icon-background-square
New
New
Year 3

Moving a sprite

I can explain how a sprite moves in a programming project.

icon-background-square
New
New
Year 3

Moving a sprite

I can explain how a sprite moves in a programming project.

warning

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Programs can be controlled by mouse or keyboard.
  2. Events are used to sense inputs, which then trigger scripts to run.
  3. An existing project can be improved by identifying missing actions and events.

Keywords

  • Sprite - a graphic object that can be controlled by a program

  • Event - an input that triggers a block of commands to be run

Common misconception

Sprites will move when you press a key or click the mouse, even if they don’t have any code.

Sprites always need code to control their movement. Computers do not guess what is required as they need some direction to carry out actions.


To help you plan your year 3 computing lesson on: Moving a sprite, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

It will be helpful to have awareness of basic movements in Scratch, and how to associate events with actions. You will also need to know how to program multiple sprites.
speech-bubble
Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

Pupils need access to either the online version of Scratch or the downloaded application.

copyright

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

6 Questions

Q1.
What category does this code block belong to?
An image in a quiz
sound
events
Correct answer: motion
looks
Q2.
Which of these is a sprite?
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q3.
Which category does this block belong to?
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: events, events, event block, events block
Q4.
What type of programming language is used in Scratch?
Correct answer: blocks
sentences
python
Q5.
What is the part of the screen called where where sprites will perform their actions?
Correct answer: stage
menu
icon
Q6.
You want a sprite to move 10 steps, play a sound and then turn clockwise 15 degrees when the green flag is clicked. Which code block would come at the end of the sequence?
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
An image in a quiz
Q1 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0 Q2 image 1 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0 Q2 image 2 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0 Q2 image 3 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0 Q3 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0 Q6 image 1 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0 Q6 image 2 Screenshot © Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0 Q6 image 3 Screenshot © Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0 Q6 image 4 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0

6 Questions

Q1.
A mouse is one way of moving a sprite. What is another way?
Correct answer: keyboard
speaker
hard drive
Q2.
Sprites will not move on their own just by pressing the keyboard or clicking the mouse. Sprites need to react to.
Correct Answer: code, a program, coding
Q3.
Match the keywords to the definitions.
Correct Answer:sprite,a graphic object that can be controlled by a program
tick

a graphic object that can be controlled by a program

Correct Answer:event,an input which triggers a block of commands to be run
tick

an input which triggers a block of commands to be run

Q4.
How do you change the key that is the trigger for this event?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: Press the down arrow and select from the menu.
Type the new key on the keyboard.
Add a new block.
Q5.
What will this program do?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: This code will make the sprite point down, then move 10 steps.
This code will make the sprite point up, then move 10 steps.
This code will make the sprite point left, then move 10 steps.
This code will make the sprite point right, then move 10 steps.
Q6.
The costume of a sprite changes what it like.
Correct answer: looks
moves
sounds
Q4 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0 Q5 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en