🌟 Phase 1 · Getting Started
🟢 Beginner
MODULE 01
Meet Scratch
Your progress in Phase 125%
🎯 What you'll learn: What Scratch is and why it's so fun, how to find your way around the Scratch editor, what sprites and the stage are, how to use motion blocks, and how to make your very first project — a moving cat!
Section 1
What is Scratch?
Scratch is a visual programming language made especially for kids and beginners. Instead of typing complicated code like professional programmers do, you build programs by snapping colourful blocks together — just like LEGO!
Scratch was created by a group called the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at MIT (a very famous university in the USA). It's completely free, works in your web browser, and is used by millions of kids and even adults all over the world.
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Why is it called "Scratch"?
In music, DJs "scratch" records to mix sounds together. In Scratch, you mix code blocks together to create something new — that's where the name comes from!
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100+ Languages
Scratch works in over 100 languages. You can code in Urdu, Arabic, Hindi, and many more!
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100 Million Projects
Over 100 million projects have been shared on the Scratch website by creators worldwide.
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100% Free
Scratch is completely free forever. No downloads needed — just go to scratch.mit.edu!
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Made at MIT
Created by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Section 2
The Scratch Interface
When you open Scratch, you'll see three main areas. Learning these is your first step to becoming a Scratch creator!
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The Stage
The big white area on the right where your project runs. Like the screen of a TV!
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Sprites
Characters and objects in your project. The orange cat you see at the start is a sprite!
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Blocks Palette
The colourful blocks on the left. Drag them into the middle area to write your code!
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The Block Categories
Scratch blocks are sorted by colour: Motion (blue) moves sprites · Looks (purple) changes appearance · Sound (yellow) plays audio · Events (orange) starts things · Control (orange) loops and if-statements · Sensing (green) detects things.
Every block colour is a block family. Here's your colour map — you'll see these exact colours in Scratch:
Motion — moves sprites
Looks — changes appearance
Sound — plays audio
Events — starts things
Control — loops & decisions
Sensing — detects things
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Left side — Blocks Palette & Code Area
All the colourful blocks live on the left. Drag them into the middle and snap them together like LEGO — that's your program!
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Right side — The Stage
Where your project comes to life! Press the green flag 🚩 to START and the red stop sign ⛔ to STOP.
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Bottom right — Sprite List
Little pictures of all your sprites and backdrops. Click a sprite to write code just for it!
Section 3
Your First Blocks — Motion
Let's make something happen! The Motion blocks (blue) control where sprites move on the stage. Here are the most important ones to know:
move 10 stepsWalks the sprite forward 10 tiny steps (pixels)
turn ↻ 15 degreesSpins the sprite to the right, like a clock hand
turn ↺ 15 degreesSpins the sprite to the left
go to x: 0 y: 0Teleports the sprite to the middle of the stage
if on edge, bounceTurns the sprite around when it touches the wall
set rotation style left-rightStops your sprite flipping upside-down when it turns
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The Stage has X and Y coordinates
The centre of the stage is
x:0, y:0. Moving right increases X, moving left decreases X. Moving up increases Y, moving down decreases Y. Don't worry — you'll get used to this very quickly!Section 4
Build Your First Project: Hello, Cat!
Let's put it all together! Follow these steps to build your very first Scratch project — a cat that moves when you click the green flag.
1
Open Scratch
Go to scratch.mit.edu in your browser. Click "Create" at the top. You'll see the editor open with the orange Scratch Cat already on the stage!
2
Find the Events block
In the Blocks Palette, click on Events (the orange section). Drag the when 🚩 clicked block into the code area. This is your "start" block!
3
Add Motion blocks
Click Motion (blue section). Drag move 10 steps and snap it under your Events block. Then add if on edge, bounce under that.
4
Add a Control loop
Click Control. Find the forever block (orange, shaped like a mouth). Wrap it around your motion blocks so the cat keeps moving!
5
Click the Green Flag!
Press the green flag ▶ button above the stage. Your cat should start walking back and forth across the stage. Congratulations — you just wrote your first Scratch program!
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Cat
This code belongs to the Cat sprite
when 🚩 clicked
forever
move 10 steps
if on edge, bounce
💬 In kid words: "When someone presses the green flag, keep walking forward forever — and if you bump into the wall, turn around and walk the other way!"
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Make it better!
Add a next costume block inside the forever loop to make the cat's legs animate as it walks! You'll find it in the Looks section (purple).
Section 5
Lesson Summary
Great work! Here's everything you covered in Lesson 1:
✅Scratch is a free, visual block-based programming tool made by MIT — perfect for beginners!
✅The Scratch editor has three areas: the Blocks Palette, the Code Area, and the Stage.
✅Sprites are characters on the stage. The stage uses X and Y coordinates.
✅Motion blocks (blue) make sprites move, turn, and glide.
✅The when 🚩 clicked block starts your program. The forever loop runs code repeatedly.
🧩 Knowledge Check — Lesson 1
Answer all 5 questions to test your understanding. Instant feedback on every answer!
1. Where was Scratch created?
2. What are the characters in a Scratch project called?
3. What colour are the Motion blocks in Scratch?
4. What does the forever block do?
5. What is the X and Y position at the very centre of the Scratch stage?
Scratch Challenge — Lesson 1
Build something · Beginner Level
Open Scratch and build the project described below. Take your time and have fun!
Challenge: Bouncing Cat with Animation 🐱
Build a project where the Scratch Cat walks back and forth across the stage AND animates its legs as it moves.
Your program should:
1. Start when the green flag is clicked
2. Move 10 steps continuously using a forever loop
3. Bounce when it hits the edge of the stage
4. Switch costumes every step so the legs move (use next costume from Looks)
5. Use set rotation style left-right so the cat doesn't flip upside down
Build a project where the Scratch Cat walks back and forth across the stage AND animates its legs as it moves.
Your program should:
1. Start when the green flag is clicked
2. Move 10 steps continuously using a forever loop
3. Bounce when it hits the edge of the stage
4. Switch costumes every step so the legs move (use next costume from Looks)
5. Use set rotation style left-right so the cat doesn't flip upside down
💡 Show hints if you're stuck
- Start with the when 🚩 clicked block from Events
- Add a forever loop from Control
- Inside the loop: move 10 steps, then if on edge, bounce
- Also inside the loop: next costume from Looks to animate
- Before the loop, add set rotation style left-right from Motion
Finished this lesson?
Mark it complete to track your progress.
Module 01 of 16
Phase 1 — Getting Started