Summer SAVY, Session 3 Day 2, “Introduction to Python for Beginners” (7th-8th)
Hello Parents and Students!
We wrapped up Day 2 of the Intro to Python for Beginners course, and today was all about thinking like a programmer. Students took a big step forward by learning how to make decisions in code and automate repetitive tasks. These are powerful tools in any programmer’s toolbox!
Today’s focus was on two big ideas: Control flow and loops.
Students learned how to:
- Use if, elif, and else statements to make decisions in their programs.
- Write boolean expressions and comparisons (e.g., >, <, ==) to evaluate logic.
- Build for loops to repeat actions a set number of times with a custom range.
- Use while loops to keep going until a condition is met.
- Avoid infinite while loops by introducing a count variable inside the loop or using a break statement.
- Combine loops and conditionals to create more interactive and dynamic programs.
They also explored nested logic by writing programs that checked if numbers are even or odd, multiplication tables, a clothing suggestion bot based on the weather, and building simple input-driven games. They incorporated loops (for and while) to continue the game or exit when certain conditions were met.
Student Reflections
Students were amazed at how loops saved them time:
- Instead of copying and pasting lines to repeat stuff, now I can just use a loop!
- And how they could control the flow of their code by giving their program choices, like a little brain!
Family Conversation
Encourage your child to:
- Explain how an if statement works, and give a real-life example (e.g., “If it rains, take an umbrella”).
- Show you a Python program they created today.
- Share how they made their projects smarter with control flow and loops.
- Try this optional challenge: Write a program that asks for the age and checks if the person is eligible to vote. Keep asking until a valid number is entered.
Coming Up Tomorrow (Day 3)
Tomorrow, we’ll dive into functions and modules and learn how to break programs into smaller parts and reuse code more efficiently. This will set the stage for building more advanced, organized projects later in the week!
Regards,
Ishita