51 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
51 lines
3.0 KiB
Markdown
# Making with micro:bit
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This Lesson introduces the micro:bit as a piece of hardware that has a specific size and weight, and
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generally must be supported and incorporated as an essential component of a tangible artifact. Focus
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on incorporating the physical micro:bit into a basic making activity.
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## Lesson Objectives
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Students will...
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* Exercise creativity and resourcefulness by coming up with ideas for using simple household materials to accommodate the micro:bit’s size and weight in many different ways.
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* Test and iterate using different materials and sizes in order to create an optimal design to house the micro:bit and battery pack
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* Learn how to download programs and move them to the micro:bit file to run on the micro:bit.
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* Use the design thinking process to develop an understanding for a problem or user need.
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* Apply their understanding in a creative way by making a “micro:pet” creature.
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## Lesson Plan Structure
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* Introduction: The micro:bit is for making
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* Unplugged Activity: Design Thinking
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* micro:bit Activity: MakeCode download
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* Project: Micro:pet
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* Project Mods
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* Assessment: Rubric
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* Standards: listed
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## Introduction
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The micro:bit is a great way to teach the basics of programming and computer science. The Microsoft MakeCode block-based coding environment is a powerful and intuitive way to make the micro:bit react to all sorts of input, and you can introduce fundamental concepts such as iteration, conditional statements, and variables using MakeCode.
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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 micro:bit as a “brain” that can control physical, tangible creations.
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These creations don’t have to be complex or highly technical. It’s great to have students building with common household supplies. Because the micro:bit 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 micro:bit fit in your creation?”
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In this first lesson’s project, we focus on making something creative that features the micro:bit as its “face”. We purposely start this course with a lesson on Making and the physical nature of the micro:bit, 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 an art room available where kids can work, or arts and crafts supplies in your classroom that kids can use to build.
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Some common making supplies to gather:
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* pizza boxes
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* scrap cardboard
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* colored construction paper
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* colored duct tape
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* scissors
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* pipe cleaners
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* stickers
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* feathers
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* string
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* markers
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