What components
does the kit contain?
Although you can make the Scratch Jr Tactile your way, we recommend that a kit have the following components as a minimum. You can download the 3D and 2D designs of the main components here.
Boards
Two grid-shaped boards of different levels of difficulty, one with 3x4 squares and the other with 4x6 squares. The boards can be attached to each other to create a larger stage.
The board or stage is the place where the characters or objects (sprites) come to life.
The grid with holes allows you to place a sheet of standard A4 (Europe) or Letterhead (United States) paper underneath to create the background of your scene.
.png)
Characters or Sprites
The characters (sprites) are the protagonists of your projects and stories.
You have two characters 3D printed:
the butterfly, and the famous cat from Scratch.
We encourage you to design and 3D print your own characters and share them with the Scratch Jr Tactile community.
Supports to create characters
We have designed 4 types of supports that will allow you to let your imagination run wild and create your own characters quickly and easily using colored plasticine or clay (or paper or cardboard... or other types of materials). A 100% manipulative experience!
To make the characters accessible by touch, it is recommended to make them 3-dimensional, rather than flat.
_edited.jpg)
Programming blocks
Scratch Jr Tactile incorporates different types of programming blocks (event, movement, control, sound, aspect, etc.) inspired by the ScratchJr application. These 33 blocks will allow you to bring the characters to life by programming them.
We have selected the blocks that make the most sense in the tangible world.
All designs are available in both 3D (for 3D printer), as in 2D (for laser cutter), in the download area.
Other elements
Tactile elements
It incorporates tactile elements with different textures to cut and paste, or natural objects to create endless activities that, in addition to being fun, will bemore accessible to people with blindness or low vision.
Whether you have students in your class with some visual disability as if not, the elements of the environment or recycled materials are very useful for create new experiences and tactile activities.
Eyemask
To carry out activities to raise awareness about visual impairment in sighted students, use the mask.
You can start any activity by covering your eyes and trying to recognize the different blocks and characters. Are you able to create your project or program without seeing? This way, you can put yourself in the shoes of a person who does not see and find out with the difficulties they face.
Mobile app "I have Low Vision"
We recommend the application for mobile "I have low vision" to perceive your world as if you had different visual disabilities, through your mobile camera or VR glasses. Download it for Android or iOS. You will put yourself in the place of thousands of boys and girls in the world.
I have it! And now, how do I start?
You can draw the background, add new characters, obstacles or objects...
Rescue animals from pollution, build a shelter for those fleeing the war, visit your friends or become a superhero helping those most in need. The limit is your imagination!
In the page learn, you will find proposed activities to start.
Is there something else? The story 'Planet of Fire'
It is great to integrate the reading of stories with values with the use of Scratch Jr Tactile. In the original kit in Catalan you will find the story 'The Planet of fire', which you can also find for free as a virtual book accessible in Spanish, English and Catalan here, together with 3 related Lesson Plans.
'The Planet of fire', written by Martí Olivella, is a book full of reality and metaphors that, although it seems to be written for children, makes both the youngest and the oldest reflect.
Reading 'The Planet of fire' makes us reflect, questions us and invites us to question ourselves in depth. "What are we doing?" and above all: "Can we do it differently?"
The union of conscious reading, the inclusive approach, computational thinking, 3D printing (or the use of other technologies) and the Global Goals (UN Sustainable Development Goals) that is proposed with Scratch Jr Tactile, is a multidisciplinary proposal that can be easily incorporated into the educational practice of educational centers and other environments.
This proposal allows students not only to develop academic skills necessary to move in today's world, but it will also help to generate a culture of peace, solidarity, empathy and respect for others and the environment.