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Get to know Scratch Jr, then explore its use across different subject areas!
Scratch Jr is a creative microworld designed to promote critical and creative thinking for those pre-reader learners. Through a drama metaphor, students create code to tell a story or have their characters dance. There is minimal writing and reading with this platform and it is a wonderful place to start coding exploration for those in JK - Grade 3.
Scratch JR is free and suitable for young learners/pre-readers with little to no text. It is the easiest true coding environment that I have used.
The original version is installed on tablets and iPads which allows young children to drag with their fingers (Apple Store , Google Play, Amazon store). There are versions for Chromebook (Google Play store) and a desktop beta for Windows and Mac, which is great for online teaching but usually requires the use of a mouse.
It is a creative environment that lets children animate and story-tell.
Scratch JR has less scaffolding than found in code.org, but the upside of that - Scratch JR provides a richer coding environment and encourages concurrent events (Grade 2 and up in the Ontario curriculum - two activities happening at the same time).
Scratch JR Teachers is more difficult to share code than alternatives such as Scratch, but if iPads are on the same network then airdrop can be used. Otherwise, screen captures with Chromebooks and desktop versions can share pictures of work, as can making movies of the code in action.
Scratch Jr Guide
The following short video will guide you through Scratch Jr Activities to spark ideas to create projects within the platform in your class. With Scratch Jr, you make almost anything you can imagine.
More Tools in Scratch JR
Now that you are familiar with the basics of Scratch Jr, learn how
to add backgrounds & characters
make characters interact
Patterning & Repetition
Students can build their own patterns with characters and their movements - students can explore the patterns in their characters' dances. Students can use loop blocks to capture the core pattern - and then run the code to check if they are correct. See the ScratchJR page for resources for getting started and videos on various tools. Google slides with links
Coding Concepts: Sequential, repeating events; concurrent and nesting events are possible.
Directions & Path Finding
Teachers can build paths for their students to code; when the code is run, students can get immediate feedback. Students can create challenges for their peers. Scratch JR has a 20 X 15 grid to start students learning about position and coordinates. See the ScratchJR page for resources for getting started and videos on various tools. Google slides with links.
Coding Concepts: Sequential, concurrent, repeating events; nesting events are possible.
In this video the Ontario Math Curriculum is connected to examples of code created within Scratch Jr.
Teaching & Assessing in Scratch JR
Resources for Teaching with Scratch JR
Where do I find _____?
Scratch JR has great resources to help you get started, including descriptions of the buttons and how to use the paint tool- for example the interactive image scene at left.
Activities, resources and connections to the Scratch JR community can be found on the Teach page.
More Scratch Jr. Resources
ScratchJr/teach has lesson with ideas for teachers
more activities (a public database of Scratch Jr. activities)
PBS Kids ScratchJr has great ideas for lessons and activities, but the exact lessons can not be done in Canada (requires a version of Scratch JR only available in the US)
Ontario Coding Terminology & Scratch JR- a Visual Guide
Tufts Collaborative Projects with Scratch JR- Scratch JR Teachers is more difficult to share code than alternatives, but if I-Pads are on the same network, airdrop can be used. Otherwise, screen captures with Chromebooks and desktop versions can share pictures of work, as can making movies of the code in action. This Tufts guide provides ideas for working on collaborative projects.
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