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Evaluating and improving a program

I can evaluate and improve a program.

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New
New

Evaluating and improving a program

I can evaluate and improve a program.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Link copied to clipboard

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

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Debugging is the process of finding and correcting errors in programs
  2. Sound blocks can record audio effects.
  3. Projects can be improved by adding features.

Keywords

  • Template - a premade project that you can open and use

  • Evaluate - to think about what works well and what could be better in a program

  • Debug - to find and fix errors in a program

Common misconception

If a program works, it doesn’t need evaluating.

Even working programs might need improvement to make them better, like adding new features, and making the program more efficient.

Debugging is a challenging skill. Remember to first check the code, then the plan, for errors.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Children will require access to a tablet with ScratchJr installed.

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

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Starter quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
In ScratchJr, what are these blocks for?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: starting programs
ending programs
making programs longer
Q2.
What is a precise set of ordered steps that a human or computer can follow to complete a task?
Correct answer: algorithm
program
action
code
Q3.
What happens when you tap a sprite that has a start-on-tap block?
The sprite disappears.
Correct answer: The program starts.
The program stops.
Q4.
What does a background do in ScratchJr?
Correct answer: It changes what the stage looks like.
It changes what the sprite looks like.
It changes what the sprite says.
Q1 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to the definitions.
Correct Answer:template,a pre-made project that you can open and use

a pre-made project that you can open and use

Correct Answer:evaluate,to think about what works well and what could be better in a program

to think about what works well and what could be better in a program

Correct Answer:debug,to find and fix errors in a program

to find and fix errors in a program

Q2.
Which one is the start-on-bump block?
block one
Correct answer: block two
block three
Q3.
What are you looking for when you are debugging a program?
Correct Answer: errors, bugs, mistakes, problems, error
Q4.
How does the start-on-bump block help you create interesting projects?
It makes sprites have sound.
It makes sprites move faster.
Correct answer: It makes sprites react when they touch each other.
Q2 image 1 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Q2 image 2 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en Q2 image 3 Scratch Foundation under CC BY-SA 2.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en

Lesson appears in

UnitComputing / Building sequences in programs

Computing

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