Lesson 1 - Raspberry Pi Introduction and Platypus

Raspberry Pi Introduction and Platypus Lesson

Lesson number	Step by step instructions	Dropbox Video link	Teacher resources
Lesson 2a	#Learn how to build a Raspberry Pi		Raspberry Pi Beginner's Guide pdf
Lesson 2b	#Learn about the platypus in the Plenty River		Platypus release video mp4
Lesson 2c	#Installation of Scratch on the Raspberry Pi
Lesson 2d	#Introduction to the Scratch programming language		Scratch coding script for dog lesson Scratch .sb file

Learn how to build a Raspberry Pi

• One of the most important tools we will be using in this course is a little computer called the Raspberry Pi
• The Raspberry Pi is a small, low cost computer designed for young people so they can become more computer literate.
• The Raspberry Pi is also a great tool that we can use for Climate Change and Environmental education.
• Raspberry was chosen after famous fruit computer brands (e.g. Apple, Blackberry, Acorn)
• Pi is short for the computer language Python
• A Raspberry Pi needs a monitor, mouse, keyboard and power supply to run.
• Re-using old computer equipment is much better than buying them new.
• It also needs a microSD card with the Raspbian Operating System installed.

Components required for assembly of Raspberry Pi computer:

• Raspberry Pi computer (Raspberry Pi 4, 3B, and 3B+ boards)
• Mouse with USB plug
• Keyboard with USB plug
• Monitor connected to HDMI port using a VGA to HDMI converter
• Power supply

Important assembly instructions

• Power supply is always connected last.
• Make sure the computer monitor is turned on before starting the Raspberry Pi.
• Make sure the VGA plugs are connected correctly. Can sometime be plugged in upside down (incorrectly).
• Make sure the power supply plug is connected correct to the Raspberry Pi (dot facing upwards).

Safety discussion

Raspberry Pi can be easily damaged with the following actions:

• Dropping Raspberry Pi
• Touching internal circuitry
• Spilling water on Raspberry Pi

Other safety issues

• Only teacher should power up the Raspberry Pi (high voltage AC power).
• Computer monitors are very heavy and should only be moved by the teacher.
• Electrical cables are a potential trip hazard. Keep them off the ground.
• Keep mouse and keyboard cables on the table. Hang them behind the monitor to keep them out of the way.

Learn about the platypus in the Plenty River

• In this lesson we will learn about the platypus that lives in the Plenty river.
• The students will work on projects that will help to save the platypus.
• Unfortunately, the platypus will become extinct from the Plenty river catchment over the next 30 years unless we make some big changes.
• We all need to help the platypus by:
  • floods - we need to reduce the amount of stormwater going to local waterways. Install rainwater tanks at home.
  • droughts - use tank water at home to water your garden. Water in the ground will help replenish groundwater. Groundwater keeps waterways flowing even during dry periods.
  • litter - put all litter in bins and pick up litter on roads. Litter goes directly to waterways via stormwater pipes.
  • turbidity - Stop soil and dirt entering waterways. Turbidity in the water stops plants from producing oxygen. Dirt also adds excess nutrients to the water and can cause algal blooms.
  • replanting - Planting more native plants around waterways (riparian vegetation) to create better habitat and protection for the platypus.

Important characteristics of the platypus

• Thick coat (inner and outer coat).
• Webbed feet.
• A special bill that can detect electrical signals made by other animals (e.g. yabby).
• Males have a poisonous spur on their legs.
• Largest mammal to lay eggs.

Installation of Scratch on the Raspberry Pi

• To install Scratch on the Raspberry Pi we need to use the Terminal application.
• Click on the Terminal icon at the top of the screen.

• Many of the user settings in Terminal window can be adjusted.
• In this example we will increase the font settings.
• From the Edit menu select Preferences

• Click on the Terminal font setting on the right of screen. The default value is 10.
• A new Pick a Font window will open up.
• Change the font size to 16.
• Save the changes by clicking on Select then OK

• Re-size the Terminal window.
• Enter the command sudo apt-get update to update software library catalogs on the Raspberry Pi.
• We need to do this before we install new software.

• Enter the command sudo apt-get install scratch to install scratch.
• Answer y (yes) to any questions.
• The installation will take one minute.

• Once the installation is complete the Scratch program can be launched from the Raspberry Pi icon.
• Click on Programming > Scratch

Introduction to the Scratch programming language

• Scratch is a very simple block coding language that can be installed on the Raspberry Pi.
• Scratch is very easy to learn and will form a good foundation for other programming languages.
• Scratch (version 1.4) will be installed on this computer.

Starting Scratch for the First Time

• Open Scratch from the Raspberry Pi menu (top left) by clicking on Programming > Scratch
• The Scratch environment is divided into the Stage (right of screen), the pallet which contains coding blocks (left of screen) and coding area where coding blocks are assembled to make a script (middle of screen)

Automating your Sprite

• Make sprite move using Move 10 block
• Click on the block to make the cat move 10 steps

• Automate the spirte with Forever block

• Add When Green Flag is Clicked to start the code
• Remember to click on the Stop button to stop the code

• From the Motion pallet add If on edge, bounce
• When the cat touches the edge of the stage it will bounce back.
• Don't worry that the cat is upside down. We will fix this later.

Adding a New Sprite

• Use the Scissor tool to delete the cat sprite.

• Add a new sprite
• Add the new sprite from a file. Click on the middle button.

• Click on the Animals folder
• Select the dog 2-b sprite.

• Select the Shrink tool and then click on the dog sprite to make it smaller.
• To de-select the shrink tool click away from the dog sprite.

Adding more Costumes for Animation

• To animate our dog we need to import another dog costume.
• Click on the Costumes tab and then click on the Import button.

• Select dog 2-c

• Click on each dog costume.
• You should see the dog sprite on the Stage start to walk.
• By swapping costumes we can animate our dog.

• Click on the Scripts tab.
• From the pallet on the left of the screen, click on Looks
• Drag the next costume block and place it within the forever loop.
• Click on Green Flag to start your program.
• The dog should be running very fast.

• To slow the dog animation - click on the Control Tab
• Drag the wait 1 second block and place it within the forever loop
• If the dog is too slow, change the wait period to wait 0.1 seconds
• You may need to double click the time to enter a new time.

Saving Scratch Projects

• To save the current project click on the File dropdown menu.
• Click on Save As

• The project will be saved in a folder named Scratch Projects
• Give the file a descriptive name.
• Make sure there are no spaces in the file name.
• Use file names such as dog_animation using the hyphen symbol to separate words.
• Or use camel-back notation such as dogAnimation.
• When working on the same project just click on File > Save to save the project.

Exiting the Scratch Program

• Exit the Scratch program by clicking on the File drop down menu and selecting Quit

Watch outs

• Don't forget to save your work as you go.
• If you lose your code check that you have not accidentally clicked on the Stage.
• To bring back your code just click on your original sprite (e.g. dog sprite).
• Code in Sprite is Object-Oriented. Code is attached to individual Sprites.

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