Best entry to computer programming & game design, plus free & well-supported

How I Use It

Scratch can be used to create animations and simulations, as well as interactive quizzes and games. This year all three 3rd grade classes ay our school created Scratch projects which were embedded into the curriculum. One class did zoo animal reports, another marine mammal reports, and a third reports on renewable vs. non-renewable energy. Right now I am piloting a 2nd grade Scratch class in which students are animating fairy tales that they have made up in class. Third grade is a better age to start Scratch generally since all students need to be able to read easily. The first few years I taught Scratch it was exclusively in GATE (Gifted & Talented) after school classes for grades 4-8. From there I branched out to teaching it in summer camp and general 3-5 after school classes. Some fun projects were creating interactive seasonal holiday cards, collaborative Aesop's Fables animations with a quiz at the end (grades 4-6), and endangered animal lessons with quizzes. I have also used it to create learning games for a Greek and Latin Roots of English class I teach to 6-8th graders in the gifted program, as well as to create games for teaching 5th grade chemistry.