Have you ever wondered what it would be like to create your own computer program for space? Imagine using your body to interact with it instead of a keyboard! Sounds fun, right? Let’s dive into this exciting adventure!
Hi there! I’m Eric from the MIT Scratch Team. Scratch is a super cool tool where you can make your own stories, games, and animations. It’s like building your own little world on the computer. Usually, people make Scratch projects to be enjoyed here on Earth, but we had a different idea.
We asked kids from all over the world to think about what kind of projects they would create for space. The twist? Instead of using a keyboard, they could use their bodies to interact with their creations. We received hundreds of amazing ideas from many different countries!
We picked some of these awesome projects and tested them on a special flight that makes you feel like you’re in space, floating around in zero gravity. This was made possible thanks to the MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative. It was an incredible experience!
Here’s a peek at what we did during the flight. We had a lot of fun trying out the projects in a weightless environment. A big thank you to everyone who participated and shared their creative ideas. We couldn’t show all the projects, but we hope you enjoyed this little space experiment. Who knows, maybe there will be more adventures like this in the future!
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your imagination and start creating with Scratch. Who knows where your next project might take you—maybe even to space!
Imagine you’re an astronaut on a mission to a new planet. Use Scratch to create a story about your journey. Think about what challenges you might face and how you would solve them. Share your story with your classmates and see what adventures they come up with!
Design a simple game in Scratch where you control a spaceship using body movements. Use the webcam feature in Scratch to detect movements and navigate your spaceship through space. Challenge your friends to see who can complete the mission the fastest!
Learn about zero gravity by creating a Scratch animation that shows how objects behave differently in space. Use this animation to explain the concept to your classmates. You can even add a fun twist by including a floating astronaut!
Work in groups to create a Scratch project that represents a space mission involving different countries. Each group member can contribute an element from their own culture. Present your project to the class and discuss the importance of international collaboration in space exploration.
Research different space missions and use Scratch to create a presentation about one of them. Then, participate in a class debate about the benefits and challenges of space exploration. Use your Scratch project to support your arguments and engage your classmates in the discussion.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
—
What happens when you invite kids from around the world to create their own computer programs for use in space?
Hello, everyone! It’s Eric from the MIT Scratch Team. If you’re not familiar with Scratch, it’s a visual programming language and online community where people of all ages can create their own stories, games, and animations. It’s quite cool! Usually, people create Scratch projects for Earth, meant to be enjoyed by someone at their computer here on our planet.
However, we asked young people in the Scratch online community what kind of projects they would create for space. Even more exciting, we wondered what if, instead of using a keyboard to interact with the project, you could use your body. We received an overwhelming response, with hundreds of submissions from over a dozen countries.
We selected a small number of these projects and tested them on a special zero-gravity flight that simulates the weightlessness of space. A special thank you to the MIT Media Lab Space Exploration Initiative for making this possible.
Here’s some footage of myself and other MIT researchers working on various projects during this flight. A big thank you to everyone who participated in this initiative. I wish I could have showcased all the projects, but I hope you enjoyed this small experiment, and hopefully, there’s more to come.
With that, keep creating with Scratch!
—
Let me know if you need any further modifications!
Scratch – A programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games, and animations. – Example sentence: In Scratch, you can use blocks to make your own games and share them with friends.
Space – The area on your computer where you can write code or store files. – Example sentence: Make sure you have enough space on your computer to save your new project.
Projects – Things you create using a computer, like games or animations, often using code. – Example sentence: Our class is working on coding projects that will be presented at the school fair.
Computer – An electronic device that can store, retrieve, and process data, and is used for coding and creating digital projects. – Example sentence: We use the computer in our classroom to learn how to code and make animations.
Create – To make something new using your imagination and skills, like writing code to build a game. – Example sentence: I love to create new games using Scratch because it’s fun and easy to use.
Gravity – A force in coding that can make objects fall or move in a certain direction, similar to how gravity works in real life. – Example sentence: In our game, we added gravity to make the character jump and fall back down.
Ideas – Thoughts or plans about what you want to create or how you want to solve a problem using code. – Example sentence: We shared our ideas for a new animation project during the coding club meeting.
Fun – Enjoyment or amusement, especially when creating or playing games and animations on the computer. – Example sentence: Coding can be a lot of fun when you see your ideas come to life on the screen.
Games – Interactive activities created using code, which can be played on a computer or other devices. – Example sentence: We learned how to code simple games in class, and now I can play them with my friends.
Animations – Moving images created using code, which can tell a story or show an idea on the computer screen. – Example sentence: My animation project shows a cat chasing a mouse, and I used Scratch to make it move.
