Review by James Denby, Common Sense Education | Updated January 2019
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Scratch

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Creative sandbox opens the door to coding in any subject area

Subjects & skills
Subjects
  • Math
Skills
  • Communication & Collaboration
  • Creativity
  • Critical Thinking
Grades This grade range is based on learning appropriateness and doesn't take into account privacy. It's determined by Common Sense Education, not the product's publisher.
1–12
Great for:
Common Sense says (See details)
Teachers say (99 Reviews)
Price:  Free
Platforms:  Website

Take a look inside

1 video | 6 images
The Scratch 3.0 workspaces
A few examples of the many Scratch tutorials available
A sample science project that students can remix
Scratch on a tablet! A big addition to Scratch 3.0
Printable cards provide step-by-step instructions.
Scratch is available in many languages.

Pros: Massive community for resources and support, easily integrated in different subjects.

Cons: Doesn't offer the next step into text-based coding languages.

Bottom Line: Scratch draws students of all types into coding and lays a foundation for future learning.

How Can I Teach with This Tool?

Teachers can use Scratch to teach students just about any coding concept or element of computational thinking. Then, after students are proficient in using it, Scratch can become another tool for demonstrating learning in just about any content area. Through animation, audio, image, and text, students can tell stories, explain concepts, and create art. The Scratch platform can be another option for any project-based assessment or activity -- an alternative to writing, presentations, etc. For coding teachers, Scratch is a great springboard to traditional text-based coding languages like Ruby or Swift.   

Scratch has a huge associated community of users and educators (from around the world, since Scratch supports multiple languages). Because of this community, everyone from the complete novice to the seasoned expert can find tutorials, answers to questions, projects to remix, and, most important, inspiration to continue building their coding skills and finding new challenges.

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Put this tool into practice:
Standards:

Scratch (version 3.0) is the latest iteration of the block-based coding language created by MIT's Lifelong Kindergarten Group. It can be used online or downloaded and used without an internet connection. Like its predecessors, Scratch allows students to learn and put to use all the essential elements of coding and computer science. From creating variables to building functions, students snap drag-and-drop blocks of code together to create programs for animation, digital storytelling, art, math -- you name it. With Scratch, students can also program a variety of peripheral devices (like the micro:bit) for robotics, science, and engineering learning. This latest version of Scratch isn't much different from previous versions, so users won't have trouble getting used to it. Instead, it's another iteration of a very powerful learning tool. In addition to the new look and layout, Scratch programmers have new extensions that allow them to include text-to-speech and language translation. For teachers, the most important upgrade in 3.0 is that Scratch now runs on tablets, too.

The Scratch screen is divided into three sections: the stage on the right side (where you see the results of your code in action), the workspace in the center (where you put the code together), and the blocks palette on the left (where you find all the code blocks). Students code the actions of multiple sprites (the different characters) or screen elements and can also add sounds, images, and textual elements to build almost anything.

Scratch is a powerful platform for learning to code not only because it teaches all the essential concepts of coding, but also because it can be easily integrated into almost any subject area. Since most of us can't transform our classes into coding academies, this ability to integrate Scratch is incredibly valuable. It means students can do meaningful projects that express understanding of novels, historical events, and math and science concepts while also reinforcing coding and computational thinking skills. As a foundation for learning to code, Scratch removes the obstacles that beginners often find so difficult (syntax, terminology, etc.) but lays the groundwork for those who go on to learn languages like Java, Ruby, or Python.   

Overall Rating
Engagement Is the product stimulating, entertaining, and engrossing? Will kids want to return?

Not every student wants to be a coder, but Scratch offers a huge range of entry points to coding so that just about any student will find something they like to use it for (e.g., storytelling, art, games, surveys, robotics, etc.).

Pedagogy Is learning content seamlessly baked-in, and do kids build conceptual understanding? Is the product adaptable and empowering? Will skills transfer?

Scratch offers almost unlimited possibilities for teachers wanting to integrate coding with different subject areas. Its design supports learning through exploration, practice, play, and collaboration.

Support Does the product take into account learners of varying abilities, skill levels, and learning styles? Does it address both struggling and advanced students?

Through the Scratch community, teachers and students can find a huge range of lesson ideas and tutorials to help develop coding skills. Shared projects allow for remixing and give inspiration for new challenges.

Common Sense Reviewer
James Denby Educator/Curriculum Developer
About our ratings and privacy evaluation.

Key Standards Supported

Geometry

  • K.G.1

    Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.

  • K.G.2

    Correctly name shapes regardless of their orientations or overall size.

  • K.G.3

    Identify shapes as two-dimensional (lying in a plane, “flat”) or three- dimensional (“solid”).

  • K.G.5

    Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.

  • K.G.6

    Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes. For example, “Can you join these two triangles with full sides touching to make a rectangle?”

  • 1.G.1

    Distinguish between defining attributes (e.g., triangles are closed and three-sided) versus non-defining attributes (e.g., color, orientation, overall size); build and draw shapes to possess defining attributes.

  • 1.G.2

    Compose two-dimensional shapes (rectangles, squares, trapezoids, triangles, half-circles, and quarter-circles) or three-dimensional shapes (cubes, right rectangular prisms, right circular cones, and right circular cylinders) to create a composite shape, and compose new shapes from the composite shape.4

  • 2.G.1

    Recognize and draw shapes having specified attributes, such as a given number of angles or a given number of equal faces.5 Identify triangles, quadrilaterals, pentagons, hexagons, and cubes.

  • 2.G.3

    Partition circles and rectangles into two, three, or four equal shares, describe the shares using the words halves, thirds, half of, a third of, etc., and describe the whole as two halves, three thirds, four fourths. Recognize that equal shares of identical wholes need not have the same shape.

  • 3.G.1

    Understand that shapes in different categories (e.g., rhombuses, rectangles, and others) may share attributes (e.g., having four sides), and that the shared attributes can define a larger category (e.g., quadrilaterals). Recognize rhombuses, rectangles, and squares as examples of quadrilaterals, and draw examples of quadrilaterals that do not belong to any of these subcategories.

  • 4.G.1

    Draw points, lines, line segments, rays, angles (right, acute, obtuse), and perpendicular and parallel lines. Identify these in two-dimensional figures.

  • 7.G.1

    Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.

  • 7.G.2

    Draw (freehand, with ruler and protractor, and with technology) geometric shapes with given conditions. Focus on constructing triangles from three measures of angles or sides, noticing when the conditions determine a unique triangle, more than one triangle, or no triangle.

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Key Standards Supported

Engineering Design

  • 3-5-ETS1-1

    Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

  • 3-5-ETS1-2

    Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

  • K-2-ETS1-1

    Ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a new or improved object or tool.

  • MS-ETS1-1

    Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

  • MS-ETS1-2

    Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

  • MS-ETS1-3

    Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

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Teacher Reviews

(See all 99 reviews) (99 reviews) Write a review
Featured review by
Melissa Z. , Classroom teacher
Classroom teacher
Liberty
Springfield, United States
Remix for the Future!
I think Scratch is an outstanding tool. My students are actively engaged every time we go on Scratch. They are going home and creating their own complex games on Scratch using what they have learned in class, but also through their on research on Scratch. Scratch is great for all levels of learners. There are tons of help videos online about Scratch. Also, one of the great features of Scratch is the ability to Remix. Students who need more support could remix an already made Scratch to help them learn ...
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