Nova faces a defender who reads every move. She tries to go the same direction every time, but the defender is always there, blocking her path. Frustration mounts as every attempt fails.
Nova learns that basketball requires making smart decisions based on what you see. The crossover dribble—changing direction based on what the defense shows—helps her create space and succeed.
Watch the Story
🎓 What You're Learning
🐍 Python Concept
Conditionals (if/then)
Making decisions based on conditions
if defender_left:
go_right()
else:
go_left()
🏀 Basketball Skill
The Crossover Dribble
Changing direction based on what you see
📚 Grade Levels
Grades 3-8
Aligns with CSTA, Common Core, NGSS
🎮 Try the Exercise
Practice the crossover dribble in the game! See if you can make smart decisions and create space just like Nova did.
Changing direction based on what you see creates opportunities
Making smart decisions helps you succeed
Adapting to the situation is important
💡 Important Lesson
You learned that:
Pay attention to what's happening around you
Make decisions based on what you see
Being flexible helps you succeed
Smart choices lead to better results
🚀 What's Next?
Great job completing the Decision Crossover exercise! You've learned that coding uses if/then to make decisions.
📖 Ready for Book 3: The Pattern (In & Out Dribble)
Why Book 3 comes next:
You've mastered decision-making with conditionals. Now you'll learn to create patterns and repetition using loops—the next logical step in your coding journey!
What You'll Learn in Book 3:
Python: Loops and repetition (for loops, while loops)
Basketball: In & Out dribble (creating patterns, breaking them)
Concept: Building expectation through repetition, then breaking the pattern