Hello everyone! I’m from the Scratch team at MIT, and I have something super exciting to share with you. Imagine you’re making a Scratch project set in space. What would you create? Maybe a game where the player collects coins while floating around, or an animation of flying through the sky. Sounds amazing, right? Here’s the cool part: I’ve been invited to go on a zero-gravity flight where I’ll feel weightless, just like astronauts do on the International Space Station!
During this flight, I’ll be floating around, and guess what? I’ll be playing Scratch projects while I’m up there! We want you to create Scratch projects for this special event.
There are a few things to remember when making your project:
I won’t be able to touch the keyboard during the flight. So, how can I interact with your Scratch project? We suggest using video sensing blocks. If you haven’t used them before, these blocks let someone use a webcam to interact with Scratch projects. For example, I made a project where I save Lego minifigs as they fall using video sensing. Don’t worry if you’re new to this; I’ve made a tutorial to show you how to use these blocks.
The plane is pretty small. I’ll have about five feet of space from left to right, around seven feet to move up and down, and I’ll be about six to eight feet behind the laptop. So, while there isn’t a ton of room, there’s enough space to try out some fun ideas.
I’ll only feel weightless for short bursts of about twenty to thirty seconds. When you’re creating your project, think about making a game or animation that lasts about that long.
We’re super excited to see what you come up with! If you have any questions, check out the studio description or ask others who are also making projects for this event. We can’t wait to see your amazing creations!
Imagine you’re an astronaut floating in space. Create a Scratch game where you collect stars or dodge asteroids using video sensing. Remember, no keyboard is needed, so think about how you can use your movements to control the game. Share your game with your classmates and see who can get the highest score!
Use Scratch to animate a short story about space exploration. You could show a rocket launch, a journey through the stars, or an astronaut’s adventure. Make sure your animation is around 20-30 seconds long, just like the bursts of weightlessness. Present your animation to the class and explain your creative process.
Learn how to use video sensing blocks in Scratch. Follow the tutorial provided to create a simple project that responds to your movements. Experiment with different ways to interact with your project and share your findings with the class. Discuss how video sensing can be used in space-themed projects.
Get together in small groups and brainstorm ideas for space-themed Scratch projects. Consider the constraints of limited space and short bursts of weightlessness. Share your ideas with the class and vote on the most creative and feasible project to develop further.
Research a topic related to space, such as the International Space Station, zero gravity, or space travel. Create a Scratch project that explains what you’ve learned. Use animations, games, or interactive quizzes to make your project engaging. Present your project to the class and teach them something new about space!
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hello everyone, it’s [Name] from the Scratch team at MIT, and I have something exciting to share with you! Imagine you’re creating a Scratch project set in space. The player could be floating around—what would you create? Perhaps a game where they collect coins while floating, or maybe an animation of flying through the sky. It sounds surreal, but here’s the exciting part: I have been invited to attend a zero-gravity flight where I will experience weightlessness, similar to astronauts in the International Space Station.
During this flight, I will be floating around and, even cooler, I will be able to play Scratch projects! That’s right; I will be playing Scratch projects while floating, and we invite you to create Scratch projects for this special event.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind: First, I won’t be able to touch the keyboard during the flight. So how can you interact with a Scratch project? We ask that you use video sensing blocks. If you’re not familiar with them, these blocks allow someone using a webcam to interact with Scratch projects. For example, I have created a project using video sensing blocks to save Lego minifigs as they fall. Don’t worry if you haven’t used video sensing before; I’ve created a tutorial that will explain how to use those blocks.
Second, the plane is relatively small. I will have about five feet of space from left to right, around seven feet to move up and down, and I’ll be about six to eight feet behind the laptop. So, while there isn’t a lot of room to move around, there is enough space to experiment and play.
The third thing to keep in mind is that I will only experience weightlessness in short bursts of about twenty to thirty seconds. When creating your project, think about a game or animation that lasts roughly that long.
We are super excited to see what you create! If you have any questions, check out the studio description or feel free to ask others who are submitting projects for this initiative. We can’t wait to see your creations!
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[Music]
Scratch – A programming language that lets you create your own interactive stories, games, and animations. – Sarah used Scratch to make a fun game where a cat chases a mouse.
Project – A task or activity that involves creating something using coding or computers. – For his project, Tom designed a simple calculator using a coding app.
Space – An area or location in a computer program where you can place objects or code. – In the game, the player moves the character through different space levels.
Game – An interactive program designed for entertainment, often involving challenges or puzzles. – Maria coded a game where players have to solve math problems to advance to the next level.
Animation – A sequence of images or frames that create the illusion of movement when shown in order. – Jake created an animation of a rocket launching into space using his computer.
Keyboard – A device with keys used to input data into a computer. – Emma learned how to use the keyboard shortcuts to make coding faster.
Video – A recording of moving visual images that can be watched on a computer or other device. – The tutorial video showed how to create a simple animation using Scratch.
Sensing – A feature in coding that allows a program to detect and respond to user inputs or changes in the environment. – In the game, the sensing block made the character jump when the space bar was pressed.
Creative – Using imagination or original ideas to make something new or interesting. – Lily was very creative and designed a colorful animation with dancing robots.
Tutorial – A lesson or guide that teaches how to do something, often step-by-step. – The online tutorial helped Max learn how to code his first game.
