At our December meeting, I wanted to do something Christmas-y that could also tie into a badge. I saw an activity idea on Pinterest to make coded name bracelets, so I decided to find Christmas-themed bracelet-making supplies so the girls could make a fun, wearable craft while also learning about coding for the Coding Basics badge. While searching for supplies at Michael's, I found tree-shaped bracelet kits that were Buy One, Get One 50% off. So each girl got her own kit!
Here's what we did to earn this badge: (I had to adapt and reorder the steps in order to keep the girl's interest and keep our meeting from going too long.)
4. Learn about women in computer science
I introduced the meeting by telling the girls that humans were the first "computers" and many of those "computers" were actually women. Then we read the book Grace Hopper: Queen of Computers, which I got from our library.
2. Use loops to improve your algorithm
Following the guidelines from the Volunteer Toolkit, I asked the girls to describe what a computer looks like and what we use computers for. Then, I compared a loop to stirring a cake - it's an action done over and over again. We did an activity where I asked the girls to jump. Then I asked them to jump again. Then I asked them to jump a third time. Then I asked them, "Is there an easier way to get you to jump 3 three times?" (The answer is I could have simply said "Jump 3 three times".)
1. Create algorithms for a computer that follow a sequence
From the Volunteer Toolkit, I printed out a sheet of paper that showed a blockchain coding command. I explained what each element meant, and then we acted out the command, which was an algorithm with loop to make the girls dance.
3. Use events to make things happen
Going back to the cake analogy, I talked about the timer on the oven going off is an event. And then what happens when you hear that timer go off? You open the oven and take out the cake. I gave more examples of "events" (fire alarm going off, pressing the power button on a computer) and asked the girls what actions resulted from those events (evacuating the building, the computer turns on).
Then we played a Red Light, Green Light style game. I made a posterboard with two columns on it. One side was Events (snapping, clapping, fist bump, saying "Girl Scouts Rule!") and one side was Actions (take one step forward, take one step backward, jump forward, spin around). Whenever I performed an event, the girls had to perform the appropriate action. These kinds of active games are a big hit with my troop - they have so much energy and don't want to sit around listening to me talk to them.
5. Create your own set of commands that use events
The Volunteer Toolkit had a printable of a remote control. I printed out two sheets and split my girls into two groups. They had to pick an action for each of the three remote buttons. So pressing the button would be the event, and the action could be whatever they wanted. Once the groups were done labeling their actions, they "used" the remotes on each other.
BONUS ACTIVITY: Created coded name bracelets
Because the Grace Hopper book talked about the 0s and 1s of binary, I talked about how that's the language of computers, but instead of using 0s and 1s to code our names, we were using the colors red and green. I made up a worksheet that assigned each letter of the alphabet either red or green, and then girls used that worksheet to figure out which colored bead pattern would make their name. Once they had their beads lined up, they threaded them onto elastic cord and added white beads and other charms as accents from the Christmas bracelet kits.
This one was pretty difficult for me to adapt, partially because I am not a computer programmer in real life and partially because the actual steps to earning the badge were not what I was expecting. So once again, I saw a badge that I thought would work with an activity idea I had, but I didn't actually read through the badge requirements before marrying myself to the idea. It was a little stressful to plan, but I think it worked out well in the end.
Has your troop earned the Coding Basics badge? Do your girls have an interest in computer science and/or STEM activities?
Comments
Post a Comment