Tshwane University of Technology

FACULTY OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Principles of Programming A (Extended)

PPAF05D
Introduction to Programming 115R (Extended)
TROF05D

Unit 2
Basic programs in Scratch
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Unit 2: Basic programs in Scratch ........................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Assessment criteria .............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 1
Introduction to variables ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Add a variable to an existing program ........................................................................................................................................................................ 4
Create variables for different sprites .......................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Worked example: Use variables visible to the stage and all sprites ........................................................................................................................... 8
Food nutrition – variable with stage scope ............................................................................................................................................................... 11
Getting values from the user (user interactivity - input) ....................................................................................................................................................... 11
Write a Scratch program based on pseudocode ....................................................................................................................................................... 12
Get a value from the user (input) .............................................................................................................................................................................. 13
Obtain two input values ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Displaying messages on the screen (output) ........................................................................................................................................................................ 15
Display output ........................................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Display name and age................................................................................................................................................................................................ 19
Writing basic programs ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 19
Worked example: Cost of tickets....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Cost of tickets .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Worked example: Calculate percentage ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Calculate percentage ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Order of precedence in calculations .................................................................................................................................................................................... 26
Practise stacking to effect order of precedence ..................................................................................................................................................... 29
VAT and total amount ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 29
Pocket money .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 32
Calculate average of 3 values .................................................................................................................................................................................. 32
Calculate age this year............................................................................................................................................................................................. 32
Calculate perimeter and area .................................................................................................................................................................................. 32
Data types of variables ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Naming conventions for variables ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Variable names ........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 34
 Suitable variable names .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Km walked ............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 35
Library fine............................................................................................................................................................................................................... 36
Buy candy ................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 37
Apple profit.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 37
Calculate phone call cost ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 38
Multiple lines of output ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Worked example: Output to a List .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Area and perimeter - Display output to a List ......................................................................................................................................................... 45
Wages – display output to a List.............................................................................................................................................................................. 45
Contractor fees – display output to a List ............................................................................................................................................................... 46
Happy Doggie kennels ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 47
Wage for 4 weeks .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
Sell magwinya .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 49
Calculations with integer values.......................................................................................................................................................................................... 51
Integer division and mod ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 54
Chairs in student centre .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 54
Tablets in bottles ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 55
Number of 85g packets ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 55
Obtain more input after output .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 56
Calculate cost and discount ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 59
Calculate installment per month ............................................................................................................................................................................. 59
Knowledge questions .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 59
Skills checklist .......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 60

Reflection............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 62
Sources consulted ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 63
You OWN your learning – therefore you need to reflect on your learning process. At the end of each lesson, you need
to have a discussion with yourself and/or fellow students and/or lecturer to reflect on the lesson of the day. See the
paragraph called ‘Reflection’ at the end of the chapter for examples of questions you can include in your discussions.
 Unit 2: Basic programs in Scratch
Assessment criteria
The content covered in this unit relates to the following outcomes and assessment criteria:

Module descriptor UNIT 1: Problem solving

Outcome: The student must be able to apply logic and knowledge to solve basic problems.

Assessment Criteria

• Redundant information can be excluded from a basic programming problem statement by rewriting the problem without redundant information.
• Missing data can be identified in a basic programming problem statement, by listing the missing data elements.
• Problems requiring logical thought flow can be analysed and solutions provided by providing narratives, diagrams or completing tables.

Module descriptor UNIT 2: Basic programming principles

Outcome: The student must be able to apply algorithmic problem solving to basic mathematical and programming problems.

Assessment Criteria

• Input and output can be identified for a given programming problem.

• The variables needed as part of an algorithm can be identified by completing an input-processing-output (IPO) table.
• Valid variable names can be provided following the best practices standards of the OOP language used.
• Constants to be used in a program can be identified by writing it in the correct section of an algorithm.
• Valid data types for variables can be suggested by indicating the data type in an algorithm.
• The rules of the order of processing can be applied in writing pseudo code for a mathematical calculation.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 1

 • A solution can be planned using an input-output-processing (IPO) table.
• An algorithm to solve a basic mathematical problem requiring sequential steps can be designed, presented in pseudo code and implemented
in a programming language providing correct output.
• Comments can be added in a program to clarify the flow of the program..

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 2

 Introduction to variables
In algebra in Mathematics you have learned about using variables. Usually a single letter is used to represent a variable, and it
represents an value that is yet unknown. For example, in the equation p = 2l + 2w, the letters l and w represents the length and
width of a rectangle. Once a person measures the length and width of the rectangle, the values can be replaced in the equation, for
example, p = 2(5) + 2(2) = 10 + 4 = 14. The perimeter of the rectangle is 14. A variable therefore represents a value, or you can also say it is a 'place
keeper' for a value. In programming, a variable can also be referred to as 'storage space' or a 'container' for a value and it is the tool used in a program
to let a program remember a value. Let us look at an example where a program needs to use a variable.

In Unit 1 you created a program (a small game) where the user had to try to click on a moving sprite (the Ball sprite). When the user managed to click
on the ball, it changed position, and a sound was played (Boing).

Now we would like to improve on this game, so that we can keep score of the number of times the ball has been hit. This is
what we will need to do:

• Create a ‘container’ where the computer can put the score to ‘remember’ the number of hits (a variable).
• When the program starts, we have to place the value 0 (zero) in the container, to indicate that no hits have yet been
made.
• Every time the ball is hit, we instruct the computer to increase the value in the container by one.
In programming languages, this ‘container’ for a value is called a variable. A variable has a name and can hold only one • Variable
data item (for example a number, or a name) at a time. In the following activity we will show you how to add a variable to
the existing program to count the number of hits.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 3

 Add a variable to an existing program
Open the program you wrote in Unit 1, Activity 11. • Radiobutton
• Checkbox
• Add a variable (a container).
o Click on the Variables class in the blocks palette.
o Choose Make a Variable.
o Select the radiobutton For this Sprite only
o Enter a variable name, e.g. iHits, and click OK. It is good programming practice to use meaningful
names for variables, that describe both the
Note: When you write more complex programs, it will matter purpose and the type of the value to be stored in
whether a variable is visible to all sprites, or to a specific sprite only. The difference will be them. The type of value which will be stored in
explained later. In this specific program it does not matter what this variable must be a whole number, i.e. an
option you choose, as there is only one sprite. However, it is a good integer, therefore we add the letter i in front of the
programming principle to assign variables to the sprite it ‘belongs’ variable name to remind ourselves that the
to. variable contains an integer value.
• Tick the checkbox next to the name of the variable.

• Initialise
• Assignment
statement

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 4

 • Add code blocks as indicated (the blocks can be found in the Variables class).
Readout: The Scratch
terminology for the
small window on the stage
that displays information
about a variable. The readout
appears on the screen when
you tick the checkbox next to
the name of the variable in
the Variables class.

To create the instruction to increase the variable iHits by 1, look at the colours of the blocks to determine from which class to obtain
the separate blocks. Add them in the scripts area.

