Coding with BBC micro:bit
- Level Elementary School
- Number of Lessons 13
- Grade 3rd, 4th, 5th
This course provides modular options for integrating micro:bit® programming in the upper elementary classroom with Scratch.
UNITS - 5 (13 lessons)
Students learn the basics of using the micro:bit® with Scratch.
Students program math concepts using the micro:bit® with Scratch.
Students program science concepts using the micro:bit® with Scratch.
Students program social studies concepts using the micro:bit® with Scratch.
Students apply loops, conditionals, functions, and lists with the micro:bit to build a drawing app, a reaction game, and a safety-solution design project.
Explore a sample lesson from this course!
Students learn to program the BBC micro:bit, a small handheld computer with LED lights, buttons, and sensors, and use it as a controller for programs they build with CodeHop block coding. Along the way they practice events, conditionals, variables, loops, functions, and lists while creating projects tied to math, science, and social studies, such as rounding tools, a butterfly migration simulator, and an interactive map of the 13 colonies.
Coding with BBC micro:bit is designed for grades 3-5. Students should already be comfortable with block coding basics such as events and loops before starting, since the course builds on those skills rather than introducing them.
Each student or pair needs a BBC micro:bit and a device to program it. On computers and laptops, students write their code with CodeHop block coding and connect it to the micro:bit. On Chromebooks, students connect to the micro:bit using the Microsoft MakeCode website, and lessons include MakeCode instructions for this. Every lesson includes ready-to-teach slides in English and Spanish, and most include printable code instructions in both languages.
The course includes 13 lessons, totaling about 14 hours of instruction. Most lessons take about 45 minutes, while larger projects such as the Revolutionary War timeline and the Safety Solutions design project take about 90 minutes and the Reaction Game takes about 2 hours and 15 minutes. The modules are designed to be used flexibly, so teachers can pick the lessons that fit their classroom.
Coding with BBC micro:bit lessons are aligned to many state computer science standards, and they also connect to Common Core Math and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
