Learning Goals 3 min
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Drag the think [Hmm...] block (sticky) and the think [Hmm...] for (2) seconds block (timed) onto the Script Area.
- Explain the difference between a speech bubble (say) and a thought bubble (think).
- Build a tiny dialogue where the cat thinks something, then says something out loud.
Warm-Up 7 min
Last lesson the cat learned timed speech — Arc 2/7. Today: the cat learns to think. Same purple Looks category, different bubble shape, quieter feeling — and a brand-new layer for our talking cartoon.
Quick-fire puzzle
Priya snapped these blocks together and clicked the flag. What does the cat do — and what bubble shape appears?
when flag clicked
think [Hmm...] for (2) seconds
say [Got it!] for (2) seconds
Reveal the answer
For the first 2 seconds, a cloud-shaped thought bubble hovers over the cat with the text "Hmm...". It clears. Then a normal speech bubble appears with "Got it!" for another 2 seconds, then clears. Total: 4 seconds.
The cloud shape with little dots trailing down to the sprite means "thinking". The pointy-tailed bubble means "talking". Same blocks, same colours, just a different shape.
New Concept — thought bubbles vs speech bubbles 15 min
In comics, a speech bubble shows what a character says out loud. A thought bubble — the puffy cloud with little dots — shows what they're thinking inside their head. Scratch borrows this convention. Same purple Looks category, same two flavours (sticky and timed), but with the cloud shape instead of the pointy-tailed bubble.
Blocks reference
| Block | Category | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| think [Hmm...] for (2) seconds | Looks (purple) | Cloud bubble for N seconds. Clears itself. The thinking cousin of timed say. |
| think [Hmm...] | Looks (purple) | Sticky cloud bubble. Stays until cleared by another think (or say). Empty think [ ] clears it. |
Four blocks — one family
You've now met all four bubble blocks. They all live next to each other in the Looks category:
- say [Hello!] — sticky speech
- say [Hello!] for (2) seconds — timed speech
- think [Hmm...] — sticky thought
- think [Hmm...] for (2) seconds — timed thought
when flag clicked
think [Should I move?] for (2) seconds
move (50) steps
Why use think instead of say?
When you want to show what's inside a character's head — doubt, planning, wondering — use a think bubble. The audience instantly reads it as "the cat is thinking this, not saying it". It adds a quieter, more thoughtful feeling to your project. Great for puzzle games, stories, and any sprite that hesitates before acting.
Worked Example — Priya's Cat has an inner monologue 15 min
We'll build a tiny dialogue. The cat thinks something, then says it out loud, then thinks an answer to itself. A talking-to-itself moment in four bubbles.
Step 1 — Set up
Open Scratch. Rename the cat to Priya's Cat in the Sprite Properties panel. Centre it.
Step 2 — Drag the green-flag hat
From Events, drag when ⚑ clicked onto the Script Area.
Step 3 — The first thought
From the purple Looks category, drag think [Hmm...] for (2) seconds. Change the text to What should I have for lunch?
when flag clicked
think [What should I have for lunch?] for (2) seconds
Step 4 — The spoken question
Drag say [Hello!] for (2) seconds. Change the text to Nasi lemak? Snap it under the think.
Step 5 — The thoughtful answer
Drag another think [Hmm...] for (2) seconds. Change the text to No, too spicy today. Snap it under the say.
Step 6 — The final decision
Drag another say [Hello!] for (2) seconds. Change the text to Roti canai it is! Snap it under everything.
Step 7 — Click the green flag
Watch the cat have a full inner-and-outer conversation. Thought → spoken → thought → spoken. The bubble shape flips back and forth between cloud and speech. The total runtime is 8 seconds.
What changed: compared to using only say blocks (everything would be out loud), mixing think and say shows what's in the cat's head AND what comes out of its mouth. Two layers of dialogue from two block shapes.
The full assembled stack
when flag clicked
think [What should I have for lunch?] for (2) seconds
say [Nasi lemak?] for (2) seconds
think [No, too spicy today.] for (2) seconds
say [Roti canai it is!] for (2) seconds
Try It Yourself — three small builds 12 min
Goal: Make the cat think one sentence to itself for 3 seconds.
when flag clicked
think [I am sleepy.] for (3) seconds
Think: One block, one cloud bubble, 3 seconds. Notice the shape — it's a fluffy cloud, not a pointy-tailed bubble. That's the visual cue for "in my head, not out loud".
Goal: Make the cat think first, then move. The thinking should pause the cat for 2 seconds before it walks.
when flag clicked
think [Should I go right?] for (2) seconds
move (100) steps
think [Yes!] for (1) seconds
Think: Just like the timed say, the timed think pauses the script while the bubble is up. The cat stands still during the 2-second think, then moves, then thinks for 1 more second. Total runtime: 3 seconds + the move (instant).
Goal: Use the sticky think — the one with no seconds — to put a permanent thought cloud over the cat. Then clear it after the cat moves.
when flag clicked
think [Plan: walk right.]
move (150) steps
wait (1) seconds
think []
Think: The sticky think stays up while the cat moves — like a label of intent. The empty think [ ] at the end clears the cloud. Stack size: 5 blocks. Compare with last lesson's stretch task — same shape, but with think instead of say.
Mini-Challenge — Inner debate 5 min
"The cat can't decide"
Build a tiny script where the cat thinks two different options, says the winner out loud, then walks in that direction. Use today's think + earlier moves and direction-handling.
It works if:
- Click the green flag once. The cat thinks "Left?" then "Right?" each for 1.5 seconds.
- The cat then says "Right!" out loud for 1 second.
- The cat moves to the right (use move + a direction set to
90in Sprite Properties OR a point in direction (90) block). - You used both think [...] for (...) seconds AND say [...] for (...) seconds in the same script.
Reveal one valid solution
when flag clicked
point in direction (90)
think [Left?] for (1.5) seconds
think [Right?] for (1.5) seconds
say [Right!] for (1) seconds
move (150) steps
Total runtime: 4 seconds of bubbles + the instant 150-step move. Bubbles all clear themselves because they're timed.
Recap 2 min
Today you met the think bubble — the cloud-shaped cousin of say. Two flavours, like say: sticky (stays forever, cleared with empty) and timed (clears itself). Use think to show inner monologue; use say for spoken dialogue. The Looks bubble family is now complete: four blocks total.
- think [Hmm...] for (2) seconds (block)
- Timed thought bubble. Cloud shape for N seconds, then clears. The thinking cousin of timed say.
- think [Hmm...] (block)
- Sticky thought bubble. Cloud stays until cleared. Use empty think [ ] to clear.
- Thought bubble
- The fluffy cloud-shaped bubble with little dots trailing down. Visual cue for "thinking, not talking".
- Bubble family
- Four blocks: sticky say, timed say, sticky think, timed think. Only one bubble per sprite at any moment.
Homework 1 min
The thoughtful greeting. Make your cat think a question, say its greeting, then think again at the end.
- Open Scratch. Drag a green-flag hat.
- Snap three blocks: think [Who is watching?] for (2) seconds → say [Hello, friend!] for (2) seconds → think [That was nice.] for (2) seconds.
- Click the green flag. Watch the bubble shape flip from cloud to speech to cloud.
- Take a screenshot of your Script Area.
Bring back next class:
- Your screenshot.
- Your written answer: "In a comic, why does the artist use a cloud shape for thinking and a pointy bubble for talking? Why does Scratch borrow this idea?"
Heads up for next class: SCR-L01-26 introduces the switch costume block. You'll discover that every sprite has multiple costumes — and that's how cartoons make characters look like they're walking.