SCRATCH

Created by Stacey Dufaud and Katey Borman

What is Scratch?

Scratch is a free online download where you can create interactive projects using your imagination.  This program can be used for fun or as an educational tool, or both!  Scratch is a user friendly program that has lots of tutorials explaining how to use it and can be easily adjusted to fit any content.

(Scratch, 2007) 

Tutorials

(YouTube, 2007) 

How Can It be Used?

In the Lesson:

• Teachers can use this program to enhance student learning throughout their lesson with enticing examples that are colorful, have music, and can be interactive.
• Teachers could also post a Scratch post on the class website, so students can receive instruction outside of classroom.
• This tool can be used to create step by step examples or to give the students independent practice by creating games or quizzes.
• Teachers could also incorporate this tool with the Promethean Board so that the students can take part in in-class activities.
• Can be used to lead discussions.    

Projects:

• This tool can be utilized by students to create independent or group projects for any content area.
• Students can use this tool for presentations.
• Students can create their own tutorials or projects to teach other students new concepts.

Assessments:

• Can be used for a pre – assessment to measure the student’s skills before the lesson or material is taught.  Could be an interactive game or a basic quiz.
• This tool could be used for a post – assessment in the same manner as the pre – assessment.
• It could also be used as review for an assessment for any content.
• Scratch can be used as a homework tool as well.

Scratch’s Uses in the Math Content Area:

Lesson:

            Example:  All of the work is done on Scratch.  The lesson is a closure on identifying the slope of a graph.  The teacher would start with a linear line on a graph.  They would then ask the student’s what the first step would be in identifying the slope (rise or run).  Once the student’s identified the step, the teacher would show them on Scratch what the rise or run was by drawing the line.  Next, the teacher would ask for the second step (rise or run), and the same process would be done with the student’s answer.  Then the student’s would calculate the distances of the rise and the run.  From there the students would identify the slope.  Other examples like this would be done by the individual students (this is a technologically advanced classroom) throughout the rest of the lesson.

Project:

            Example: If the class is working on a unit about transformations, groups could be assigned different types of transformations (i.e. translations, rotations, reflections, etc.).  Each group can then create their own interactive lesson on Scratch that the group would then teach to the class.  Projects could include interactive stories, example problems, step by step directions, quizzes, etc. Extra points would be given for creativity.

Assessment:

            Example: This is a review session on square roots.  View the project below.  More problems of this nature would be given for further review.

Plugin error: This URL is not valid for embedding: <applet id='ProjectApplet' style='display:block' code='ScratchApplet' codebase='http://scratch.mit.edu/static/misc' archive='ScratchApplet.jar' height='387' width='482'><param name='project' value='../../static/projects/borm3625/1375735.sb'></applet> <a href='http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/borm3625/1375735'>Learn more about this project</a>

Other math topics that could be covered by Scratch include but are not limited to: computer programming, inequalities, If and only if statements, basic mathematical operations, measurements, modulo, rounding, trigonometry, absolute value, and logarithmic functions.

Link to download Scratch

http://scratch.mit.edu/download

Other Helpful Resources for Scratch

Scratch Website:

http://www.scratch.mit.edu/

Scratch website tutorials (more tutorials for Scratch):

http://www.info.scratch.mit.edu/Video_Tutorials

Uses of Scratch in the Classroom:

http://www.cegsa.editme.com/edetuses 

Handouts on using Scratch:

http://www.llk.media.mit.edu/projects/scratch/papers/

How Schools can incorporate Scratch.  Includes teacher created examples, student projects, teacher resources, and more:

http://www.smm.org/Itc/scratch/

Bibliography

Scratch. (2007). Welcome to the world of Scratch [Video file]. Retrieved from
     http://scratch.mit.edu/ 

YouTube. (2007). Rainbow fish [Video file]. Retrieved from
     http://info.scratch.mit.edu/Video_Tutorials