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Storybird permite a los estudiantes crear sus propias historias visuales utilizando una amplia biblioteca de ilustraciones. Es una plataforma ideal para fomentar la creatividad y la expresión en inglés.

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Canva facilita la creación de infografías atractivas, permitiendo a los alumnos resumir información y narrativas de forma visual. Es perfecto para organizar las ideas de una historia en inglés.

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Scratch es una plataforma de programación visual que permite a los niños crear historias interactivas, juegos y animaciones. Fomenta el pensamiento lógico y la creatividad, y es una manera divertida de practicar inglés.

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A-Z Guide to Scratch Programming for kids teaching them to get started with block-based coding

Introduction to Scratch Programming

For the last decade, the term Scratch Programming has been making the rounds on the internet. You may have seen in relation to learning to code, particularly coding for kids.
So, what exactly is Scratch Programming? What exactly is coding for kids?
Keep on reading and all your questions will be answered in no time.

Did you know that code powers your web browser, operating system, programs, and even the page you're reading this on?

Every object we see around us has been coded/programmed to perform a specific task, so coding has become an essential part of our lives.

The fan above us was programmed to keep us cool by rotating around an axis.

The blanket on which we sleep has been coded/programmed to keep us warm.

Similarly, coding has influenced every object we see around us. Before we get started with Scratch coding, lets have an overview about coding in general.

What is Coding?

The question now is, what exactly is coding? Simply put, it is telling an object what to do. Assume your teacher assigns you homework, in which case you are the object, and your teacher, as a coder/programmer, asks/instructs you to complete a specific task that you must complete.

Similarly, when we, as instructors (coders), instruct the computer (object), it must comply; however, because the computer does not understand any vernacular language, the instructions must be given in the form of codes; this is essentially what coding is.

In general, there are two types of coding:

1. Block-based coding (for example, Scratch, code.org, Thunkable, etc)

2. Textual coding (eg C, Java, Python, etc)

Using a visual interface, the platforms allow the child to simply drag and drop blocks in a sequence. Each block represents a line of code. So, in essence, the child is writing code without the use of text.

This enables children to quickly grasp the fundamental concepts and logic of programming.

Because each of the blocks perform a different function or command, all you have to do is arrange them in a specific order and the program you just created will run.

When it comes to introducing a child to coding or programming, the importance of block-based coding cannot be overstated.

Block-based coding makes coding fun and appealing for children by providing a simple, visual, and interactive way to learn code. This allows children to quickly learn computational thinking, which is required for all programming.

Another advantage of using block-based coding is that it has been shown to improve other important skills such as imagination, creativity, and communication.

Navigate to STEP 1: Scratch official website in any web browser.

STEP 2: Click on the Join button as shown above and enter the essential details required (like name, D.O.B, email ID, etc) and you can start using Scratch.

[NOTE: You can also use Scratch without joining Scratch but can't save, share and avail some of the special features without joining.]

Refer to this blog to understand in details on how to download and access Scratch on Windows

Introduction to Scratch Interface

The Scratch user interface is the area on your screen that contains the Scratch program. The screen is divided into several sections or "panes," each with a different function, such as selecting blocks to code with, coding, and viewing your code in action.

Scratch Interface Related Terms

Sprites and backdrops are two types of graphic images used in video game design. Scratch includes a library of premade sprites and backdrops for users to choose from. You can also create your own graphics in Scratch or with the help of a third-party graphics editor .

Backdrops help to set the scene for your Backdrops: game. They are typically static images that fill the entire screen or play area. To view a list of pre-made backgrounds, click the icon that looks like a photograph in the lower-right corner. To select a backdrop image, click on it.

Sprites: Sprites are objects that appear above the background. They can be playable or non-playable characters, enemies or obstacles, power-ups, or other interactive objects. To choose a premade sprite, click the cat icon in the lower-right corner to see a list of premade sprites. Then, select a sprite to use. In the upper-left corner, all sprites in your project are listed below the play area. To remove a sprite click on the delete icon represented by a dustbin

Scratch enables you to create 2D games. Bitmap and vector images are the two types of 2D graphics that can be created.

