Debugging code
Week 2
Spotting and correcting resource bugs
This last week of our coding we are looking at a driving simulator. This is where the computer is used to replicate something in real life on the computer screen. Pilots can test their skills for flying planes in all kinds of conditions and practice landing at different airports using a flight simulator rather than the real thing (which could be very dangerous as well as expensive).
This week there is a video clip (Creating a driving simulator) in which the children are creating and then testing out their own racing track so you can follow what they do to try and create your own track using Scratch.
The racing car script is in Scratch
http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/11932304
Once you have created your track try and modify it to get the fastest speed without the car coming off the track. You could change the shape of the track, the direction of the car, the place you start and even the size of the car.
There are then other video clips about Formula 1 simulations and Google's self-driving cars.
Have fun and let us know your top speed at
Week 1) Debugging in Scratch
We have been solving lots of different problems with algorithms (instructions) in Scratch. The computer will always follow the code exactly so if there is an error it will do the wrong thing.
I will add the remaining problems each week. This week it is to do with division - with someone else in the house if possible. You don't need a specific log in for Scratch.
1) One person think of a number and the other person a number to divide by - you could use a dice to do this or have numbers written down to turn over. Work out the answer and compare. Do this for several different numbers - good revision of division.
2) Think about how you are working out the answer. Can you write the method as an algorithm? Which number do you start with? How do you work out your answer?
3) Does your algorithm always work? At this stage create a set of numbers - a test plan - to see if you can identify whether there are times that your algorithm doesn't work.
4) The project page is https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/13550313
Look at the page and try to work out and. explain how the script works. Become a tester and try the program with different numbers? Does it always work?
5) You should find that it doesn't work if your division has remainders. Today you need to edit the project so that Scratch will work out the remainders.
Challenge
Can you edit the program so that it shows the remainder as a decimal or a fraction? Can you alter the look of the program to make it more interesting by changing the characters or background?
Here is another division project for you to debug
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/11932022