STEM Learning Through Basketball
📹 Episode Recording Coming Soon
Video will be embedded here when recording is complete
Episode 1 Recording | Duration: TBD | View Transcript (coming soon)
What is State?
Think of state like a light switch. A light switch can be in one of two states: ON or OFF. It can't be both at the same time, and it can only change from one state to the other when you flip the switch.
In basketball, and in code, we use states to track what's happening. Just like a light switch, the game can only be in one state at a time, and it changes when something specific happens.
The Four States of Possession:
Why Does State Matter?
Just like Nova learned, tracking state helps you understand what's happening and what you can do next. If you know the state is LIVE and you have the ball, you know you can dribble, pass, or shoot. If the state is DEAD, you know the play has stopped and you need to wait for the next state change.
Integrated with IBM SkillsBuild Teacher Toolkit
State management is a fundamental coding concept used across many technology careers. Understanding how programs track and change states is essential for software development.
What they do: Build web applications, mobile apps, and software systems
How they use state: Track user sessions, manage application data, handle form states
Real example: When you log into a website, the app tracks your "logged in" state
Education: Bachelor's in Computer Science or related field, coding bootcamp, or self-taught
What they do: Create video games for consoles, computers, and mobile devices
How they use state: Track player health, game level, score, inventory, character status
Real example: In a video game, the character can be in states like "idle," "running," "jumping," or "attacking"
Education: Bachelor's in Game Development, Computer Science, or related field
What they do: Build the user interface and user experience for websites and apps
How they use state: Manage UI states (dropdowns open/closed, forms filled/unfilled, buttons active/inactive)
Real example: A shopping cart that tracks items added/removed, quantities, and checkout status
Education: Bachelor's in Computer Science, coding bootcamp, or self-taught with portfolio
What they do: Analyze and design computer systems for organizations
How they use state: Model system states and transitions, design workflows
Real example: Designing a ticket system that tracks tickets from "open" → "in progress" → "resolved"
Education: Bachelor's in Information Systems, Computer Science, or Business with tech focus
What they do: Test software to find bugs and ensure quality
How they use state: Test state transitions, verify edge cases, ensure states work correctly
Real example: Testing that a login system correctly transitions from "logged out" → "logging in" → "logged in"
Education: Associate's or Bachelor's in Computer Science, QA certification programs
Objective: Connect Episode 1's state management concept to real-world tech careers.
Complete the exercises to practice what you've learned about states. Download the exercise worksheets from your teacher or access them through the teacher guide.
Download Exercises (PDF) Try Online ExercisesAccess complete teacher guides, answer keys, and additional resources for this episode.