Computer Science Scratch Coding

Enrollment Message

Available for August 2026 registration. Students must have a computer that runs Windows, Mac OS, or Chrome OS. No tablets.

Course Description

Available for August 2026 registration.

Scratch is a program developed by MIT to teach students the basics on how computers think. This program will introduce students to real coding programs and allow them to drag and drop coding blocks, creating a fully functional program. The simple user interface and tutorials allow students to quickly create and run their code to see its results. This course assumes no prior computer coding knowledge.

Indiana Academic Standards

• Computer Science Grades K-8

Course Goals

Upon completion of the course, students will…

• understand how Scratch works, including how to use the workspace, sprites, and the difference between vector and bitmap graphics.
• create animations in Scratch by using blocks that control movement, looks, timing, and events.
• add sounds, music, costumes, and backgrounds to make your projects more interesting and interactive.
• build simple games that include player controls, obstacles, collisions, and scoring.
• use broadcast messages and events to make different sprites communicate and work together.
• use programming ideas like variables, lists, user input, and conditions to solve problems and create interactive projects.
• create and use custom blocks to organize your code and make programs easier to build and reuse.
• design your own Scratch projects, such as animations, games, and music programs that show your creativity.
• improve and update your projects by adding new blocks and ideas you learn during the course.

Units of Instruction

• Unit 1 Introduction to Scratch
• Unit 2 Scripts
• Unit 3 Costumes and Sounds
• Unit 4 Building a Game
• Unit 5 Creating Shapes and Message Broadcasting
• Unit 6 Custom Blocks
• Unit 7 Game Time
• Unit 8 Music Maker
• Unit 9 Maze
• Unit 10 Guess My Number
• Unit 11 Frogger
• Unit 12 Dance Party

Grading/Evaluation

Indiana Online does not assign letter grades, grant credit for courses, nor issue transcripts or diplomas. A final score reported as a percentage of total points earned will be sent to students upon completion of a course. Your school of record can also access this score within the Student Information System, Genius. The final score will be shown as a percentage in Canvas and Genius. The student’s school of record will determine the letter grade based on their specific grading scale.

Students must complete at least 70% of the course and take all parts of the final exam(s) to have a score reported to their school of record. Failure to meet these requirements will result in a score of 0 reported to the school of record.

Assessments

Online assessments consist of formative and summative assessments represented by computer-graded multiple choice, teacher-graded writing assignments including hands-on projects, model building and other forms of authentic assessments. The course includes the following assessments

• 23 Assignments
• 32 Quizzes

Teacher Contact Response Time

Students can use email or the private message system within Genius or Canvas to access highly qualified teachers when they need teacher assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside Canvas. The Teacher Information page of their course may describe additional communication options.

The teacher will respond to student inquiries (email, text, call) within one business day. Assignments will be graded and posted within two business days.

Expectations for Academic Conduct 

Student Handbook 

It is your responsibility to read the student handbook to understand all aspects of taking an online course including expectations for academic conduct. Contact your teacher if you have any questions. 

Assistance for Students with Accommodations

Indiana Online supports an inclusive learning environment for all students. If there are aspects of the instruction or design of this course that hinder your full participation, such as inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos and podcasts, reasonable accommodations can be arranged.

Technology

Technology Requirements 

Students are required to have a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube. Please review Indiana Online’s Technology Requirements.

Technical Skills Needed 

Basic technology skills necessary to locate and share information and files as well as interact with others in a Learning Management System (LMS), include the ability to

• download, edit, save, convert, and upload files
• download and install software
• use a messaging service similar to email
• communicate with others in online discussion or message boards, following basic rules of netiquette
• open attachments shared in messages
• create, save, and submit files in commonly used word processing program formats and as a PDF
• save a file as a .pdf
• copy and paste and format text using your mouse, keyboard, or an html editor’s toolbar menu
• insert images or links into a file
• search for information within a document using Ctrl+F or Command+F keyboard shortcuts
• work in multiple browser windows and tabs simultaneously
• activate a microphone or webcam on your device, and record and upload or link audio and/or video files
• use presentation and graphics programs
• follow an online pacing guide or calendar of due dates
• use spell-check, citation editors, and tools commonly provided in word processing tool menus
• create and maintain usernames and passwords

Technical Questions?  Please contact the Indiana Online Helpdesk.