Scratch Creators · Instructor Guide

For: ages 7–11 · Format: live online · Sessions: 12 × 60 min

The learning path:

This is your teaching guide for Scratch Creators — a hands-on first course in real coding, using Scratch. Every session is a self-contained facilitator script: a timed agenda, what to say / show / ask, live-coding demos you build together, the activity, an answer key, and teaching notes. Open the session you're about to teach and run it top to bottom.

Scratch is the world's most popular way for children to start coding: they snap colourful blocks together instead of typing, so there's nothing to spell wrong — all their energy goes into thinking like a programmer. By the end, your students won't just have "played with Scratch" — they'll understand loops, decisions, variables and events, and they'll have built and shared real games and stories of their own.

What the course covers

1. Unit 1 — Scratch Basics (Sessions 1–4): the Scratch screen, moving sprites, costumes, looks and sound, and the two ideas every program needs — events and loops.
2. Unit 2 — Code That Thinks (Sessions 5–8): if–then decisions, keeping score with variables, the x–y grid, and making a project talk back with ask-and-answer.
3. Unit 3 — Build Real Games (Sessions 9–12): a catch game, a maze game, an animated story, then design, playtest and showcase a game of their own.

What students produce

• A moving, talking, animated sprite; a scored mini-game; and an interactive quiz.
• Three real projects — a catch game, a maze game, and an animated story.
• A final game of their own design, plus a course certificate.

Tools (all free)

Scratch — runs free in any web browser; a signed-in account lets students save and share their projects. Scratch offline editor is available where internet is limited. That's it — no other software, no purchases.

How each session is structured

Before-class prep (open the starter project to screen-share) → timed agenda (Hook → Teach → Activity → Check for understanding → Wrap-up + homework) → Teaching notes (misconceptions to correct, fast-finisher extensions, a low-tech fallback) → Vocabulary → Resources → Practice set → Going deeper → Common mistakes & fixes. Code is framed as "Build this together" so you snap blocks live with the class; ⚠ Watch for callouts flag the mistakes to head off.

Sessions

Unit 1 — Scratch Basics

1. Session 1 — Welcome to Scratch
2. Session 2 — Make It Move
3. Session 3 — Costumes, Looks & Sound
4. Session 4 — Events & Loops

Unit 2 — Code That Thinks

1. Session 5 — If–Then Decisions
2. Session 6 — Keep Score with Variables
3. Session 7 — The X–Y Grid
4. Session 8 — Ask, Answer & Build a Quiz

Unit 3 — Build Real Games

1. Session 9 — Catch the Falling Apples
2. Session 10 — Escape the Maze
3. Session 11 — Tell an Animated Story
4. Session 12 — Design & Showcase Your Game

Projects & Assessment

Each unit ends with a hands-on project + grading rubric, and the course finishes with a portfolio-ready capstone game.

• Unit 1 Project — Bring a Sprite to Life
• Unit 2 Project — A Game with Rules & a Score
• Unit 3 Project — Your Own Playable Game
• Course Capstone — Design, Build & Present a Game
• Certificate & Assessment Criteria

Ready? Open Session 1 — Welcome to Scratch