Pixels: Pixels are used to create bitmap images. Bitmap graphics are not commonly used because they are usually one size fits all. Raster images can become pixelated or fuzzy when enlarged. Scratch supports the bitmap file formats JPEG/JPG, GIF, and PNG. Raster graphics can be created with Paint on Windows, the Scratch sprite editor, or Preview on Mac. You may prefer a more powerful image editor, such as Photoshop, or GIMP, a free alternative to Photoshop.

Vectors: Vector graphics, as opposed to raster images, are not made up of pixels. They are composed of data points known as vectors that are connected to form lines and shapes. They are the most popular Scratch graphics. Scalable vector graphic (.svg) image formats are supported by Scratch. Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape, a free alternative to Illustrator, can be used to create vector graphics .

To change the shape of a vector object, use the reshape tool. Click the icon that looks like a mouse cursor clicking a dot to use the reshape tool. This displays all of your drawing's vector points. To change the shape of an object, click and drag the vector points.

To change a straight line to a curved line, use the reshape tool to select a vector point. Then, above the drawing area, select Curved. To make a curved line straight, click Pointed.

You can use the select tool to select and move objects that you've drawn in the drawing area. To use the select tool, go to the toolbar on the left and click the icon that looks like a mouse cursor. Then, click an object to select it. To select multiple objects, click and drag, or hold Shift while selecting them.

To combine multiple objects into one, use the select tool to select all of the objects you want to combine. To group them, click Group above the drawing area. To separate objects that have been grouped together, click Ungroup.

Vector graphics, as opposed to bitmap graphics, are made of shapes that can be stacked on top of one another. To move an object behind or in front of another, use the select tool to select it. Then, to move the object up or down one layer, click Forward or Backward. To move an object to the top or bottom of your list, click Front or Back.

Assembling a Scene in Scratch

Select the Backdrops option. It's the second tab from the left in the upper-left corner .

Choose a background. When you click the "Backdrops" tab, all backdrops you've loaded are listed in the panel to the left. To rename a backdrop, use the bar above the drawing area next to "Costume" to type a new name for the backdrop .

Creating and Selecting Sound in Scratch

Click the Sounds tab. It's the third tab at the top in the upper-left corner.

Click the icon that resembles a speaker. It's in the lower-left corner when you click the "Sounds" tab.

To select a sound, click on it. This opens the sound editor and loads the sound in the panel to the left.

Hover your mouse over the speaker icon in the lower-left corner to upload your own sound. Then, on the right, click the icon that looks like a trey with an arrow pointing up. Click the Open button after selecting a sound file.

Scratch accepts.wav and.mp3 files. Hover the mouse cursor over the speaker icon in the lower-left corner to record your own sound. Then, click the microphone-shaped icon. To begin recording, press the record button.

To stop recording, press the stop button. To see a preview of the recording, click the play icon. To select the starting and stopping points of the sound clip, click and drag the red bars to the left and right of the sound wave. Then click the Save button.

You can also bring sounds from other projects with you. Open the sound editor in another project, open the backpack, and drag the sound into it.

Change the sound. Below the sound wave, there are several options for changing the sound. These are the alternatives:

Faster: This option accelerates the sound.

Slower: This option reduces the volume of the sound.

Louder: Increases the volume of the sound.

Softer: This setting reduces the volume of the sound.

Mute: This reduces the volume to zero.

Fade in: This option causes the sound to begin quietly and gradually become louder. Fade out: Selecting this option causes the sound to fade out at the end. Reverse: This option reverses the sound.

Robotic:This option adds a metallic sound effect.

1. Hat Blocks: Hat blocks are the first blocks in every script. They have a rounded top and a bump at the bottom, allowing you to only place blocks beneath them. The Scratch editor contains eight Hat blocks, six of which are in the Events category, one in the Control category, and one in the My Blocks category (if one has created a custom block).

