Educators & parents: You can do this Hour of Code Activity as a class or students can work on it independently. If you have any questions or need help, email info@codespeaklabs.com.
2020 is no doubt going to be a year we tell stories about for generations to come. With COVID-19, everyone is going through their own unique experiences unlike ever before.
What are some of your memories about the time you lived through a pandemic?
One great way to chronicle and process the experiences of your life is through journaling and reflection. In these videos, Coach Ash teaches you how to create a digital time capsule so your future self, and future loved ones, can look back at what it was like to experience your life how it is today.
Today we'll be building our digital time capsule in Scratch: http://scratch.mit.edu
These instructions will serve as your building blocks of code, but remember this is about your unique experience of this time - no one can tell your own story better than you can, so make sure you customize it to reflect who you are! (At the same time, since you are making this on the internet, do not include anything private or personally identifiable.)
Need some help getting started? Think of a loved one you haven't been able to see in a while and make a list of the things you want to tell them about once you can visit again. Here are a few topics you can start with:
- Today I feel...
- One thing I learned...
- One thing I miss...
- Dear future kids...
Once you've made your list, start with Part 1 and start telling your story!
In Part 1, Coach Ash shows you how to use Sprites and Backdrops to code a digital version of yourself to narrate your time capsule.
In part 1, you learned how to use the Broadcast block to change scenes. Now you'll learn how to add animation and continue to fill in your time capsule.
Last but not least, add the final touches and your time capsule will be ready to share!
When you're done, your project will probably look something like this:
Congratulations, you just coded your first time capsule in Scratch! You learned how to use Sprites and Backdrops for multiple settings, Broadcast blocks to code transitions, and animations to add some flare to your story-telling. Now you can share your project with friends and family! Make sure to come back to your project in the future to look back and remember what it was like to live your life today.
If your classmates are all doing this project, read and comment on each others' projects. Especially when we can't see each other person, online platforms like these are a great way to keep friendships going.
#CSforGood
If you had fun, check out our YouTube channel for more free coding projects like these! Go to youtube.com/codespeaklabs