Learn Without Walls
📄 Save or print this lesson:
← Back to Course Home

Module 4: Making Decisions

Learn how we make choices every day using if/then thinking. Play sorting games, build decision trees on paper, and then bring your decision-making skills to Scratch with conditional blocks.

4 Lessons
~60-80 minutes total
Practice Activities
Module Quiz

Your Progress

Lessons 1-4
Practice
Module Quiz
Review

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, your child will be able to:

  • Create if/then rules for everyday situations
  • Use yes/no questions to sort and classify things
  • Draw and follow decision trees on paper
  • Understand that computers make decisions using true/false questions
  • Use if/then blocks in Scratch to make sprites respond to actions

Why This Matters

We make hundreds of decisions every day without even thinking about it. Should I wear a jacket? Is it time for lunch? Did I finish my homework? Every one of these is an if/then decision.

In coding, decisions are called conditionals. They let programs respond differently depending on what is happening. A video game checks: "If the player touches the coin, add a point." A weather app checks: "If it is going to rain, show an umbrella." Teaching kids to think in if/then terms builds both their logical thinking and their coding skills.

Module Lessons

1

If/Then Thinking

Discover how if/then rules work in everyday life. "If it is raining, then take an umbrella." Play the "What Would You Do?" game to practice making rules for different situations.

15-20 minutes Screen-Free

Start Lesson 1
2

Yes/No Questions

Play 20 Questions and learn how yes/no questions are the building blocks of all decisions. Sort animals and objects using just yes/no questions.

15-20 minutes Screen-Free

Start Lesson 2
3

Decision Trees

Draw decision trees on paper where each branch is a yes/no question. Create a "Choose Your Own Adventure" story and a "What should I wear today?" decision tree.

15-20 minutes Screen-Free

Start Lesson 3
4

Conditionals in Scratch

Use if/then blocks in Scratch to make a sprite respond to key presses, react to colors, and tell an interactive story with choices.

15-20 minutes Scratch

Start Lesson 4

After the Lessons

Practice Activities

Decision-making challenges, sorting games, decision tree drawing, and Scratch conditional projects.

Practice Activities

Module Quiz

8 kid-friendly questions about decisions, yes/no questions, decision trees, and Scratch conditionals.

Take Module Quiz

Study Materials

Parent Guide and key concepts review for Module 4.

Study Guide Parent Guide

Tips for This Module

  • Use real choices: "If it is cold outside, what should you wear?" Turn everyday decisions into if/then practice.
  • Play 20 Questions often: This classic game is perfect if/then training. Play it in the car, at dinner, or while waiting.
  • Let them make the rules: Kids love creating rules. Have them invent if/then rules for imaginary worlds or silly situations.
  • Decision trees are art too: Let kids decorate their decision trees. The thinking is what matters, not how neat it looks.
  • In Scratch, experiment freely: There is nothing they can break. Encourage trying different conditions and seeing what happens.
Begin Module 4 →