PE4SCIENCE 6 Computer Coding

• Chapter 6 discusses computer coding, focusing on drawing shapes, creating patterns, and making simple games using Scratch.

Introduction

• Computers are part of daily life, and this chapter teaches how to use them to draw shapes and arrange them logically into patterns.
• It also covers creating simple games using Scratch.
• The goal is to develop logical thinking and create basic computer games.

Concept of Patterns

• Patterns are sequences arranged logically.
• Natural patterns: Zebra stripes
• Man-made patterns: Chessboards
• Patterns make it easier to predict the next element.
• Patterns can be made by logically combining different shapes.
• When creating patterns, consider the starting shape, the following shape, and the final desired pattern.

Drawing and Arranging Shapes Logically

• Paint is used to draw and arrange shapes.
• To open Paint in Windows 11:
• Click the Windows Start button.
• Type "Paint" in the search bar.
• Click on "Paint".
• The location of the search bar might vary in different Windows versions.
• Key parts of the Paint window:
• Pencil
• Eraser
• Color picker
• Magnifier
• Fill
• Text
• Size
• Colors
• Layers
• Brushes
• Drawing area
• To draw a right-angled triangle in Paint:
• Click on the 'Right-angled triangle' tool
• Place the cursor on the drawing area.
• Click, hold, and drag the mouse.
• To draw circles on a slope:
• Follow the same process as the triangle
• Click on the circle tool
• Draw circles of different sizes to create a slope effect.
• Saving your work in Paint:
• Click on 'File'.
• Click 'Save as'.
• Choose 'PNG' (or 'JPEG', 'BMP') picture.
• Click 'Documents'.
• Enter a filename.
• Click 'Save'.
• Shapes can be combined to form new shapes, like rectangles forming a brick wall.
• Copying and pasting can be used to multiply shapes.
• Colors can create patterns within the shapes.

Activity 4: Drawing a Brick Wall with Different Color Patterns

• Steps:
• Select rectangle tool.
• Draw six bricks in a row.
• Color the layer with gray and yellow.
• Repeat with orange and blue in the second layer
• Add the second layer on top.
• Continue adding layers up to the sixth layer, maintaining color patterns.

Creating Simple Computer Games

• Creating computer games involves writing instructions in a programming language.
• Important considerations are game rules, playtime, creativity, and available tools.
• Steps:
• Choose the game type (quiz, obstacle avoidance, memory).
• Use Scratch as the tool. Block programming makes it easier
• Create characters and the environment. Use or draw or use existing sprites. Existing images are called sprites
• Write the game rules and how players interact.
• Code the game using block programming.
• Test and improve the game, fixing errors and enhancing features.

Coding

• Coding is writing instructions for a computer.
• Scratch uses block programming.
• Scratch can be downloaded from the internet.

Opening the Scratch program

• Open the "Scratch" program by clicking it in the start menu, or typing "Scratch" in the search bar.
• Scratch window main parts
• Script area- place to write script, by dragging different blocks
• Block Menu- lets you select certain blocks for programming
• Stage- area where the game is played
• Sprite list area-represents the game character
• Sprite - a place to choose a sprite

Creating simple game

• Simple game moves a 'Sprite' across the area
• In the event that the game does not start by pressing the green flag, add "Event" which allows sprites to move via a click
• Can be found in the "Events" menu and drag "When clicked" to the script area

Moving a Sprite

• Click on the "Motion" block menu after an event has been created
• "dragging "move steps", allows the user to drag character
• To start or stop the game, select the green flag

Saving work on scratch

• Select "Save to your computer" in the file options menu

Make Sprite Rotate

• The user can make the sprite rotate by:
• Clicking "events"
• dragging or selecting "When clicked"; by clicking "motion"
• drag "turn 15 degrees" the higher the degree, the more dramatic of a turn or rotation of the sprite
• press the green flag to start and see the rotations

Creating a moving anywhere game

• Click "events" and drag ""When clicked"" again
• Click "motion" and drag "go to (random position)", to make the image move to random positions on the stage
• Click the green flag to start the game

Use scratch program to combine multiple movements

• Repeat all steps of: creating an event, creating motion and add clicking an action, but this time add "if on edge, bounce" under the motion tab to not have character disappear
• repeat until all of the conditions are on the dashboard
• This will automatically move the character to random positions, then turn character, and not let the character "leave" the screen

Coding for Sound

• Click events tab
• Drag the "when clicked" event to dashboard
• Click the sound and implement tab called "play sounds till done,"

Program control structures

• Includes structure, repetition, and selection
• Structure is ordered blocks being executed one after the other or from top to bottom
• Repetition is needing action to be repeated several times
• Selection is needing to do something only if select conditions are present

Make a selection on scratch

• Select events tab
• Click "when clicked"
• Click "controllers" tab
• insert tab labeled "if () then tab"
• Click "operators" tab
• drag "greater than" symbol
• Next, go to "sounds" to insert the proper sound to be in the "if then tab"

Creating a game to make a Sprite Go Up and Down while Producing a Sound

First, you need to create event to make such action occur.

• Second, click "when key is pressed" on area
• Next, use motion bar and select tab called "motion steps" or "turn steps" that have correct motions

Creating a point in direction block

• click events; repeat the process by adding a "key is pressed'
• attach "point in direction- drag and select "move 10 steps"

Creating a Sprite to move in different directions

• Use previous movement conditions and add a new Sprite "or character"
• Be sure to remove other sprits if you do not want said characters

Making A City Bus Move in Directions

Select a second "sprite" and remove cat

• Next, perform event on "action selected"
• Then create a move character by selecting " forever icon" or continuous action character
• Insert up, down, right, and left keys to show all directions

Actions include

• Drag, move to select locations
• Logic to find or show relevant options
• Sequence to arrange items in a selective location