Badge: Coding Basics

Badge: Coding Basics

From tablets and laptops to microwave ovens, cars, and even stoplights, we use computers every day to help us in all sorts of ways. But how do the computers know what to do? People write instructions for them! When. you learn to “talk to computers” by writing code, you’ll be able to tell computers what to do!

START

Steps 01 & 02

Steps 03 & 04

Objective

Index

Read the objective, complete all the steps, and take the quiz to earn your badge!

Step 05

Quiz

Bibliography

Badge Objective

When you've earned this badge, you’ll know how programmers use sequence, loops, and conditionals to write computer programs and how people can use computers to help others.

Badge Steps

1. Create algorithms for a computer that follow a sequence
2. Use loops to improve your algorithm
3. Keep your code interesting with conditionals
4. Create your own set of commands that use conditionals
5. Learn about women in computer science

Step 01

Create algorithms for a computer that follow a sequence

Step 01: Create Algorithms

What is an algorithm?

Giving directions to someone can be tricky. Giving directions to a computer is even trickier.Why? A computer can only do exactly what you tell it to do, in exactly the order you tell it. A computer can’t ask questions orfigure out what to do on its own if your directions are unclear.The directions that programmers write is called an algorithm. The order of the directions is called a sequence.Sometimes the order of actions matters, and sometimes it doesn’t. Imagine you’re setting up a campground. You need to find a flat space and clear away rocks and sticks BEFORE you set up your tent. The sequence of your actions matters in this case.

Step 01: Create Algorithms

Video Review

Watch the video to review important terms you'll need to know when coding.

Step 01: Create Algorithms

Create Algorithms

Find an adult or friend that is good at following directions to be your robot (computer). Create an algorithm using a sequence to get your robot from one place to another. Remember, a computer will do exactly as you say, but not always what you mean. How many times did it take you to get your robot its destination?

Step 02

Use loops to improve your algorithm

Step 02: Use Loops

What is a loop?

Have you ever read the directions on a shampoo bottle? They often say, “Apply shampoo to your hair. Lather,rinse, repeat.” Lather means rub the shampoo around in your wet hair to make lots of bubbles. Rinse means use lots of water to wash the bubbles out. And repeat means—do it all again!“Lather” and “rinse” are the steps in a hair washing algorithm. “Repeat” is a loop. It means do the same thing—lather and rinse—over and over again.Lather is a nested loop, because you need to rub the shampoo around on your head in lots of different places—on the top, on both sides by your ears, and in the back. You repeat, or loop, lathering. That repeated action happens within the loop of washing your hair twice.Programmers use loops to tell computers to repeat actions in their programs. Loops make programs shorter, easier to write, and easier for computers to understand.

Step 02: Use Loops

Video Review

Watch the video to review important terms you'll need to know when coding.

Step 02: Use Loops

Use a Loop

Find your robot friend and create a loop to use in your algorithm. Does this make your code more efficient. Does this make your code simpler? How might using loops in the code keep you from making errors when coding?

Steps 03 & 04

Keep your code interesting with conditionals & Create your own set of commands that use conditionals

Steps 03 & o4: Create a Conditional

What's a conditional?

Computers are great at doing the same thing over and over again. To make them even more useful, programmers have figured out how to get computers to react to different situations. They write programs that say if one thing happens, do this. If it doesn’t, do that. These computer commands are called conditionals, and you write them using an IF/ELSE statement. Being a leader means you have to make lots of decisions. So, when you’re a leader, it’s a good idea to prepare for what could happen and how you would react to all kinds of situations and surprises. For example, if you’re planning a camping trip, what will you do if it rains? Are any of your friends allergic to certain foods? What kinds of meals should the troop plan? Programmers do the same thing when they write conditionals in their code. They think about different situations in the program and tell the computer what to do IF that situation comes up.

Steps 03 & o4: Create a Conditional

Video Review

Watch the video to review important terms you'll need to know when coding.

Steps 03 & o4: Create a Conditional

Use a Conditional

Find your robot friend and create a conditional to use in a command. What do you think? Commands with conditionals help computers make choices. They make programs smart and able to react to different situations. How did your conditional help the computer?

Step 05

Learn about women in computer science

Step 05: Learn about Women in Computer Science

Ada Lovelace

Grace Hopper

Margaret Hamilton

Raye Montague

Created Apollo 11’s software, saving astronauts' lives

Helped develop early computers and envisioned handheld devices

Designed a ship using computers in under 24 hours

Wrote the first computer program for Babbage's machine

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QUIZ

Have you completed all the steps? Now, pass the quiz to earn your badge!

START

CODING BASICS QUIZ

QUESTION 1/5

What is an algorithm?

A type of computer program

A set of step-by-step instructions

A way to play a game

CODING BASICS QUIZ

RIGHT!

NEXT

CODING BASICS QUIZ

QUESTION 2/5

What is a sequence in programming?

The order in which things happen

A way to repeat steps in a program

A list of all the instructions

CODING BASICS QUIZ

RIGHT!

NEXT

CODING BASICS QUIZ

QUESTION 3/5

What is a loop in programming?

A set of instructions that repeat

A condition that checks if something is true

A way to make decisions

CODING BASICS QUIZ

RIGHT!

NEXT

CODING BASICS QUIZ

QUESTION 4/5

What does an IF statement do in programming?

It checks if a condition is true and then does something

It makes a program repeat something

It helps a program run faster

CODING BASICS QUIZ

RIGHT!

NEXT

CODING BASICS QUIZ

QUESTION 5/5

What does an ELSE statement do in programming?

It tells the computer to stop

It runs if the IF condition is not met

It repeats a set of instructions

CODING BASICS QUIZ

RIGHT!

NEXT

CODING BASICS QUIZ

RESULTS

1/5

2/5

0/5

0 correct

1 correct

2 correct

3/5

4/5

5/5

3 correct

4 correct

5 correct

BIBLIOGRAPHY

01

Junior Coding for Good Booklet © Girl Scouts of the United States of America, 2019

02

Intro to Coding - Videos for Students Playlist @ Kodable, 2020

03

Extraordinary Women: Ada Lovelace - Inspiring story of first programmer - Educational Game for Kids @ Little Fox, 2020

04

Who is Grace Hopper? Meet the Queen of Code @ Honeypot, 2021

05

NASA’s first software engineer: Margaret Hamilton - Matt Porter & Margaret Hamilton @ TED-Ed, 2020

06

Against the Odds: the Story of Raye Montague @ U.S. Navy, 2021

Congratulations!

Success, you earned your Coding Basics Badge!