Now combine the different blocks, and add

the number 1.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 5

 • Run the program. Notice how the variable name and the value of the variable are displayed on the stage. Right click on
• Every time you click on the ball, the value of the variable will increase by one, and the updated value will be displayed in the readout.
the readout. You can then
The name of the variable
select the format of
The name of the sprite the
the readout.
variable ‘belongs’ to.
The value of the variable

Note the following programming language concepts

• This statement is called an assignment statement.
• The value 0 is assigned to (placed into) the variable called iHits.
• This corresponds to an algebra equation such as x = 0. In this case iHits = 0.

• This statement is also an assignment statement.

• The current value of iHits is increased by 1. The result is 'placed back' in to the variable iHits.
• This corresponds to an algebra equation such as y = y + 1. In this case, iHits = iHits + 1.

Remember
• Programming variables are given meaningful names. You can name a variable x, or y. But in longer programs with many variables you will
become confused if you only use single-letter variable names. In programming we use meaningful variable names such as iNumStudents,
iTestTotal, iScore instead of x, y and z.
• An integer is a number that is not a fraction, a whole number, such as 10; 25; 166.
• In programming languages values that have a decimal point in them, such as 12.8; 145.07823; 0.678 are called floating point numbers. They can
also be called real numbers, measuring numbers or measurement numbers. In programming languages it is important to note that the value 5 is
an integer, but the value 5.0 is a decimal (real) value.
• When we name variables in a program, it helps to include a reference to the type of number that will be stored in a variable. For example, iHits
indicates that an integer value will be stored in the the variable. rAvg indicates that a real number will be stored in the variable.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 6

 Assignment statement vs Equation
In algebra you learned when the answer of an expression is calculated, it becomes an equation. For example: if we calculate speed, we can write an
equation (using meaningful variable names0:
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 =
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
In programming we use equations to determine how certain values should be calculated, and the result of the calculation on the right-hand side of the
equation is assigned to a variable on the left-hand side. In Scratch we will code:

Here are examples of other algebra equations and their corresponding Scratch assignment statements:

𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑒
𝑎𝑣𝑔 = ∗ 100
𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙

𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙𝐶𝑜𝑠𝑡 = 𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑒 ∗ 1.15

𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 = 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠 + 25

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 7

 Create variables for different sprites
• Create a program with two sprites – an apple and a watermelon.
• The cafeteria manager wants to determine which fruit he should have availble for
students, so he sets up a computer at the cashier, and asks students to click on their
favourite fruit.
• The program should display the number of votes for each fruit every time a student clicks
on a fruit sprite.

Helpful hints:

• Create a variable for each sprite. Choose the option For this sprite only. The variables for the different sprites can have the same name (iVote).
The readouts on the stage includes the names of the sprites, so it is clear to see whose variable each value belongs to.
• Add instructions for each sprite to initialise the variables to 0 when the green flag is clicked.

Note
• In Activity 2 you used two sprites, and each had one variable. Each had control over their own variable.

Worked example: Use variables visible to the stage and all sprites
• Create a program containing two sprites – the letter I and the letter O.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 8

 • This program can be used to keep track of the number of cars inside a parking lot. When a car drives into the parking lot, the user clicks on the
letter I. When a car drives out, they click on the letter O.
• The total number of cars currently in the parking lot should be displayed on the stage.

o Click on Variables in the blocks palette.

o Choose Make a Variable.
o Select the radiobutton For all sprites.
o Enter a variable name, e.g. iNumCars, and click OK.
o Add a script for each sprite. When the user clicks on the letter I, the value of
iNumCars should be increased by 1. When the user clicks on the letter O, the
vaue of the variable iNumCars should be decreased by 1 (it is the same
variable).

iNumCars = iNumCars + 1 iNumCars = iNumCars - 1

• Add an instruction on the stage to initialise the variable iNumcars to 0.

• Click on the Stage icon. Add code for the [when green flag clicked] event.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 9

 Note
• In Activity 3, you used 2 sprites, but just 1 variable (iNumCars).
• When the variable iNumCars was created, you chose the option For all sprites. This means all sprites can access the variable (make changes to
it). This variable 'belonged' to the stage. Just like actors can see all objects on the stage, the sprites can see and change all variables on the
stage.
• To initialise the variable iNumCars, it is best to add the code to the script of the stage.

The difference between For all sprites and For this sprite only • Banner
• Prop
For this sprite only For all sprites
The objects used on a
Only the sprite can access the value of the variable. All sprites on the stage have acces to the variable. stage or screen by actors
when they perform is
The variable has sprite scope. The variable has stage scope. called theatrical property.
This has been shortened
Similar to an actor who can only read the words on his Similar to an actor that can see all banners or props
to ‘props’. So a prop
own script, not that of another actor. that is placed on the stage.
refers to anything
The readout on the stage displays the name of the The readout on the stage only displays the name and movable or portable on a
sprite before the name and value of the variable. vlaue of the variable. stage.
• Stage scope
• Sprite scope.

In the next Activity you will use 4 sprites, and 1 variable. Each sprite must have access to the variable.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 10

 Food nutrition – variable with stage scope
Write a program where the user should click on the food he eats every day. Every type of food has a
point associated with it.
Muffin +10
The starting score is 0. Every time an item is
Cake -20 chosen, the score should be adjusted by the
points for that type of food. The program should
Fruit salad +25
display the total score for the user.
Cheesy Puffs -12

Remember to initialise the variable iFoodScore to 0 by placing code on the stage.

Examples of the assignment statements you will use are: This variable has stage scope. Therefore no
iFoodScore = iFoodScore + 10 name of a sprite is displayed infront of the
readout. All sprites have access to the same
iFoodScore = iFoodScore - 12 variable.
The only difference between this program and the previous ones are that you have more sprites, and that the variable is not just increased or
decreased by 1.

Getting values from the user (user interactivity - input)

Most programs interact with the user of the program – the user needs to click somewhere on the screen or enter data (such as numeric values) on
the keyboard. We will now learn how to write programs that can read values entered by a user on the keyboard, and then use that data to display a
message or perform some operations.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 11

 Write a Scratch program based on pseudocode
Write the following program in Scratch (the pseudocode is provided just to remind you again how instructions for a program can be given in a way
that is not specific to a programming language).

Pseudocode Scratch code

when the user clicks the green flag
repeat 3 times
go 100 steps towards top of screen
wait 0.5 seconds
go 100 steps towards bottom of screen
wait 0.5 seconds
end repeat
end

Save the program as Unit1 JUMP.

This program let the sprite jump up and down the screen 3 times. Now we want to change the program so it will ask the user how many times the
sprite should jump up and down. The user will type a value on the keyboard, and push the <Enter> key. The program will then use the value
entered by the user in the [repeat] block. When values are provided by the user on the keyboard, it is called input to the program. (A value is placed
IN to the program).

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 12

 Get a value from the user (input)
Change the program Unit 2 JUMP to ask the user how many times the sprite should jump. You need to create a variable iJumps.