2. Stack Blocks: The main commands are carried out by stack blocks. They have a notch at the top and a bump at the bottom, allowing blocks to be placed above and below them. The most common block shape has 62 Stack blocks.

3. Boolean Blocks: Boolean blocks are either true or false conditions. Consider them "yes-no" questions. For example, if you asked a computer, "Does 1 + 2 equal 3?" it would respond with "True" or "False." There are 14 of these hexagonal-shaped blocks

4. Reporter Blocks: The values are represented by reporter blocks. Reporter blocks can contain both numbers and strings. It's like asking a friend, "What is 1+ 2?" and getting the answer "3". It can also provide information about a variable. For example, if you ask them, "What is your age?" they may respond, "15" There are 34 of these rounded-edged blocks, not counting the theoretically infinite number of Reporter blocks that can be made for each variable and list.

5. C Blocks: C blocks are blocks that have the shape of a letter "C." These blocks, also known as "Wrap blocks," loop the blocks within the Cs or check if a condition is true. C blocks are found in the Control category, and there are five of them. C blocks can be bumped or capped at the bottom.

6. Cap Blocks: Cap blocks are the blocks that come at the end of scripts. They are shaped with a notch at the top and a flat bottom to prevent any blocks from being placed beneath them. There are two Cap blocks, both of which can be found in the Control category.

Motion, Looks, Sound, Events, Control, Sensing, Operators, Variables, and My Blocks are the nine categories of blocks. Each category contains blocks that serve a specific purpose. By selecting them, you can also add 11 extension categories to the block list. The block categories are located to the left of the Block Palette, and extensions will appear there once they are added.

1. Motion Blocks: Motion blocks are the blocks that control the movement of a Sprite. Scratch 3.0 includes 17 Motion blocks. Because the stage cannot move, there are no motion blocks

1. Music Extension: The Music extension allows you to play MIDI notes on various instruments. Scratch 3.0 includes seven Music extension block

6. Makey Makey Extension: The Makey Makey extension allows projects to communicate with the Makey Makey. There are two Makey Makey hat blocks in Scratch :

9. LEGO BOOST Extension: Projects can interact with the LEGO BOOST using the LEGO BOOST extension. Scratch 3.0 includes 12 LEGO BOOST blocks.

Seven Lego BOOST stack blocks, two reporter blocks, two hat blocks, and one boolean block are included in Scratch 3.0:

10. LEGO WeDo 2.0 Extension: Projects can interface with the LEGO WeDo Construction Set using the Lego Education WeDo 2.0 extension. Scratch 3.0 has 11 blocks.

Six Lego Education WeDo 2.0 stack blocks, two hat blocks, two reporter blocks, and one boolean block are included in Scratch 3.0.

Creating a Scratch Project

STEP 1: Click on Create Tab on the top left of the screen.

STEP 6: Now click on the Choose a Sprite icon at the bottom right corner beside backdrop icon

STEP 7: The Sprite screen opens.

STEP 10: The fish appears on the test screen area.

STEP 11: Select the yellow event button and drag the "When Green Flag clicked" to the scripting area.

STEP 12: Go to orange button which says Control and drag the forever block and place it below the when green flag clicked

STEP 13: Now go to the motion button and drag the "move 10 steps" block and "if on the edge bounce" block to the scripting area.

Benefits of Scratch Programming

Scratch coding is entertaining and inventive:

Scratch programming for youngsters encourages kids to think beyond the box and freely express themselves. Furthermore, the projects they create are entertaining and interesting, making studying pleasurable.

Scratch coding improves thinking and analytical abilities:

Other Advantages of Learning Scratch are as follows:

Are there any disadvantages of Scratch Programming?

Is Coding on Scratch Safe?

Can I use Scratch without creating an account?

Yes, you can but to avail more features you need to create an account.

How to verify my Scratch account so that I can share my project?

