OVERVIEW

Activity Overview:

Students will use a combination of block coding (Scratch) and physical computing (MicroBit) to create a cardboard instrument changing thermal energy to sound energy. Can be modified for 4th or 8th grade standards.

Meta description

• Subject Area: Computer Science, Science
• Grade Level : 3-5, 6-8
• Computer Science Domains:
  • Computing Systems, Algorithms and Programming
• Computer Science Principles:
  • Creating Computational Artifacts, Testing and Refining Computational Artifacts
• Materials:
  • Website, Micro:bit
• Considerations:
  • Alligator clips and foil are finicky. Be prepared to troubleshoot. Ideally students would have a background in circuits and block coding before beginning the lesson. You’ll need to make sure your district allows the scratch for microbit extension.

Lesson Plan

Overview

Students will use a combination of block coding (Scratch) and physical computing (MicroBit) to create a cardboard instrument changing thermal energy to sound energy. Can be modified for 4th or 8th grade standards.

ASSESSMENT PRE/POST-TEST

How does a computer know to make sounds? What types of energy can be changed from one type to another? How do you improve a code? Draw a picture of how information gets into and out of a computer.

OBJECTIVES

Create an instrument using a MicroBit and Scratch Diagram how energy can turn into digital and analog information Describe the components of the instrument and how they interact with the computer (Internet of Things) Develop and add to code to improve and develop a unique instrument

CATCH/HOOK

Demonstrate an example guitar. If possible, hide the alligator clips and microbit. Ask students how the computer knows to play notes. Have them generate questions to explore and hypothesize about how the cardboard guitar is ‘making sounds’.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

This activity is based on: https://microbit.org/projects/make-it-code-it/scratch-guitar/ Have students cut out a cardboard instrument and affix three strips of foil to one end of the instrument and another to the other. Attach the GND pin to the lone strip using alligator clips. Then use alligator clips to the three other strips to pins 0, 1, 2. Connect the MicroBit to the computer and code the code shown on the microbit link. If students don’t have a background in coding, or if the teacher is uncomfortable in this field, the code can be downloaded from the above link. Use this link to see a step by step coding and student digital workbook. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1A1_pBNJVDfa3ZGF-pTnnP-9wEtVLiws-ke8FWU82Lzo/copy#slide=id.ge4230c9e0a_1_0

Supplements

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REVIEW

Use the reflection slides and class discussion to go over the activity.

STANDARDS