2.2 Visual Programming

• Meaning of visual programming and how it differs from typed programming
• The parts of a visual programming environment: stage, sprites, block palette and script area
• Event blocks and how a script is started
• Motion blocks and the coordinate system of the stage
• Looks and sound blocks
• Sequence: the order of blocks in a script
• Loops: repeat, forever and repeat until
• Conditional statements: if, and if else
• Sensing blocks and conditions
• Variables: creating, setting and changing them
• Operators: arithmetic, comparison and random numbers
• Testing and debugging a script
• Planning, building and presenting a project

• explain the meaning of visual programming
• identify the parts of a visual programming environment
• create scripts using event, motion, looks and sound blocks
• apply sequence, loops and conditional statements in a script
• use variables and operators in a project
• test and debug a script
• develop and present a visual programming project
• appreciate the use of visual programming in solving problems

“How do we make a computer do what we want without typing code?”

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1. What visual programming is
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Dragging blocks that snap together instead of typing text. Same logic, no typos.
2. The four parts of the screen
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Palette, script area, stage, sprite list. Every sprite has its own scripts.
3. Event blocks
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   The domed top means the script starts here. Nothing runs without one.
4. Motion and the stage grid
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   The centre is 0,0. Move follows whichever way the sprite is pointing.
5. Looks and costumes
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Costumes plus a loop is all that animation is.
6. Sound
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Until done waits. Start sound does not. Starting a sound in a loop makes a buzz.
7. Sequence: order is the program
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   A script runs top to bottom. The same blocks in two orders are two programs.
8. Loops
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   Repeat, forever and repeat until. A loop is why programs are short.
9. Making a decision
   40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
   If and if else. An if is checked once, so put it in a forever loop to keep watching.
10. Sensing
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Hexagons answer yes or no. Ovals hand back a value. Answer is overwritten by the next ask.
11. Variables
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    A labelled box. The name stays, the value changes, and it survives between runs.
12. Operators
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Arithmetic, comparison and random. Operators drop into other blocks and nest.
13. Debugging
    40 min · 2 practice tasks · quiz
    Read it aloud one block at a time. Debugging is reading, not guessing.
14. Planning a project
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Six questions first, then build in four tested stages.
15. Build it: the whole sub-strand in one script
    40 min · 1 practice tasks · quiz
    Event, variable, loop, condition. That shape builds almost anything.