# Teaching conditionals **URL:** \ **Category:** General Teaching and Learning (All Grades)\ **Created:** [June 4, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/teaching-conditionals/406 "2015-06-04T21:55:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 1\ **Showing post:** 191
**Author:** ![palmerc1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4491bb/32.png) [@palmerc1](https://forum.code.org/u/palmerc1)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2020, 2:13am UTC](https://forum.code.org/t/teaching-conditionals/406/191 "2020-06-01T02:13:33Z")
A conditional happens if something true or false. It helps the computer make decisions in certain situations to help it run the program. Conditionals are similar to if/then or cause/effect situations that the students have been introduced to in Reading and Science in the 5th grade. I would reinforce their background knowledge on the if/then concept and bring in an activity that relates to their daily lives. For example, my class is social and likes to talk during independent reading when it’s quiet. I would tell them that if they can read for 15 minutes without talking, they would get 5 minutes to discuss their book with their classmates. If not then they wouldn’t get those 5 minutes. We would discuss this so they understand the concept of “if” something is true “then” a specific action would occur, “if” not true, “then” a different action occurs. Once they understood the concept we would try playing the conditional card game, then have them practice the puzzles to reinforce the learning. --- _[View the full topic](https://forum.code.org/t/teaching-conditionals/406)._