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Scratch for kids: Creating gravity

Modern schoolchildren don't just play video games — they also learn how to create them. One of the tools for this is Scratch, an interactive online platform designed to meet the needs of children and beginners in the field of programming. 

This graphical interface offers a simple and fun way to learn the basics of information technology. Designing a jump for a character on Scratch is a task that even a child can handle. This is described in educational materials intended for young developers.

This platform is characterized by user accessibility and intuitive design. She offers a visual technique for creating programs: on the website, children can combine multi-colored blocks that represent different commands. These elements are convenient to move and connect, which makes the programming learning process easier and allows students to focus on developing their creative skills. 

The basis of game physics in the Scratch environment is an imitation of gravity. The introduction of this element into the gameplay gives it naturalness: objects begin to behave in accordance with the laws of nature.

An article from the Pixel programming school discusses the development of a character's jump based on gravity. Understanding the principles of gravity promotes the development of creative and analytical skills, which is important for more complex projects.

We recommend that you review the video, which will help consolidate the material you are studying. You will find a link to the lesson at the end.

The gravitational force is what pulls objects towards each other. On Earth, we can see its effects all the time. A simple example is when an apple falls from a branch, it moves downwards due to gravity, as there is nothing else holding it up. In programming on the Scratch platform, you can create a program that simulates gravity. This will allow the characters to bounce and fall back down, feeling the force of gravity. It is also important to set up a mechanism that will allow the heroes to stand on the surface, simulating contact with the earth and the force holding them on it.

The use of such game mechanisms brings an element of engagement to the game, as players get the opportunity to observe the movement of a character in a virtual world that obeys the laws of gravity.

To begin with, let's establish that our character will be immediately exposed to gravity. To do this, we will place the "when the flag starts" block. Next, we define a variable for the gravitational force and set its initial value to zero.

Due to gravity, all bodies on Earth tend to fall down. To simulate the character's movement down the vertical Y-axis, his position must change in a negative direction. By implementing a "run constantly" loop with a value change of -1, we will create an acceleration effect similar to gravity.

Let's test how the algorithm functions.

When you click on the flag, you can see that the hero begins to fall. It continues to descend to the bottom of the screen, and it needs to be fixed.

To stop the character's continuous fall, it is necessary to introduce a mechanism that will detect contact with the surface. We use the logical block "if/then" for this. Let's make a check: if the hero touches a surface of a given color, which will be considered "earth", then the gravitational force for him should change by one.

After we re-evaluate the result of the completed intentions, it becomes clear that the character has suspended his movement within the territory of the earth. This indicates the correctness of the activities carried out.

In order for our character to master the control that allows him to jump, we will create a new block of code, which we will call "Jump". Let's define a significant positive force value for this action. The space bar on the keyboard will be responsible for activating it. Let's introduce the logical "if — then" construction to check pressing the space bar: if it is activated, the character will perform a jump. To implement this, we will add a block with the condition "whether the space bar is pressed". In order for the character to push off from the surface, we change the gravity force to 20.

The hero must make a push, so the block is triggered when the character is on the ground.

Let's check how it works.: The sprite can jump and return to earth under the influence of gravity.

If you couldn't make the jump the first time, it's okay: it's a reason to go back to the beginning and do the manipulations again.

Students who study the basics of physics through construction can now apply their knowledge to create games and animations with gravity and jumping. Visual material is often better absorbed than text, so, according to the promise, we provide a link to an instructional video from a teacher at an online programming school. Watching the video after reading the article will improve understanding and help consolidate new knowledge.

In addition, the video can inspire additional study of the material. Entertaining videos stimulate a child's interest in science and technology. If the student enjoyed the lesson, show them more content from the Pixel channel. Videos lasting 3-10 minutes will not let you get bored, and the information presented is easily absorbed through visualization. All videos are conveniently divided into playlists. This format is suitable for patient and motivated children.

Specialized courses at the Pixel IT School will help you learn more programming for children in Scratch and master more techniques. Under the supervision of an experienced mentor, a young coder will gain a full understanding of the system and will be able to bring creative ideas and fantasies to life.

In educational institutions, teaching is based on a well-organized curriculum and timetable. Students complete assignments, which are then carefully reviewed and analyzed by teachers. Game elements are used in the learning process: students receive points for academic achievements, which can be exchanged for various awards. Specialized courses offer immersion in the basics of information technology and the study of specific terminology. Students will also learn how to create characters and scenarios, add sound effects and animations.And also to work with clones and messages, to understand optimization and artificial intelligence, to learn about coordinates and extensions in Scratch. The result will be a maze, a Random Suggestion Generator program, a mini quiz, a runner, and a ball game with a bot.

Sign up a future developer for IT classes at Pixel. By immersing themselves in Scratch coding, students learn new things, improve their technical skills, and acquire a favorite hobby that will turn into a highly paid profession in the technology industry.

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Школа программирования для детей Пиксель

Dec. 23, 2024 03:33

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