1. Navigate to the "Email Tab" in the Scratch Website's Account Settings page.

2. The email has already been sent if the account was created prior to the update. If not, press the "Send" button.

3. Sign in to your email account.

4. There should be an email asking you to confirm your subscription.

5. Click the "Confirm my email address" button.

What can I do to not have to keep pressing the green flag to make the character move in Scratch?

Put a "When Key Pressed" block in front of the move commands instead of a "When Green Flag Clicked" block.

Is it possible to duplicate a costume in Scratch?

You certainly can! Go to costumes by clicking on your sprite. Click the costume and then the middle mouse button; you'll see options like duplicate, save to a local file, and so on. Duplicate it, and you're done.

What is the best way to move sprites in Scratch?

Drag the following blocks in the following order: When [key you chose to make the sprite move] is pressed, the sprite will move [number of steps]. Add a "Point [direction]" block before the "Move" block if you want it to point in the direction it's moving.

How can I upload a sound on Scratch?

Go to the sound tab, hover over the button that looks like a volume bar, and click upload. It should load automatically after a few moments.

Chirandeep Bhattacharjee

I am a software developer engineer & a coding educator at BrightChamps. Apart from my love for coding, I take a deep interest in teaching, writing blogs, and mimicking acts. At BrightChamps, I am on a mission to empower kids with the next-gen skills

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Scratch Programming: A Complete Guide to Scratch Coding for Kids

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A-Z Guide to Scratch Programming for kids teaching them to get started with block-based coding Introduction to Scratch Programming For the last decade, the term Scratch Programming has been making the rounds on the internet. You may have seen in relation to learning to code, particularly coding for kids.

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Este tutorial ofrece consejos y estructuras para la narración de historias en inglés, ayudando a los estudiantes a construir narrativas lógicas y completas.

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Stories are fun and motivational.

Stories allow students to be creative and imaginative.

Stories give students a sense of achievement.

Storytelling gives students a chance to practise oral fluency and extended discourse.

Stories introduce language in a comprehensible and meaningful way.

Listening to stories can develop important skills such as prediction, guessing, hypothesising and message decoding.

Storytelling can provide valuable cultural input.

If the students know the story in their L1 they can use this knowledge to help them understand or tell the story in L2.

There are lots of different fun activities that spin off from stories.
Possible sources of stories

books, magazines, comics, Reader's Digest, newspapers

folk stories, fairy stories, Disney films

local stories and legends

creating your own stories using words or pictures
Choosing and preparing

You need to find stories that are interesting to you and your students.

The stories should have values that are acceptable to you and your students.

You will need to decide which key words may need to be pre-taught.
Activities that you can do

Sharing personal life stories. Get students to divide a sheet of paper into four boxes and then get them to draw pictures about one of the following or similar topics:

my life story

my family story

my last holiday

The students then tell each other their story based on the pictures they have drawn. This works well if you model this on the board by drawing your pictures and telling your story first.

Tell a short funny story, joke or anecdote. Try this at the beginning of class as a warm up and ask the students if they have any funny stories or jokes that they would like to tell you.

Stories and pictures. Get students to bring in cut-out magazine pictures of their favourite stars. Then write different words on the board, such as love, jealousy, fame, travel, murder, marriage, luxury hotel, boat, fast car, money, big dark house, family, friends, accident, disappearance, theft, adventure, suspicious, secretive, treasure, jewels, fortune, etc. Then tell the students they have 10-15 minutes to make up an interesting story about their favourite stars. Tell the students they can use any vocabulary or grammar that they want to but that they must use at least five words from the board. Students then make up their stories and tell them to the rest of the class or other groups.

Tell the students a simple urban legend or a ghost story. Then get them to tell you one that they know. Using pictures to help you tell a story is always a good idea even if it is just stick figures drawn on the board as you are telling the story.

Give students a picture of someone or a picture of a face from a magazine. Write various questions on the board for students to discuss in pairs or groups. Afterwards students can introduce and present their character to another pair or group.