Pseudocode Scratch code

when the user clicks the green flag

ask "How many times should I jump? " The [ask] block is from
enter iJumps the Sensing class
repeat iJumps times
go up 100 steps
wait 0.5 seconds
go down 100 steps The [answer] variable
wait 0.5 seconds can be found in the
end repeat Sensing class. It is the
end variable where the value
that is typed on the
keyboard is stored
Note: The number of jumps will be an integer value automatically.
(the sprite cannot jump a decimal number of times – for
exampl, 4.5 times). So a lower case i is added in front
of the name of the variable.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 13

 New knowledge explained
Pseudocode Scratch block Description

ask "How many times should I jump? " The [ask] block (in the Sensing group)
prompts the user to enter the data requested
by the programmer using the keyboard.

enter iJumps • Scratch automatically puts the value that

is entered on the keyboard into its own
variable, answer.
• The [set] block (from the Variables class)
then transfers the data from the variable
The content of the variable called answer, is
answer to the variable iJumps (declared
on the right hand side of the block, and it is
by the programmer.)
transferred to the variable sName - on the left-
hand side of the block.

Obtain two input values

Create a Scratch program using the following pseudocode. Choose a smaller sprite such as a ball. Note that you Code blocks to manipulate a
have to create two variables. pen can be found in the Pen
class. You need to click on the
when the user clicks on the green flag
Add extension icon to make the
clear all previous graphics effects
Pen class visible
lift the pen up
move to position (-160, 160)
look to the right of the screen
put the pen down
ask "How many steps should I take to draw a square (between 100 and 300)?"
enter iSteps

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 14

 ask "How thick must the pen be (between 1 and 10)?"
enter iPen
set pen size to iPen
repeat 4 times
move iSteps steps
turn 90° clockwise
wait 1 second
endRepeat
end

Displaying messages on the screen (output)

When a computer program displays something on the screen, it is called output of the program. In Unit 1 you used the [say] block in many
programs to display words in a speech bubble next to a sprite.

The [say] block is used to

In this example, the word 'Hello!' is the
create output of a program.
output of the program.

The pseudocode to indicate this type of message will look as

follows:

display "Hello!"

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 15

 The output in this example is a word. In programming terminology a word or a sentence consisting of alphabetical characters and/or digits and/or
other special characters (e.g. $ or *) is referred to as a string or text.

In pseudocode and most programming languages' code, double quotes are used to indicate that a value is a string, for example, "Hallo!" is a string.
These are more examples of strings:

"I am dancing"
"This is gr8!"
"PO Box 58234"

You can combine blocks to create output using a [join] block from the operators class. The [join] block has two
editboxes where you can enter sentences or variable names to display.

These are examples of using [say], [join] and other blocks to create output:

You can use multiple [join] blocks to concatenate (add together) different components to form one output message.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 16

 The pseudocode to indicate this code will look as follows:

iAge = 8
display "I am " + iAge + " years old"
The + symbol indicates that different components must be joined to form the output. These components are:

"I am " + iAge + " years old"

A string + A variable + A string

Display output
Add code to the program Unit 2 JUMP so the sprite will display a message to report how many times it
jumped. For example:

The pseudocode to indicate this type of message will look as follows:

display "I jumped " + iJumps + " times"

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 17

 Note the spaces that you will have to leave at the end of the first string, and the beginning of the second string.

If you do not leave any spaces in the output strings, the output will ook like this:

Look at the following algorithm in pseudocode and the corresponding Scratch code.

Pseudocode Scratch code

when the user clicks the green flag

ask "What's your name? "
enter sName
display "Sawubona " + sName
end

Note the following

• Each line of the pseudocode is translated to a programming instruction (program block).
• The name of a preson consists of letters, therefore it is a string, and we add the letter 's' to the variable name to remind us that the variable will
contain a string. The name of the variable that will contain the value entered by the user o n the keyboard is sName.
• To display a space between the word Sawubona and the value of sName, enter a space after the word Sawubona. This can also be seen in the
pseudocode example, where a space was typed before the apostrophe closing the text string – ʺSawubona ʺ.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 18

 Display name and age
Write pseudocode for a program where the sprite will ask a person’s name and age, and display a sentence such as: 'Good day Katlego, you are 16
years old.' Write a Scratch program based on the pseudocode.

• Interface
Writing basic programs • Comparisons
The programs we have written up till now have been very plain, designed to introduce you to the Scratch interface and • Retrieve
basic programming language terminology. However, the actual usefulness of computers lies in their ability to perform
calculations and process data quickly and accurately. The aim of learning to program is learning how to instruct the
computer to process data and perform calculations.

Before attempting to write code to solve problems, we need to understand how computers work. In short, computers
receive input, process the input and give output.

Here are some examples of input and output.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 19

 Input Processing Output

Values entered by the user of the program. Results / answers displayed by the computer.

Calculations done by the

computer. As the user of
the program, you do not
have to kow how the
cacluations are done.

For computers to accomplish a task they

• receive input (from various sources, e.g. keyboard, mouse, storage media)
• perform calculations (usually mathematical in nature)
• make comparisons (and then perform certain actions as a result of this)
• give output (to various devices such as the screen, storage media, printer)
• store and retrieve data
• So the first thing we have to learn in programming is to identify input and output, and decide on the processing that will be needed. We will now
show you some examples on how to plan and write programs which involve calculations.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 20

 Worked example: Cost of tickets
TUT students are selling tickets for a Cassper Nyovest concert. The price of a ticket is R200. You need a program that will read the name of the
student who wants to buy a ticket as well as the number of tickets the student wants to buy (the name and number is the input to the program – the
information to be supplied by the user). The computer must then work out the amount to be paid and display the result with an appropriate message.
For example, ‘Katlego you need to pay R600’. The result to be displayed is the output of the program.

Solve the problem yourself

Before you can write instructions for the computer to do calculations, you need to analyse the problem, and be able to solve the problem yourself.

Plan Constants, Input, Processing and Output

CONSTANT VALUE(S) and INPUT PROCESSING OUTPUT

Step 2: What values do you know that will not Step 4: If you assume you know the input Step 1: What do you need to calculate and/or
change during the program? value(s), how will you calculate the answer? display?

One ticket’s cost is R200

Step 3: What data values do you need? Let us pretend the input value number of tickets
bought is 3. Then we would calculate the total
The name of the student. as:

The number of tickets bought. 3 * 200 = 600

An assignment statement. Assign the Now you can translate the mathematical
value calculated on the right-hand side calculation to an assignment statement sName (The name of the student.)
of the = sign to the variable on the left (a formula):
rTotal (The total cost of the tickets.)

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 21

 Constant value (from step 2) Processing Output
Cost of one ticket (ONETICKET=200) rTotalCost = iNumTickets * ONETICKET Name of the learner (sName)
Input (from step 3) Amount payable (rTotalCost)
Name of the learner (sName)
Number of tickets (iNumTickets)
This table is called an Constant-Input-Processing-Ouput (CIPO) table. It is one of the tools you can use to develop an algorithm when you plan a
program.

Write an algorithm for the program. The string created using the [join] blocks will be displayed in
the speech bubble close to the sprite. You can also use the
The complete algorithm in pseudocode is as follows:
readouts for variables to display the values.
when the user clicks the green flag
Constant
ONETICKET = 200
ask "What is your name? " You need to display the letter R in front of the amount, so
enter sName that the person who uses the program can see the amount
ask "How many tickets do you want to buy? " Input is a currency in Rand.
enter iNumTickets

rTotalCost = iNumTickets * 200 Processing

display sName + " you need to pay R" + rTotalCost Output

end

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 22

 Translate the algorithm to programming code. NOTE
Always use the output that should appear on the screen to
identify your output variables' names.

