Lesson 2 — A Game Score Is a Variable

Age: Grades 4–6 (ages 9–12) Duration: 20 minutes Format: Web game (play right away, no prep needed) Concept: Variables — values that "update along the way" are the heart of every game and program

Learning Objective

Kids understand updating a variable: read the old value → compute → write the new value, and can trace a variable through events.

Do It Together (Parent-Child Co-participation)

Play paper toss: throw paper balls into a basket while your child keeps the scoreboard, saying the formula out loud every time — "old value + 1 = ..."