What does this person look like?

What do you think their name is?

Do you think they're happy? Why?

What do you think they're doing now? Why?

What kind of house do you think they live in?

What kind of lifestyle do you think they lead?

What do you think their family is like?

What do you think their job is?

Do you think they like their job?

What do they do in their free time?

Do they have any secrets?

What would a typical day their life be like?

Story dominoes. Students work in small groups. Write a selection of key words onto a set of cards (one word per card) and give each group a set of cards. Tell them to divide the cards evenly amongst the group. The aim of the activity is to tell a story in domino fashion.

Student A puts down a card and starts the story. Then student B puts down one of their cards and continues the story. Then student C continues, and so on, until all the students have used all their cards and the story is complete.

Students then re-tell their story to another group and listen to other groups' stories.

You can easily make up your own story dominoes on other topics such as sci-fi, urban life, football, Harry Potter, etc., or if you are artistic you can even draw pictures on your dominoes instead of words. This set is for a fantasy story:

Modern children's tales. Write the names of popular children's stories on the board such as Goldilocks and the three bears, Peter Pan, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the beanstalk, etc. and ask if the students know these stories and can tell them to you.

Once the students have told you the rough outline of the stories, put them into pairs or small groups. Now tell the students that they have 10-15 minutes to recreate one of these stories in a different genre, for example as a horror story, a detective story, a love story, an adventure story, etc.

Tell the students they are free to add in new characters or events if they want to and that at the end of the activity they will vote on the most original and creative story.

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Stories can be a very versatile and powerful teaching tool.

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Sobre la importancia de leer y escribir en inglés

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Sobre la importancia de leer y escribir en inglés

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Cuando las personas aprenden inglés, la mayoría realmente quiere aprender a hablarlo. Mis alumnos siempre quieren sonar como hablantes nativos y ser entendidos por hablantes nativos. Sin embargo, la lectura y la escritura son tan esenciales para el aprendizaje del idioma como lo es el saber hablarlo. De hecho, estas habilidades también podrían ayudarte para hablarlo mejor. Aquí te mostramos algunas formas de practicar cada habilidad:

Escritura

Hay muchas maneras en las que puedes practicar la escritura en inglés. Si alguna vez necesitas hacer una nota o lista, como por ejemplo una lista para las compras, escríbela en inglés. Si no conoces alguna palabra en inglés, escríbela en un cuaderno y búscala en el diccionario.

Como todo americano que vive en Tailandia, casi siempre me defiendo con el inglés. Sin embargo, también necesito saber algo de tailandés. Lo que más me ayudó fue escribir definiciones de palabras en mi cuaderno. La escritura puede ayudarte a visualizar las palabras y su significado. Muchas veces cuando no podía recordar una palabra que necesitaba, pensaba en cuando la escribí, e imaginaba la palabra en mi cuaderno. ¡Es una gran manera de practicar la escritura y también una forma útil de recordar nuevas palabras!

Lectura

La lectura es una gran manera de ampliar el vocabulario. Si eres el tipo de persona al que le gusta leer el periódico con su café por la mañana, entonces lee un periódico en inglés.

Si quieres leer, elige tu libro favorito y desafíate a ti mismo a leerlo en inglés. Si eres nuevo en el aprendizaje del inglés, puedes comenzar leyendo algo más sencillo, como un libro online o incluso un libro para niños. Todo el mundo tiene que empezar por algún lado.

¡Si al leer te encuentras con una palabra que no conozcas, escríbela y búscala! La lectura y la escritura son esenciales para aprender un nuevo idioma, así que aprovecha todas las oportunidades y te aseguro que te ayudarán.

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La importancia de leer y escribir en inglés | EF English Live

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Cuando las personas aprenden inglés, la mayoría realmente quiere aprender a hablarlo. Mis alumnos siempre quieren sonar como hablantes nativos y ser entendidos por h

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STORY WRITING - Cómo escribir una historia en inglés B1-B2 en 2022