Content of variable sName

Content of variable
The output is made up of three parts, so you rTotalCost
need to use two [join] blocks.

It is good practice to use capital letters only for the name of values that will not change during the run of the program. For example, in the program
calculating the cost of the ticket, it will stay R200 per person. If you want to change the value to R250, you can see easily where the fixed values
(constants) in your program is when you use capital letters in the names.

Cost of tickets
Watch the video to see how to create the output using the say and join blocks, then write the program to calculate the
cost of all tickets in Scratch.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 23

 Run the program a number of times. Use different names and number of tickets each time. See how the output 4_JoinBlocksForOutput
changes because the program uses the value of the variables you supplied.

Worked example: Calculate percentage

A student needs a program to calculate the percentage for a test. The student’s score, and the total marks for the test needs to be entered.

Solve the problem yourself

Again you need to analyse the problem, and be able to solve the problem yourself.

Plan Constants, Input, Processing and Output

CONSTANT VALUE(S) and INPUT PROCESSING OUTPUT

Step 2: What values do you know that will Step 4: If you assume you know the input value(s), Step 1: What do you need to calculate
not change during the program? how will you calculate the answer? and/or display?

There are no fixed values Let us pretend the student scored 45 out of 60. Then The percentage for the test.
we would calculate the percentage as follows:
Step 3: What data values do you need?
45/60*100 = 75
The score of the student.
You can write it as a formula:
The total of the test.

Input Processing Output

Score of the student (iScore) rPercentage = iScore/iTestTotal * 100 The percentage of the test (rPercentage)

Total of the test (iTestTotal)

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 24

 Write an algorithm for the program. The two forward slashes //, is used to indicate
comments in a program. Anything you write
The complete algorithm in pseudocode is as follows:
after the //, provides more information about
when the user clicks the green flag the program.
// Input
Comments.
ask "What is your score? "
enter iScore
ask "What is the total for the test? "
enter iTestTotal
// Processing
rPercentage = iScore/iTestTotal * 100
// Output
display "You have " + rPercentage + "%"
end
Translate the algorithm to programming code. • Test data

You can calculate the percentage of 45/60. It is

75. When you run your program, you can use the value
45 for iScore, and 60 for iTestTotal. Your program
should display 75%. The values 45 and 60 is then
called test data for your program.
NOTE
Your program should work for ANY score and total, not
just 45 and 60. That is why you have to use variables in
a program.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 25

 Calculate percentage
• Watch the video to see how to create the instructions to do calculations using operator 5_ CalculationsUsingOperatorBlocks
blocks.
• Write the program to calculate the percentage when a test score and total is read from
the keyboard.
• Run the program a number of times, using different values for the score and test total.
Scratch will display all the decimal values for the answer. E.g. 44/60 = 73.333333333%. When you learn to program using Java, you will learn how to
change the value of a variable to show a certain number of decimal values.

Order of precedence in calculations In Computational Mathematics you learned the order of

precedence of arithmetic operations:
We already know how to perform calculations and apply mathematical rules. For example,

3 + 4 * 5 means 3 + (4 * 5) = 3 + 20 = 23.
Parentheses ()
Most programming languages have built-in ‘knowledge’ of the order of precedence in Exponents ^
calculations; for example, multiplication and division are performed before addition and Multiply Divide MOD (* / \ %)
(operator on left side first)
Add Subtract (+ -)
(operator on left side first)
Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 26

NOT the same answer!

 subtraction. If the following calculation is given to a computer, it will calculate 12/4 first.

3 + 8 + 12/4 = 3 + 8 + 3 = 14

When you want addition or subtraction to happen first in a calculation, you need to use
parentheses to ensure that is does happen first. For example, when calculating the average
of three numbers, it should be done as follows::

(70 + 65 + 81) / 3 = 216 / 3 = 72

as pseudocode we can write rAvg = (iMark1 + iMark2 + iMark3) / 3

However, if the calculation is performed as follows (no brackets):

avg = iMark1 + iMark2 + iMark3 / 3 it will be interpreted as 70 + 65 + 81 / 3 = 70 + 65 + 27 = 162

Division is done before

plus.

When writing a program, the programmer has to apply mathematical principles correctly when programming calculations – such as using parentheses
– the programming language has no way of ‘knowing’ that parentheses should have been used to calculate the average. It only performs the
instruction as it was provided.

In Scratch, the effect of parentheses and the order of precedence in calculations is achieved by stacking various program blocks from the Operators
group. In other programming language the calculations are typed on one line, and the language will automatically do the calculations in the correct way
(following rules for order of operations.

Here are the steps to program the calculation 3 + 4 * 5 in Scratch:

1. The multiplication has to be completed first. So drag a multiplication block from the
Operators class to the scripst area, and enter the values 4 and 5.
2. Drag an addition block onto the scripts area. Enter the value 3.
3. Now plug the multiplication operator into the open slot on the right side of the addition

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 27

 operator.

Notice how the multiplication block appears to be raised higher. It is at the top of the stack.

Scratch will perform the calculation at the top of the stack (i.e. the multiplication) first.

Here are more examples of the way stacking should be used to ensure the correct order of precedence:

12 ÷ 6 ÷ 2 12 ÷ (6 ÷ 2)
12⁄ 12
6
= 2 =6
⁄2
= 12/6/2
= 12/(6/2)
This should be programmed as (12/6)/2, since the rules for the order of precedence)
indicate that division is carried out from left to right.

12 ÷ 2 x 2 12 ÷ (2 x 2)
12
=
12
𝑥2 =
2∗2
2
= 12 / (2 * 2)
= 12 / 2 * 2

This should be programmed as (12/2)*2, since division and

multiplication are on the same ‘level’ in the order of
precedence, and should be performed from left to right.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 28

 Practise stacking to effect order of precedence
Use mathematical operator blocks to calculate the following:

1. Add 5 to 20.
2. You scored 45 out of 60 for a test. Calculate your percentage.
3. Calculate the average of the three numbers 68, 89 and 77.
4. Calculate (3 + 2) / (1 + 1).
5. Determine the speed of a car that travels 14 km in 8 minutes, in km/h.
6. Increase the value of 100 by 15%.
7. Calculate 15% of 100.
8. Decrease the value of 100 by 15%.

If you want to test a calculation quickly, you do not need to write a complete program using a sprite and program blocks. You can use a mathematical
operator block only, enter values in the slots, and left-click on the block. A speech bubble
will appear containing the answer

VAT and total amount

Use the template provided below to plan a solution, and write an algorithm as well as a Scratch program for the following problem:

Read the amount a customer spent at the bookshop. The program must calculate and display the amount of VAT the customer should pay, as well as
the total amount (original + VAT) to be paid.

Plan Constants, Input, Processing and Output

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 29

 CONSTANT VALUE(S) and INPUT PROCESSING OUTPUT

Step 2: What values do you know that will Step 4: If you assume you know the input value(s), Step 1: What do you need to calculate
not change during the program? how will you calculate the answer? and/or display?

