Welcome to Scratch!

In Scratch, sprites are the characters or objects that perform actions in your projects. They're a fundamental part of any Scratch program. But what exactly is a sprite?

The default sprite in Scratch is the cat, but you can create or choose many different sprites.

Adding a New Sprite

Figure 1: Adding a new sprite in Scratch

Here's how you can add a new sprite:

Now that you've added a new sprite, take a moment to explore. Can you find where your new sprite appears in the Scratch interface? How many sprites can you add to your project?

Remember, each sprite can have its own set of instructions (or "scripts") that tell it how to behave. In the next exercises, we'll learn how to make our sprites move and interact!

Now that we understand what sprites are, let's make them move! In Scratch, we can use motion blocks to control how our sprites move around the stage.

One of the simplest ways to move a sprite is with the "move" block. It looks like this:

Figure 2: Move block in Scratch

This block moves the sprite 10 steps in whatever direction it's facing. But what exactly is a "step" in Scratch? How far do you think your sprite will move?

Let's Try It Out

Let's try it out:

Did the sprite move as far as you expected? Try clicking the block multiple times. What happens if you change the number 10 to a different number?

Now, let's make our sprite move automatically when we start our project. Can you think of a block we might use to start our project? Hint: It's green and has a flag on it!

Figure 3: When green flag clicked block in Scratch

Try connecting the "when green flag clicked" block to your "move" block. Then click the green flag above the stage. Does your sprite move automatically now?

Experiment with different numbers in the "move" block. Can you make your sprite move across the entire stage? What happens when it reaches the edge?

Moving in a straight line is fun, but what if we want our sprite to change direction? In Scratch, we can use rotation blocks to make our sprites turn.

One of the blocks we can use is the "turn" block. It looks like this:

Figure 4: Turn block in Scratch

This block rotates the sprite clockwise by 15 degrees. But what does 15 degrees look like? How many degrees do you think it takes to make a complete circle?

Let's Experiment

Let's experiment:

Try changing the number of degrees. What happens if you use a negative number? Can you make your sprite move in a square path? A triangle?

Now, let's combine our movement and rotation to create a more complex pattern. Can you make your sprite move in a spiral path? Here's a hint: you might need to use more than one "move" and "turn" block.

Figure 5: The spiral path a sprite moves along

The sprite travels along this path but does not leave a line behind it, so the stage itself stays blank while it moves. Remember, in Scratch, you can always experiment and try new things. What other patterns can you create by combining movement and rotation?

So far, we've been making our sprites move by repeating blocks manually. But what if we want our sprite to keep moving or turning indefinitely? This is where loops come in handy!

In Scratch, one of the most common loops is the "forever" block. It looks like this:

Figure 6: Forever block in Scratch

The forever block repeats the blocks inside it... well, forever! Or at least until you stop the project. But how might this be useful? Let's find out!

Try This

Try this:

Your sprite should now move and turn continuously! But what if it goes off the screen? Can you think of a way to make it bounce off the edges?

Here's a hint: look for a block in the Motion category that mentions "edge". Can you add this block to your script to keep your sprite on the screen?

Figure 7: If on edge, bounce block in Scratch

Experiment with different combinations of blocks inside your forever loop. Can you make your sprite follow a continuous pattern? Or move in a figure-eight? Remember, in Scratch, there are many ways to achieve the same result - don't be afraid to try new things!