It is belt awarding time at Athenry Coder Dojo! We are really excited to see what everyone is going to come up with this year. In previous years, we have had great projects that use many of the core principles of programming that we have been teaching since the beginning of the year. Here is a list:

1. MOTION – controlling the movement of a SPRITE by the keyboard, the mouse or randomly by the computer,
2. LOOPS – using forever or limited repeat blocks to keep something going,
3. VARIABLES – saving a value in computer memory where the computer can pick it up and use it or change it when necessary,
4. DECISION blocks – Using IF or IF/THEN blocks to decide if something should happen or not,
5. BROADCASTS – sending out a message to trigger a reaction in another part of the program,
6. ANIMATION – using costume edits and changes within loops to make it seem as though a sprite is moving.

You don’t need to use all of the above principles in your project, but we mentors need to know that you understand them in order to let you move up to the next level – Advanced Scratch. While we are helping you with your projects, we will be reinforcing the principles, so it will be fun and easy! The day of the awarding of belts, we will ask you questions on your project while you are demonstrating it.

You must be present on belt award day  to show us your projects. If you don’t get the belt you want, don’t worry! There is always the next belt award session and we love having you at Coder Dojo Athenry.

Here are some of the questions we might ask at the belt awards session:

1.Which block you would use to make the sprite speak?

2.How would you change the way your sprite looks?

3.How would you make a sprite move?

4.Can you show where you have used a loop block?

5.Can you show where you have used animation or sound?

6.Can you show us where you have used an IF block?

7.What blocks would you use to check if your sprite hit something?

8.How do you share a program online?

9.Show where you have used a variable or how would you create a new variable?

10.Show where you have used a broadcast or how would you create a new broadcast?

Here are some ideas for projects:

Squash Game

Control a bat to hit a ball

Ball bounces off wall on the other side

Game over when you miss 5 times

ABC Game – letters falling from the sky!

Sprites with A/B/C fall from random start point

Press A/B/C key to stop them

Keep score of how many you stop

DodgeBall –

Have Scratch cat avoid the flying beachballs while he is trying to grab a mouse

Use the arrow keys to control scratch cat and have three or four beachballs fly around randomly

If the cat gets touched by a ball make him lose strength/fade but he gets stronger if he touches a fish.

Use a broadcast to change the backdrop wen he gets his score to ten or to zero.

Good luck and be sure to ask questions! We love to help!

Julie