This year's new badges include a series of three "Coding for Good" badges for Daisies, Brownies and Juniors. The basic requirements are available on GSUSA's Badge Explorer and meeting plans are in Volunteer Toolkit, to which most leaders have access. While GSUSA has published a badge pamphlet for this set, it, like the sets for Cybersecurity and Robotics, is for background information only. It is not in the format of three requirements and three options for each requirement.One issue people have with VTK plans is that by giving leaders a script to follow (if desired) they make the plans very wordy and hard to skim. This post and others like it are designed to summarize the VTK plans so that leaders can get a real feel for what the badge entails, and then, if they decide to do the badge, they can more carefully review the VTK plans. In fact, I do not recommend that you do the badge without reviewing the VTK plans because their talking points are what connect the activities to coding.
The plans given below are "unplugged", they can all be done without a computer. However, GSUSA has partnered with CodeSpark Academy and the leader materials on VTK suggest which CodeSpark activities relate to the various Coding for Good badges. While CodeSpark Academy is usually a pay service, Girl Scout troops and service units can plan events and submit requests for free access during those events. I obtained that code and used it to put on a coding event for Daisies and Brownies in my Service Unit. You can read about it here.
Coding Basics Requirements
According to the Badge Explorer, the requirements for the Daisy Coding Basics badge are:
Find out how computers can be used to help others.
- Create algorithms for a computer that follow a sequence
- Learn about women in computer science
- Explore sorting algorithms
When you've earned this badge, you'll know how computer scientists code programs for computers to solve problems.
Activities
Robot Friend
VTK suggests that as the girls come in they play "Robot Friend". Girls pair up and the programmer leads the robot across the room by using the commands "Go Forward" "Turn Right" and "Turn Left". Girls cannot say "go this way" or "go back". I might do this activity later in a meeting, but personally would not do it as an arrival activity as I want the girls in their seats and occupied, not running around the room.
Opening Discussion
Talk about what it means when something is "for good" . Also discuss the computers they have and use,and devices that contain computers. Tell the girls that computers only do what we tell them to do and that people who tell computers what to do are programmers. The language computers speak is "code" and the instructions given to a computer are an "algorithm". As a group, develop an algorithm for getting ready for school in the morning--a sequential list of steps to be followed. Talk about the steps to be followed and how it can be important that one follows another--you wouldn't put your shoes on before you put your socks on, for example. Remind the girls that computers do exactly what you tell them to do in the order you tell them to do it, so it is important to get the order right.
Making S'mores
Point out that recipes are a type of algorithm. Give the girls step-by-step instructions for making a s'more, with the last step being eating it. As you give the instruction, model it--when you tell them to take a paper plate, you do so.
Learn about Ada Lovelace
The VTK materials include a short biography of Ada Lovelace which can be read to the girls, though the plans suggest that if you can find a book about her, it could be read to the girls. The main points to make are that Ada Lovelace helped create an large machine that could do math and that she imagined that one day such machines would be able to play music or show pictures, like our computers can today. Also, she wrote the first computer program.
Design the Computer of the Future
Talk about things we'd like to see computers be able to do in the future. Then have each girl draw what they image a computer than can do those things would look like. Talk about the problems this computer will solve. This is the end of meeting 1.
Algorithm Pictures
Either pair the girls up, or have one girl lead the group. The leader gives the other girl(s) step-by-step instructions to draw a picture.
Discuss Sorting Algorithms
Review the algorithm for making s'mores and that algorithms are steps to do something, in the right order. Introduce the idea of "sorting algorithms" --computers putting things in the right order. Then do some sorting exercises. Have the girls sort themselves by height, by name, by age etc.
Complete Survey and Award Badges
The second meeting plan includes time to complete the GSUSA survey about the badge and for a short ceremony to present the badge.
\As I noted when I reviewed the Brownie plan, I personally would not do this badge and Think Like a Programmer the same year, or, likely with the same group of girls, as the concepts taught are very similar.
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