Girl ScoutsBrownieGrades 2-3

Coding for Good 1: Coding Basics

Code a dancing sprite

Write an algorithm for a quilt pattern, then code in Snap!: make a sprite dance with a loop, move it with the arrow keys and make it talk when clicked, learn about Grace Hopper, and make your own dance block that a key press runs. Covers all five steps of the Brownie Coding Basics badge.

Time
About 90 minutes, in two or three sittings
Steps
5 badge steps, 3 of them in Snap!
You need
A computer or Chromebook with a mouse or trackpad and a keyboard, and a friend or grown-up for step 1. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed.
Unlock the kit, $5 I have a code

$5 for one scout: every step, the Snap! activities that check the work, the printable lesson, and the certificate with a page of the scout's own work.

A sprite on the Snap! stage after its looping dance drew a five-point star whose lines change color.

Badge requirements: the 5 steps

  1. 1Create algorithms that follow a sequenceQuilt algorithmAn algorithm is a list of steps in order. Computers follow algorithms exactly. Make a quilt pattern, then write the algorithm someone else follows to copy it.
  2. 2Use loops to improve your algorithmIn Snap!A loop repeats steps, so you do not have to write them again and again. Make your sprite dance, then use a loop to repeat the dance.
  3. 3Use events to make things happenIn Snap!An event is something that happens, like a key press or a click. Events start scripts. Make the arrow keys move your sprite, and make it talk when you click it.
  4. 4Learn about women in computer scienceRead and quizGrace Hopper was a computer scientist and a rear admiral in the United States Navy. She helped make computers easier for everyone to program.
  5. 5Create your own set of commands that use eventsIn Snap!Programmers make their own commands. In Snap! you can make your own block. Make a dance block, then make a key press run it.

Work on a computer. The apps need a keyboard and a bigger screen than a phone: a laptop, desktop or Chromebook. You can pay here and open the emailed link on the computer.

One scout

Unlock the kit, $5

  • All 5 steps, worked on screen, with a lesson you can print if you like paper
  • Snap! activities that check the work as it is done
  • A numbered certificate with a page of the scout's own work: your quilt algorithm, your notes and your Snap! program

We email a link that opens the kit on any computer. No account needed. We keep the email only to send the kit and certificate links: privacy.

Have a discount code?
Leaders: unlock it for the whole troop

One payment and one code. Each scout types the code to unlock the kit on their own computer, and gets their own certificate at the end. Your pack page shows who has started and finished.

See a sample certificate (PDF) · Already paid? Find your link

Questions

What are the requirements for the Girl Scout Brownie Coding for Good 1: Coding Basics badge?

The badge has 5 steps: 1. Create algorithms that follow a sequence; 2. Use loops to improve your algorithm; 3. Use events to make things happen; 4. Learn about women in computer science; 5. Create your own set of commands that use events. This kit covers all 5, with activities that check the work as it is done.

Is there a printable version?

Yes. Once unlocked, the whole lesson prints, one step at a time, for a meeting or a table. Printing is optional: every step also works on screen, and a sample certificate PDF is on this page.

What does a scout need?

A computer or Chromebook with a mouse or trackpad and a keyboard, and a friend or grown-up for step 1. Printing is optional: every step works on screen. No account needed. About 90 minutes, in two or three sittings.

Can a troop leader get it for the whole troop?

Yes. A troop pack is one payment and one code: up to 12 scouts for $20, or up to 30 scouts for $35. Each scout types the code on their own computer and gets their own certificate, and the leader's pack page shows who has started and finished.

Is this an official Girl Scouts product?

No. MYTEK Lab makes the kit, and Girl Scouts badge names and steps are used with permission of Girl Scouts of the USA. The troop leader awards the badge; the certificate shows the scout did the work, with a number the leader can check.

All badge kits · Find kits and certificates you bought

Girl Scouts badge names and steps are used with permission of Girl Scouts of the USA. This kit is made by MYTEK Lab; the badge is awarded by the troop.