Skip to content

Conditionals & Logic - Instructor Checklist

Pre-Day Preparation

  • Review Day 2 progress and questions
  • Prepare code examples for if/else, switch, and logical operators
  • Prepare grade calculator challenge

Morning Session

Hour 1: Review & Warm-Up

  • Recap Day 2 (15 min)

    • Discuss homework: if/else statements
    • Review calculator code
    • Address any confusion about input or types

  • Introduction to Conditionals (30 min)

    • Explain if, else if, else
    • Show comparison operators (==, !=, <, >, <=, >=)
    • Practice with simple examples

  • Logical Operators (15 min)

    • Introduce && (and), || (or), ! (not)
    • Practice combining conditions

Hour 2: Switch Statements & Practice

  • Switch Statement (30 min)

    • Show syntax and use cases
    • Practice with menu or grade examples

  • Mini-Exercises (15 min)

    • Write a program to check if a number is positive, negative, or zero
    • Use switch for day-of-week or grade

Meeting Participation

  • Before Meeting
    • Brief intern on today's meeting focus (decision-making in projects)
  • During Meeting
    • Encourage note-taking on how decisions are made in code
  • After Meeting
    • Debrief and answer questions

Afternoon Session

Hour 1: Grade Calculator Project (45 min)

  • Guide intern to build a program that takes a score and prints a letter grade (A-F)

  • Use if/else and switch for different approaches

  • Troubleshooting (15 min)

    • Handle invalid input (e.g., score out of range)
    • Discuss error messages

Hour 2: Exploration & Wrap-Up

  • Explore Java Docs (30 min)

    • Look up if/else and switch documentation
    • Practice reading examples

  • Q&A and Wrap-Up (30 min)

    • Review what was learned
    • Preview Day 4: Loops
    • Assign optional homework: Research for/while loops

Assessment Checkpoints

Technical Understanding

  • Can use if/else and switch
  • Can combine conditions with logical operators
  • Built a grade calculator

Engagement Level

  • Participated in exercises
  • Asked questions about logic/conditionals
  • Took notes during meeting

Areas Needing Attention

  • Note any confusion about logic or syntax

Materials Needed

  • Computer with Java and IDE
  • Printed handout for reference
  • Grade calculator instructions

Time Flexibility Notes

  • If ahead: Add more complex conditions, try nested if/else
  • If behind: Focus on basic if/else, simple grade calculator

Success Criteria for Day 3

  • Can use conditionals
  • Can build a grade calculator
  • Maintained positive engagement