VAT is 15% of the amount spent. Let us pretend the customer spent R245. The amount VAT to be paid.

Step 3: What data values do you need? Calculate the amount VAT The total to be paid..

Calculate the total to be paid.

Input Processing Output

rVAT =
rTotalToPay =

Write an algorithm for the program.

Complete the algorithm in pseudocode:

when the user clicks the green flag

//Constant value
VAT_PERC = 0.15

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 30

 // Input
ask "What is the amount spent? "
enter rSpent
// Processing
rVat =
rTotalPay =
// Output
display
display
end
Translate the algorithm to programming code.

NOTE
Test data: Use the following values to test your program. • Every time you run the program, you can use a different value
for the amount spent. That is why the input and output values
rSpent rVat rTotalPay
are called variables.
100 15 115 • You should not program the values of the test data e.g. 100 or
250.88 in the code of the program.
250.88 37.632 288.512

All decimal values will be displayed, not just 2 as we would prefer when displaying a monetary value. • Monetary value
You will learn how to display only 2 decimal values for values when you program in Java.

C:\Users\wassermannu\AppData\Local\Programs\Scratch Desktop"

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 31

 Pocket money
Ask the user’s age. Calculate the pocket money to be paid. Pocket money per month is calculated as R20 for each year of the age. So a person who is
5 years old, will receive R100 pocket money per year. Let year be an integer value.

Create an IPO-table, then complete the algorithm and write a Scratch program to implement the algorithm.

Calculate average of 3 values

Enter the name of a student and the student’s marks (as percentages) for three class tests written this term. Determine the average of the three marks.
Display the student’s name and average as output.

Create an IPO-table, then complete the algorithm and write a Scratch program to implement the algorithm.
Calculate age this year
Ask the user for the current year and the user’s year of birth, and then calculate and tell the user how old he or she will be in the current year.

Create an IPO-table, then complete the algorithm and write a Scratch program to implement the algorithm.
Calculate perimeter and area
A builder wants to calculate the perimeter and surface area of the floor of a room. Applying your knowledge of Mathematics, you know that the length
and width of a rectangular area are needed to calculate the area and perimeter. The table below shows the input and output required as well as the
processing of the data.

Input Processing Output

The length of the room (rLength) rPerimeter = 2 x rLength + 2* rWidth The perimeter (rPerimeter)
The width of the room (rWidth) rArea = rLength *rWidth The area (rArea)
Write an algorithm to obtain data, perform calculations and display the output.

Write a Scratch program to implement the algorithm.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 32

 • Manipulate
Data types of variables • Decimal value
All programming languages can manipulate different types of data. For example, you have already used

• integer values (whole numbers, negative or positive e.g. -5; 8; 350)

• real values (decimal values, e.g. 3.44; -6.7687686)
• strings (text values, e.g. a name ʺJames ʺ, or an address ʺ2 College Road ʺ, or a cell phone number
ʺ0845561289 ʺ. You cannot do a numerical calculation with a string value. 5_Different DataTypes

There are more types of data, and we will learn to use them later in this module.

Scratch-specific programming principle • Declare a

Most programming languages require you to indicate the data type of a variable when the variable is variable
declared. Scratch does not require this. Instead, the data type is determined by Scratch, based on the
operations and calculations performed on the variable.
•

Monetary values always have a decimal value – even if the amount is R 5.00 and the decimal part of the value is 0, you will want to display 2
decimal values, e.g. R5.00, or R6.70. Note: The ‘R’ character is not part of the value the variable contains. As the programmer you always
have to display the letter ‘R’ in output values in Scratch.

Naming conventions for variables

Scratch does not really have rules about variable names. However, most programming languages do have strict rules about this, and may return an
error if the rules are disregarded. To prevent you from becoming confused later when programming in another language, we suggest that you adhere
to the following rules when naming variables:

• The first character of a variable name should be an alphabetical character (not a number or symbol), and should be an indication of the type of
value that will be stored in the variable. For example: iCount (an integer value), rAverage (a real value), sName (a string).

• Do not use spaces in variable names. For example, instead of ‘Term Mark’, rather use the name TermMark or Term_Mark.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 33

 • Do not use non-alphabetic characters like ‘/’ and ‘*’. Only the underscore character ‘_’ is allowed.

• The name of the variable should describe its content. For example sName or iCount or iMark.

• Use a capital letter for the first character of each word that make up the variable name, e.g. sCellNumber, sDateOfBirth.

Variable names
Indicate whether the following variable names are good choices or not. Provide a reason when it is not a good choice, and provide a better alternative.

a) iPhoneNumber
b) sISBN
c) sUrnames
d) rNum2
e) sSum
f) sName&Surname
g) Endangered species
h) rTo
i) rAmountPayable
j) tShops
k) 18holeCourseName

Suitable variable names

Choose a suitable variable name for each of the following scenarios. The variable name should reflect the type of the data.

a) The name of one of your subjects.

b) Test marks.
c) The average on your report card.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 34

 d) To store ID numbers.
e) To indicate the season.
f) The variables you will need to calculate the area of a rectangle, as well as the variable where you will store the answer.
g) To store a password.
h) Two variables, inde for your grade, and one for the number of learners in the grade.
i) You want to calculate your budget. Which variables will you need to store your income, expenses, and the remainder of your money.
Km walked
The distance between a student’s room and the campus is 500m. The student walks to campus and back home for 5 days. How many kilometers does
the student walk each week?

Do the calculation using a pocket calculator and writing down all the Refer to your calculations, and complete the following algorithm:
calculations.
when the user clicks on the green flag
ask "How far is your room from the campus (in m)? "
enter rDist
ask "How many days do you walk to campus? "
enter numDays

display "You have walked ", rKm, " km this week"

end

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 35

 Complete the IPO-table for this solution

Input Processing Output

Write a Scratch program to implement the algorithm.

Use the following test data to determine whether your program is correct.

Distance in meter Number of days Km walked

500 2 2

850 5 8.5

1300 4 10.4

Library fine
A library charges a fine of 50c per day per book if a book is returned late.

A student has 4 books and hand them in 5 A student has 9 books and hand them in 4 days late. Write a formula in pseudocode to calculate the
days late. How much is the fine (in Rand)? How much is the fine (in Rand)? fine if x books are y days late.

Write an algorithm using valid variable names to read the number of books and the number of days they have been returned late, then calculate and
display the fine in Rand.

Write a Scratch program to implement the algorithm.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 36

 Buy candy
A 100g of candy costs R6.50. A program is needed where the shopkeeper can enter the weight (in gram) of the candy a customer buys, and then the
program will display the amount owed by the customer.

In Mathematics you calculated it as follows:

100g R6.50

Cross multiply (we do not use variables such as x and y, rather variable names that describes the
rCandyWeight rAmount unknown value).

100 * rAmount = 6.5 * rCandyWeight

6.5 ∗ 𝑟𝐶𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑦𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡
⇒ 𝑟𝐴𝑚𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 =
100

Develop an algortihm to read the weight of the candy bought, then calcuate and display the amount to be paid. Candyweight Amount
Write a Scratch program to implement the algorithm. 350 R22.75
Use the test data provided to test your program. 120 R7.80

Apple profit
A bag with 10 apples costs R30. If you sell each apple for R5, how much profit will you make? (Do the calculation here.)

