Rock Paper Scissors¶
Goal: Students write a repeated Rock Paper Scissors game and then extend the rule system.
Duration: 1-2 class hours.
Prerequisites: Conditionals, input, loops, random choice.
Overview¶
The base program plays Rock Paper Scissors between a human and the computer in a best-two-out-of-three match. The extension expands the rule set to Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock.
Learning Objectives¶
- Represent player choices.
- Compare two actions with explicit rules.
- Handle ties.
- Repeat rounds until a stopping condition is reached.
- Extend a program by changing the rules without changing the entire structure.
Lesson Flow¶
- Students run a quick class tournament without code.
- The class writes out the win/loss/tie rules.
- Students implement one round.
- Students add scorekeeping and a match loop.
- Students extend the rule set.
Extension Rules¶
Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock has five gestures. Each gesture beats two options and loses to two options:
| Gesture | Beats |
|---|---|
| Rock | Scissors, Lizard |
| Paper | Rock, Spock |
| Scissors | Paper, Lizard |
| Lizard | Spock, Paper |
| Spock | Scissors, Rock |
Continuity¶
This module prepares students for explicit rule systems. Tic-Tac-Toe uses the same kind of thinking, but with board state instead of a single gesture.