OVERVIEW

Activity Overview:

This lesson introduces the basic components of the microbit, a beginners program, and teaches how to download a program to the microbit. Students will program in a block based language. Students will also utilize small electronics, and learn how a computer is programmed.

Meta description

• Subject Area: Computer Science, Technology
• Grade Level : 9-12
• Computer Science Domains:
  • Algorithms and Programming
• Computer Science Principles:
  • Developing and Using Abstractions, Creating Computational Artifacts
• Materials:
  • Website, Micro:bit, www.makecode.microbit.org
• Considerations:
  • No

Lesson Plan

Overview

This lesson introduces the basic components of the microbit, a beginners program, and teaches how to download a program to the microbit. Students will program in a block based language. Students will also utilize small electronics, and learn how a computer is programmed.

ASSESSMENT PRE/POST-TEST

1. Describe the ‘On start’ Block
2. Describe the ‘Forever’ Block
3. What is the function of the ‘Pause’ Block?
4. What website do you need to go to in order to program your micro bit?
5. What is on the front of the micro bit?
6. What is on the back of the micro bit?

OBJECTIVES

1. Identify micro bit components
2. Utilize the online MakeCode for Micro bits
3. Create their first program ‘Hello World’

CATCH/HOOK

The catch of this activity is students will get to program their micro bit. For many of them it is the first time they have ever written a computer program. Being able to program the basic greeting ‘Hello World’, will help motivate them to want to program something else.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

Log into the Make code program

1. Delete the On Start panel because the entire program needs to repeat forever
2. Find the ‘show string’ block and drag to the ‘forever’ block
3. Change the string of characters given from ‘Hello’ to ‘Hello World’
4. Place ‘show’ icon in the ‘forever’ block
5. Place ‘pause’ block inside the ‘forever’ block.
6. Name the program
7. Download the program

Supplements

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REVIEW

After completing this lesson, to make sure students understood the assignment, they were asked to change the message from ‘Hello World’ to ‘Good Morning Ms. Dirden’. They also had to change the time for the pause from 2 seconds to 5 seconds. All questions were answered.

STANDARDS