A bag with 22 apples costs R50. If you sell each apple for R1.50, how much profit will you make? (Do the calculation here.)

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 37

 Write an assignment statement in pseudocode to calculate profit using the following variable names:

iNumApples //The number of apples in a bag

rProfit //Total profit when all the apples are sold

rcostBag //Cost for the bag of apples

rSellOne // The amount you will charge for one apple

Create an algorithm in pseudo code so a program will read how many apples are in a bag, what is the cost of the bag, how much will you charge for
one apple. The program should calculate and display the total amount of profit when all the apples are sold.

Calculate phone call cost

Use the template provided below to plan a solution, and write an algorithm as well as a Scratch program for the following problem:

The first three minutes of a phone call costs 50c per minute. The remaining minutes (everything more than 3 minutes), costs 15c per minute. Write a
program to calculate the total cost of a phone call when the duration of the call is provided. Assume the user will never enter a value less than 3.

You can draw a diagram such as the following one to indicate how the price of a phone call will be calculated.

first 3 minutes 4th minute 5th minute 6th minute ......

50c per minute 15c 15c 15c ......

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 38

 Plan Input Processing and Output

Step 2: What values must you use? Step 1: What do you need to calculate
and/or display? (Output)
First 3 minutes cost 50c per minute
The total cost of the phone call.
Remaining minutes cost 15c per minute.

Step 3: What information do you need? Step 4: If you use a test value, how will you calculate
(Input) the answer?

Let us say the call was for 10 minutes

What is the cost of the first three minutes?

How many minutes were more than 3?

What is the cost for those minutes above 3 min?

Write a formula to calculate the total cost.

Input Processing Output

rFirstCost = 3 * 0.5
iRemMin =
rCostRem =
rTotalCost =
Write an algorithm for the program.

Complete the algorithm in pseudocode:

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 39

 when the user clicks the green flag
//Constant values

// Input
ask "What is the duration of the call? "
enter iDuration
// Processing

// Output
display
end
Translate the algorithm to programming code.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 40

 Multiple lines of output
Worked example: Output to a List
In a previous activity, you had to calculate the perimeter and area of a rectangle.
This was the code for the program:

The way the output is displayed, is not really effective, since each value is displayed for only 2 seconds, then it • List
disappears. It would be better to use a structure where all the output lines will be visible. In Scratch we can use a • String
structure called a List. It can be found in the Variables class. A List is one structure that consists of many lines –
each line contains one value. When we use a List as ouput structure, each line will contain a string. The output on
the screen will look as follows:

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 41

 • The name of the Sprite in this program is Calculator.
• The name of the List is Results.
• There are four lines of output (the number of lines is indicated at the bottom of the List – length 4).

The algorithm can be written as follows:

when the user clicks the green flag

// Input
ask "Length of rectangle? "
enter rLength
ask "Width of rectangle? "
enter rWidth
// Processing
rArea = rLength * rWidth
rPerimeter = 2 * rLength + 2 * rWidth
// Output to a List
addToList "Length = " + rLength
addToList "Width = " + rWidth
addToList "The area is: " + rArea
addToList "The perimeter is: " + rPerimeter
end

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 42

 The program will look as follows: • To add a list, you click on the button Make a List in the • In other
Variable class. In this example, the name of the list is Results. programming
languages a List is called an
array.

• An empty list will appear on the screen. The name of the

sprite, and the name of the list will be displayed. The name
Results was chosen, now it will be more clear to a user what
the meaning of the output is.

The [delete all of] block removes all lines in the List. Therefore when the
program is executed a second time, the previous output will be deleted.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 43

 The [add .. to] block adds the string created by the [join] block to the bottom of
the List.

• The sprite was renamed to Calculator.

• Each [add] block added the ouput string to the bottom of the List.
• Each line in the List is numbered (in this example 1 to 4).
• The number of lines in the List is displayed at the bottom of the list (in this example it is 4).

rLength
Sometimes you will receive an example of the output of a program. You can use this output to
help you to plan your program. Highlight rWidth all the values in the output where variables will
have to be used. rArea

In the screenshot alongside, you can see rPerimeter which values are obtained from variables.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 44

 Area and perimeter - Display output to a List
Create the program for the previous worked example. Use the values in the examples of output as test data.

Real values (also called floating point values), are not stored with complete accuracy. For example, the vaue 0.5 is • Floating point values
stored as 0.5000000000000001. Therefore, when real values are displayed, the programming language approximate
the values. However, the developers of Scratch did not build this functionality into Scratch when displaying values to
a List. When you program in Java, you will learn how to prevent this type of display issue.

Wages – display output to a List

William is a temporary worker and receives a wage of R100 per hour for the first 5 hours worked but for any additional hours the hourly wage is
increased by 15%. He has to pay tax at a rate of 22.5% of his gross income. The hours worked by him must be entered (e.g. 6.8). Assume he will
work more than 5 hours. Calculate his gross income, tax to be paid, and netto income. The following is an example of the output you need to display.
Use the numbers in the example output as test data.

Remember to plan
• Draw a diagram to represent the way the salary will be calculated.
• Indicate the variables in the examples of output.
• Determine the output and input variables, and use any number (e.g. 12) as input.
• Complete the calculation yourself. Ensure you are able to do the calculations correctly by comparing your answer to the test data provided. Write
a complete algorithm, then write the Scratch code.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 45

 Example output.

Certain values are ‘fixed’ – in this case:

• the rate for the first 5 hours (base rate),

• the percentage the hourly rate should be increased by, and
• the percentage tax.
You can set these values at the beginning of your program, and use the variables in
all calculations. In that way, if you decide to make changes to the values, you do not
need to find all the ocurrences of the values in your code, you simply change the
values allocated to the variables.

In other programming languages, you indicate fixed values by using special key
words, and the programming language will not allow you to make changes to these
values. The values are then called constants.

Contractor fees – display output to a List

A contractor lays floor tiles at a tariff of R65.45 per square meter (m2). Calculate the total cost to tile a room of a certain length and width in meter (as
specified by the user). The contractor requires a deposit of 10% of the cost prior to commencing, and the balance on completion of the work. Calculate
the deposit as well as the balance. Display the area, cost, deposit and the balance. Use fixed variables where relevant.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 46

 Example of output.

Use fixed values for the labour

cost and percentage deposit.
Circle each value in the ouput.
Write the variable name you are
going to use in your program next
to each value.

Happy Doggie kennels

The Happy Doggie Kennels charges the following kennel fees: • Kennel
For the first day R60.00

For day 2 and more R52.50 per day

The kennel also charges 25% of the total kennel fee to exercise the dogs each day. The owner should pay
separately for food for the dog charged at a fee per day. Calculate and display the kennel and exercise fees, as
well as the cost for the food. (All dogs will stay for at least two days.)

