff to know about programming in Python. But you
have at least completed all the fun stuff. From here you can learn more
advanced topics of Python programming, such as graphics and sound,
which should be fun as well.

Other advanced topics will include classes, objects, networking, database

access, sending emails, processing user interfaces, and a lot of other things.
If you have enjoyed the programs that you have created here, then you will
find the rest of the other programs to be easier, since you now have a good
grip of the basics.
Programming also enhances logical reasoning skills, because, for even the
simplest programming task, the use of logic is essential. Furthermore, this
logical way of thinking is good for developing children’s math and science
skills. Programming and the use of computers is also a science in itself.

You might ask what is next. By now you probably have an idea of which
programming language you prefer. You really cannot go wrong with any of
these languages. However, if you are still undecided, I suggest just trying
one out. If you do not like it, you can simply move on to the next one.

The most important part of learning any programming language is practice.

Here are countless reasons you might want to learn Python programming.
The age we are in is evolving at a breath-taking pace. In the near future,
there will be a high demand for programmers. Now is the best time to brace
yourself.

Although there are other popular computing tools used for data analysis,
Python is the only reliable programming language intended for general use.
Learning the actions of various Python libraries mentioned in this e-book
will help aspirants to specialize in data manipulation.

I hope that the lessons that you learned here have inspired you to learn more
about Python programming.
 Glossary

W
hen learning a programming language, or just programming
in general, you cannot help but come across many terms that
you do not understand. A lot of these terms are not used in
our daily vocabulary, or they have a completely different
meaning in the world of programming. Therefore, in this glossary, you will
find the most important terms that are used throughout this book.

Algorithm

A collection of instructions that are used to achieve a goal. Think of it as

ingredients for a recipe.

Append

Introducing something to the end of something. For instance, adding items

to the end of a list.

Argument

Passing a value to a function. Sometimes called a parameter.

Boolean

An expression that can only be true or false.

Concatenate

Combining two strings to form just one.

Conditional expression

A statement that gives the program its ability to check a certain value, and
then perform a set of actions based on it.
Expression

A collection of variables, values, functions, and operators that lead to a

result.

For-loop

A type of statement in programming languages that repeats a section of

code based on a range of values.

Function

A collection of statements that can be reused to perform various actions.

Import

Bringing a block of reusable code or a set of functions inside any program,

to have access to its functionality.

Index

The position of an element inside a list.

Initialize

Assigning the first value to a variable, or any other item, in other words,
giving it its initial value.

Input

It is the act of entering data into a program or a system. An input can come
from a keyboard, mouse, or any other device that can record information.
These devices are also called input devices.

List

A collection of items or values.

Loop

A collection of commands that the program will repeat a certain number of

times.

Module

A type of file that contains various functions, classes, and variables that can
be used in any program once imported.

Parameter

A variable that is attached to a function within its definition.

Range

A collection of values found between a minimum and a maximum value.

Shell

A command-line user interface that reads and executes your commands

directly. IDLE is an example of a Shell.

String

A character sequence that can form words or sentences. They include

letters, symbols, numbers, as well as spaces.

Syntax

The programming structure or rules of a certain coding element. In a way, it

is the grammar of programming.

Variable

A value with a name, which can always change inside the program.

While loop
A statement that repeats a collection of instructions while a certain
condition is true.
Answer Key
Chapter 3: Making Choices and Decisions
1. Repetition of certain steps.

2. For and while

3. True
4. ==

5. Yes

6. For-loop
7. Boolean

8. :
9. False

10. >=
Chapter 7: Working with Python Functions
1. print

2. <type 'NoneType'>

3. Defines a function that does not do anything.

4. 6

5. Orange

6. True
7. Type Error

8. Error/Name Error
9. False

10. 0

[1]
Review if correct.