Block Categories¶
Run the Block Categories MicroSim Fullscreen
Edit in the p5.js Editor
About This MicroSim¶
This MicroSim displays all 10 Scratch block categories - Motion, Looks, Sound, Events, Control, Sensing, Operators, Variables, Lists, and My Blocks - color-coded to match the real Scratch editor. It helps students quickly connect each category's color and purpose with the kinds of blocks it contains before they start building scripts in Scratch.
How to Use¶
- Hover over any category card to highlight it.
- Click a card to expand it and reveal three example Scratch blocks from that category; click again to collapse it.
- Click the "Expand All" button to open every category card at once, or "Collapse All" to close them all.
- Type in the "Search categories..." text box, located next to the buttons at the bottom of the sim.
Iframe Embed Code¶
You can add this MicroSim to any web page by adding this to your HTML:
<iframe src="https://dmccreary.github.io/scratch-textbook/sims/block-categories/main.html"
height="800px"
width="100%"
></iframe>
Lesson Plan¶
Grade Level¶
Grades 3-6 (ages 8-12)
Duration¶
15 minutes
Prerequisites¶
- Has already toured the Scratch editor and can point to the Stage, Sprite List, and Blocks Palette (covered earlier in this chapter).
- Understands that a "block" is a single instruction and that blocks snap together to build a script.
- No prior knowledge of specific block categories is needed — this MicroSim is the first introduction to that vocabulary.
Activities¶
- Exploration (5 min): Students hover over each of the 10 category cards to watch it highlight, then click each one to expand it and read its three example blocks.
- Guided Practice (5 min): In pairs, students use "Expand All" to open every category at once, then take turns typing a word into the search box (for example "sound," "wait," or "loop") and predicting which category will light up before checking.
- Assessment (5 min): Working alone, each student picks 3 categories and, without looking at the sim, tells a partner the category's color and names one block that belongs in it; the partner checks the answer against the sim.
Assessment¶
Student can correctly match at least 8 of the 10 block categories to their color and name (for example, "Motion is blue — it moves and turns sprites") and can explain in their own words what one category is used for.