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 47

 when the user clicks the green flag
// Declare fixed values (constants)
FIRSTDAY = 60
OTHERDAYS = 52.5
EXERCISEPERC = 25
// Input
display "How many days did the dog stay? "
enter iNumDays
display "What is the cost of food per day? "
enter rCostFoodDay Note
//Calculations There are 4 variables used in the calculations
rKennelFee = (processing). Two of them are output variables
rExerciseFee = (rTotalFood and rKennel_Exercise).
rKennel_Exercise =
The other two variables are used in the calculations to
rTotalFood = determine the output values, but they are not displayed
// Output to a List (rKennelFee and rExerciseFee). These type of variales
addToList "Kennel and exercise fee R", rKennel_Exercise are called intermediate variables.
addToList "Cost for food R", rTotalFood
end

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 48

 Wage for 4 weeks
Josephine is working as a waitress at a restaurant:

• Read her hourly wage from the keyboard.

• She works 8 hours per day.
• She works 5 days a week.
• She also works every second Sunday for 5 hours.
• On Sundays she is paid double the hourly rate.
• She usually gets tips of approximately R50 per hour.
Calculate her (approximate) income in a month that has 4 weeks.

An example of output is provided. Use the output to determine which values to calculate and
display.
Write a Scratch program based on the pseudocode.

Sell magwinya
Pulani made bakes magwinya to sell to fellow students. The muffins she does not sell, she gives away to students in need (so she does not receive
money for them). She wants a program to calculate her profit per day.
The following values are constants: The following values should be entered for a specific day:
• The cost price to bake one dozen. • The number of dozens of magwinya she baked.
• The price of one magwinya. • The number of magwinya she sold.
when the user clicks the green flag
// Declare fixed values Calculate and display:
COSTDOZEN = 32
COSTONE = 3.5 • how much money she needed to bake the magwinya,
• what percentage of magwinya did she sell,
• how much money she received from her sales, and
• how much profit she made.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 49

 // Input
display "How many dozens of magwinya did she bake? "
enter iNumDozens
display "How many magwinya did she sell? "
enter iNumMagwinyaSold
// Processing
rMoneyNeeded =
rPercSold =
rMoneyFromSales =
rProfit =
// Output
addToList "Money needed was R" + moneyNeeded
addToList "Percentage sold: " + percSold, "%"
addToList "Money earned from sales R" + moneyFromSales
addToList "Profit made R" + profit
end

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 50

 Calculations with integer values
In Computational Matehematics you learned that many calculations require you to do calculations with integer numbers. The following are examples of
various calculations where the results are integer values. The table contains the mathematical equation, as well as the pseudocode and Scratch
program blocks necessary to do the calculations.

Mathematical scenario Pseudocode Scatch program block

We have 13 sweets, and need to divide it How will we calculate the number of sweets each
equally between 4 children. How many sweets child should receive for any number of sweets, and
wil each child receive? We need to use integer any number of children?
division.
Use the following variables:
13 \ 4 = 3
iNumsweets; iNumChildren; iNumEach
(3 * 4 = 12, so you can give each child 3 iNumEach = iNumSweets \ iNumChildren
sweets) or
We can also use the floor notation to indicate 𝑖𝑁𝑢𝑚𝐸𝑎𝑐ℎ = ⌊𝑖𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑆𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡𝑠⁄𝑖𝑁𝑢𝑚𝐶ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑛⌋
that a value should be ‘rounded down’, or we
can say the fraction part of the number should
be removed (truncated).
13
⌊ ⌋
4

We have 13 sweets, and need to divide it How will we calculate the number of sweets that will
equally between 4 children. How many sweets remain for any number of sweets, and any number of
will be left over after each child received the children?
same number of sweets? We need to use the
Use the following variables:
modulus operator (MOD).
iNumsweets; iNumChildren; iNumLeft

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 51

 13 MOD 4 = 1 iNumLeft = iNumSweets MOD iNumChildren

(13 = 4 * 3 + 1, so you can give each child 3 or

sweets, and 1 sweet will remain).
iNumLeft = iNumSweets % iNumChildren

Joseph wants to paint his mother’s house and How will we calculate the number of containers for Programming languages have methods
calculated that he needs 164 litres of paint. any number of litres paint, and any size container. available to ‘round a value up’. In
However, the paint is only sold in 20 litre Use the following variables: Scratch we have the ceiling method.
containers. How many containers of paint must
iLitrePaint ; iInContainer; iNumContainers
he buy?
iNumcontainers = ⌈iLitrePaint⁄iInContainer⌉
164/20 = 8.2 – therefore we need to buy 9
containers. The value 8.2 must be ‘rounded up’
to 9.
In Mathematics we can use the ceiling notation
to indicate that a value should be rounded up.
164
⌈ ⌉
20

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 52

 Determine results for integer division and MOD
You can use any of the following methods to determine the results for the MOD and integer division (\) operators:

Example 1

15 ÷ 6 = 2 remainder 3

15 = 6 * 2 + 3

15 \ 6 = 2 15 MOD 6 = 3

(The integer part of the division) (The remainder after long division)

On your pocket
calculator the result of
the division will be 2.5.
The result of integer
division is the number
before the decimal point. Just ignore the
fraction.

Example 2

5÷7 = 0 remainder 5

5=7* 0 + 5

5\7= 0 5 MOD 7 = 5

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 53

 Integer division and mod
Find the missing numbers:

35 = 6 * __ + ____ 35 ÷ 6 = ____ remainder _____ 35 \6 = 35 MOD 6 =

9 = 2 * ___+ ____ 9 ÷ 2 = ________ remainder _____ 9 \2= 9 MOD 2 =

2 = 9 * ____+ _____ 2 ÷ 9 = ______ remainder _____ 2\9= 2 MOD 9 =

134 = 7 * _____ + _____ 134 ÷7 = _____ remainder _____ 134 \ 7 134 MOD 7 =

36 = 6 * _____ + _____ 36 ÷ 6 = _____ remainder _____ 36 \ 6 = 36 MOD 6 =

12 = 2.5 * _____ + _____ 12 ÷ 2.5 = _____ remainder _____ 12 \ 2.5 = 12 MOD 2.5 =

Chairs in student centre

TUT has a certain number of chairs available to place in the student centre for a concert. Write an algorithm to calculate the maximum number of rows
of 54 chairs each that can be filled with chairs. Calculate how many chairs will be left. (The number of available chairs must be read from the
keyboard.)

Write a Scratch program based on the algorithm.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 54

 Tablets in bottles
A medicine factory has a certain number of tablets (read the number of tablets from the keyboard). They have two
types of bottles. The one can hold 250 tablets, and the other 15 tablets. They want to fill all the bottles that can
contain 250 tablets first, and then place the remaining tablets in the bottles that can hold 15 tablets. Calculate and
display how many bottles of each size can be packed, and how many tablets will remain. Use the following variable
names (you may have other variables as well if you need to):

iNumTablets; iNumB250; iNumB15; iRemTablets

Number of 85g packets

A school receives two containers of sweets, each containing a certain kilogram of sweets (read the
mass of each from the keyboard). How many small packets of sweets of 85g each can be packed
using the sweets from both containers?

Write an algorithm to solve the problem, then write a Scratch program based on the algorithm.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 55

 Obtain more input after output
In Activity 13: , we wrote the following program:

When you buy a number of articles, you wait to see

the amount you need to pay on the cash register,
before you hand over money to the cashier. For
example, if you have to pay R45.00, you can pay
with a R50.00 note, and receive R5.00 change. Or
you can pay using a R100.00 note, and receive
R55.00 change.

