The Badge Archive

Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Junior Coding Basics badge requirements.

Info Needed for badge requirement: Many conditionals do rely on an event to “trigger” them, but they are distinct in purpose:

• Event: Something that happens. It simply announces, “This is occurring!” For example, “It starts raining” or “A button is pressed.”
• Conditional: A decision-making rule that determines what to do after the event. It asks, “Is this true or false, and what action should follow?” For example, “If it is raining (true), grab an umbrella. If it is not raining (false), wear sunglasses.”

Key Difference:

• An event doesn’t inherently make decisions—it just happens and signals something.
• A conditional steps in after an event and decides what action to take based on whether a specific condition is met.

Think of it like this:

• Event: “Someone knocks on the door.”
• Conditional: “If it’s your friend, open the door. If it’s a stranger, ask who it is.”

Most conditionals do require an event to start the process, but events alone don’t involve the “if/then” logic that defines conditionals. “If you give a mouse a cookie, then he’ll be very hyper, else he’ll be normal.” If, then statements we use all the time. Else is just an addition for what would happen if the statement doesn’t happen. If/then/else are used in coding, called conditional. If something happens then what action is taken?

Items Needed

• A game board with a grid of squares (usually 3×3 or 4×4). Look at the free options on Teachers Pay teachers for Don’t Eat Pete Printable Game Boards – or use the VTK Don’t Eat Pete Gameboard by GSUSA
• Some small candies or treats.

Instructions:

• Place one candy on each square of the game board.
• Choose one scout to be “It” and the others as are “Players”.
• The “It” scout leaves the room or covers their eyes while the others choose one square on the game board to be “Pete.”
• After choosing “Pete,” the “It” player returns and starts picking up candies from the board, one at a time.
• The other players watch silently, and if the “It” player picks up the candy from the “Pete” square, everyone shouts, “Don’t eat Pete!”
• The “It” player then stops and the turn ends.

Remember that the game is based on conditionals:

• If you don’t choose Pete, then the game continues
• If you choose Pete, then the game ends