Teaching Conditionals in Coding: A Guide for Educators
Helping Computers Make Decisions
If you're guiding young learners through the basics of coding, you've likely already introduced them to algorithms, sequences, and loops—the building blocks of computer programming. Now it's time to help them take the next step: learning how to make decisions with code.
This lesson introduces conditionals, a key concept that allows computers to choose between different actions based on specific situations.
In this lesson, your students will:
- Learn how conditionals help computers make decisions.
- Practice using if, else if, and else blocks.
- Write simple programs using conditional logic.
What Are Conditionals?
Think of conditionals as decision points in your code. It’s like asking a question:
👉 If it’s raining, then take an umbrella.
This kind of logic allows a computer to choose what to do depending on what's true at the moment. You can help students connect the concept to everyday situations they already understand.
Watch this quick video to help introduce conditionals in a visual, kid-friendly way:
Understanding If/Else If/Else Blocks
In earlier lessons, students may have used an if block to tell the bee to collect nectar if there was a flower nearby. If not, the program just moved on. That’s a simple example of a conditional!
Programming the Bee with Conditionals
In this hands-on activity, students will program the bee to collect nectar—but only if there’s a flower. This encourages thoughtful programming instead of repeating actions without conditions.
Here's how these blocks work:
- If a condition is true, do this.
- Else if another condition is true, do something different.
-
Else, if none of the above are true, do this final thing.
This structure mirrors how students make choices every day. It shows that coding can reflect their real-world thinking.
✨ Pro Tip: Encourage students to use loops alongside conditionals to make their code more efficient and organized.
More on this in the video tutorial: Using Conditional Blocks
Teacher Tips for Teaching Conditionals:
- Be patient—debugging is part of learning. Let students experiment and try again if something doesn’t work the first time.
- Use real-life analogies to help explain decision-making (e.g., “If it’s cold, wear a coat”).
- Celebrate small wins—even noticing a mistake and fixing it is a coding success!
Quick Quiz: Which of These Are Conditional Statements?
Have your students choose which of the following examples involve conditionals:
A. She always smiles when she is happy.
B. If it is raining, then take an umbrella.
C. If you complete your work by 5 PM, then you can watch a movie; otherwise, you need to continue working.
D. Every time I go to the beach, I find seashells.
E. It is good to have a membership card when you shop.
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