We are going to adjust this program:

• this time we are going to ask the user what amount the customer pays after displaying the amount,
• then calculate and display the amount of change to be returned to the customer.
Write an algorithm for the program.

when the user clicks the green flag

// Constant value
VAT_PERC = 0.15
// Input
ask "What is the amount spent? "

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 56

 enter rSpent
// Processing
rVat = VAT_PERC * rSpent
rTotalPay = rSpent + rVat
// Output to a List
addToList "Amount is R" + rSpent
The amount to be paid will be displayed in the List. The user of the
addToList "VAT R" + rVat
program can see what needs to be paid.
addToList "Customer needs to pay R" + rTotalPay
// Input – user needs to see the total amount before deciding what to pay
ask "How much does the customer pay? "
The program will display a prompt to ask the user
enter rMoney
for the amoount the customer will pay, and read
// Processing a value from the keyboard (input).
rChange = rMoney – rTotalPay
// Output to a List
addToList "Customer paid R" + rMoney
addToList "Change is R" + rChange
end

Translate the algorithm to programming code.

• The complete program will look as follows:

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 57

 Example of output.

• The sprite was renamed Cashier.

• Each [add] block added the ouput string to the bottom of the List.
• Each line in the List is numbered (in this example 1 to 5).
• The number of lines in the List is displayed at the bottom of the list (in this example it is 5).
• Scratch does not show 2 values after the decimal point as we would prefer when displaying a monetary value. For example, display R52.50 – it
displays R52.5. In other programming languages it is possible to format the output with 2 decimal values quite easily.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 58

 Calculate cost and discount
Write pseudocode for a program that will do the following:

• Read the number of items a customer buys and the price of one item. (All items have the same
price.)
• Display the cost of all the items, and ask the user what percentage discount must be given.
• Display the discount amoount, as well as the final amount to be paid.

An example of output is provided. Use the output to determine which values to calculate and display.
Write a Scratch program based on the pseudocode.

Calculate installment per month

Write pseudocode for a program that will do the following:

• Read the amount a person wants to loan from a bank.

• Read the interest rate that will be charged.
• Display the total loan amount.
• Ask the user over how many years the person wants to pay back the loan.
• Calculate and display what the installment for each month should be.

An example of output is provided. Use the output to determine which values to calculate and display.
Write a Scratch program based on the pseudocode.

Knowledge questions
a) What is a variable?
b) What is the difference between a radiobutton and a checkbox?
c) How can a readout be used to help you to find errors in your program?

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 59

 d) How can you determine whether a variable has stage scope or sprite scope?
e) What is an IPO table?
f) What is an algorithm?
g) Which character(s) are used to indicate a comment in al algorithm?
h) Why is it useful to declare some values as fixed values (constants) in a program?
i) How will you explain the difference between integer division and MOD to another student?
j) Would you recommend that a programmer adds comments to a program? Motivate your answer.

Skills checklist
Ensure you can do the following:
I know how ✓

a) Define input and output for a given programming problem.

b) Complete an IPO table as part of designing an algorithm.
c) Choose valid variable names based on best practices standards.
d) Identify fixed-value variables (constants) and write it in the correct section of an
algorithm.
e) Suggest valid data types for variables by indicating the data type in an algorithm.
f) Apply the rules of the order of processing when writing pseudo code for a mathematical
calculation.

g) Design an algorithm to solve a basic mathematical problem requiring sequential steps,

present it in pseudo code, and implement it in Scratch providing correct output.

h) Add comments in a program to clarify the flow of a program.

i) Display the value of a variable on the stage using readouts.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 60

 j) Decide whether a variable should have sprite or stage scope.

k) Design programming solutions to solve basic mathematical problems using

mathematical operators such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, integer
division and MOD.

l) Apply the rules of the order of processing by using stacking of code blocks in Scratch.

m) Display multiple lines of output on a list on the stage.

n) Write programming solutions where more data must be obtained after output has been
displayed by the program.

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 61

 Reflection
1. What was the purpose of the lesson content you re discussing?
2. What did you learn that will advance your future learning?
3. What new knowledge and skills did you learn today? (Tip: To help you to answer this question – if someone asks you tonight – “So, what did
you learn in class today?” – what will you answer them? Your answers can, for example, start with “I am now able to….I managed to … I
learned how to …. )
4. What did you figure out on your own?
5. What is still challenging or confusing for you to get your mind around?
6. What did you find most challenging today?
7. Are you now confident that you have mastered that difficult concept / skill?
8. If not – what are you going to do to make it work?
9. How was your thinking extended or pushed today?
10. How are the knowledge and skills you learned today connected to what you already knew?
11. Did you discover a connection today that you were not aware of previously?
12. What did you enjoy doing and why?
13. What do you think could be done differently in today’s lesson?
14. What did you discover that may make someone else’s life easier in future classes?

(Sackson, 2011)

(Harvard Graduate School of Education, n.d.)

Unit 2 : Basic programs in Scratch 62

 Sources consulted
2018 Scratch Foundation. (2015, June 28). Retrieved from Code-to-Learn Foundation: http://scratchfoundation.org/about-us
Coetzee, C., & Wassermann, U. (2016). Reflections on the application of scaffolding principles to support transfer of mathematical skills to entry-level
algorithm design in a novice programming course. EdMedia. Vancouver.
edSurge. (2015, June 28). Retrieved from Learn to Code, Code to Learn: https://www.edsurge.com/n/2013-05-08-learn-to-code-code-to-learn
Erasmus, H. G., & Pretorius, C. M. (2012). Basic Programming Principles (2nd ed.). Cape Town, South Africa: Pearson Education South Africa (Pty)
Ltd.
Farrel, J. (2002). Programming Logic and Design, Introductory (2nd ed.). Boston: Course Technology.
Liang, D. Y. (2013). Introduction to Java Programming: Comprehensive Version (9th ed.). Harlow, England: Pearson Education Limited.
Murach, J. (2017). Murach's Java programming (5th ed.). United States of America: Mike Murach & Associates, Inc.
Sackson, E. (2011, June 11). 10 ways to encourage student refelction. Retrieved December 2, 2019, from What Ed said:
https://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2011/06/11/10-ways-to-encourage-student-reflection-2/
ScratchEd. (2015, June 28). What is computational thinking? Retrieved from ScratchEd: http://scratched.gse.harvard.edu/ct/defining.html
Tshwane University of Technology. (2019). FPIDS01:Practical Study Guide. (U. Wassermann, Compiler) Pretoria, Gauteng: Tshwane University of
Technology.
Wassermann, U., Gentle, E., Gibson, K., Noomé, C., Van Zyl, S., & Zeeman, M. (2014). IT is gr8! @ Grade 11: Delphi. Pretoria, South Africa: Study
Opportunities.
Wassermann, U., Noomé, C., Gentle, E., Gibson, K., Macmillan, P., & Zeeman, M. (2011). IT is gr8! @ Grade 10. Pretoria, South Africa: Study
Opportunities.

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