Python-Microbits

A project to create curriculum for middle school to early high school students using Microbits and MicroPython to teach coding in a physical computing and Maker world. This is a Python version of the same book which was written for Microsoft's MakeCode programming.

View the Project on GitHub CarlLyman/Python-Microbits

01 Design & Making with Microbit - Python

This lesson introduces the microbit as a piece of hardware that has a specific size and weight, and generally must be supported and incorporated as an essential component of a tangible artifact. Focus on incorporating the physical microbit into a basic making activity.

Lesson objectives

Students will…

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Lesson plan

  1. Introduction: The microbit is for making
  2. Unplugged: Design Thinking
  3. Activity: MakeCode download
  4. Project: micro:robot (including mods and rubric)

01.0 Topic Introduction

The microbit is a great way to teach the basics of programming and computer science. The MicroPython coding environment is a powerful and intuitive way to make the microbit react to all sorts of input, and it can introduce fundamental concepts such as loops, conditional statements, and variables using Python (an indemand text based programming language.)

Students often focus primarily on the 5x5 LED screen for providing output. Although this is the most directly accessible way to see a reaction to some kind of input, there are many more creative possibilities when you encourage your students to see the microbit as a “brain” that can control physical, tangible creations.

These creations don’t have to be complex or highly technical. It’s great to have students building with common household supplies. Because the microbit is so lightweight, and supports so many sensors, it can be incorporated easily into a physical design as long as students plan ahead for its size and weight. One of the first questions you might ask students is “Where does the microbit fit in your creation?”

In this first lesson’s project, we focus on making something creative that features the microbit as its “face”. We purposely start this course with a lesson on Making and the physical nature of the microbit, because it is important to set the tone for the whole course that this is a class about making, building, crafting and construction. It helps if you have arts and crafts supplies in your classroom that students can use to build.

Some common making supplies to gather:

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