OVERVIEW

Activity Overview:

Create a magic trick you can perform to impress your friends. When you move the sticky labels on your micro:bit’s A and B button, you appear to make the buttons really switch over.

Meta description

• Subject Area: Computer Science
• Grade Level : 6-8
• Computer Science Domains:
  • Computing Systems, Algorithms and Programming
• Computer Science Principles:
  • Collaborating Around Computing, Recognizing and Defining Computational Problems
• Materials:
  • Micro:bit
• Considerations:
  • Remember, that as we are using microbit’s compass; it will need to be calibrated each time it is flashed after the program is run.

Lesson Plan

Overview

Create a magic trick you can perform to impress your friends. When you move the sticky labels on your micro:bit’s A and B button, you appear to make the buttons really switch over.

ASSESSMENT PRE/POST-TEST

Pre-Test Questions:
How can a magnet influence the way the compass function operates on your microbit? Can you write different expressions and, when evaluated, get the same result?

Post-Test Questions: Which operations produced the same result?
What were some of the obstacles you faced when trying to recreate/prove your answer or solution with the microbits?
Did the sticky labels on your microbit really make the buttons switch over?

OBJECTIVES

Students gain practical experience of writing computer programs to solve problems. Students evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies analytically to solve problems Students will be responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

CATCH/HOOK

Ready to make your microbit do magic? This is magic trick you can perform to amaze your friends! When you move the sticky labels on your micro:bit’s A and B button, you appear to make the buttons really switch over

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

The student will need their micro:bit and any magnet that is small enough to fit in their hand, such as a fridge magnet. The micro:bit’s compass will need to detect the magnet. A compass will tell which direction it is pointing to by detecting the Earth’s magnetic field, but it can also detect any other magnet nearby. This will be used that to check if the magnet is next to the micro:bit by using the magnetic force block on the editor. Then, the student will program the micro:bit and practice the trick.

Supplements

Any items in this section are the property & under the license of their respective owners.

REVIEW

This activity would be utilized at other times throughout the year to review how the compass function works on the microbit.

STANDARDS