Objectives
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Engage in the iterative design cycle and hopefully fail along the way!
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Learn about local bats and their roosts
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Navigate and use Microsoft MakeCode
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Tinker with Coding for Micro:bits
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Explore mapping opportunities
Materials
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Micro:bit with battery pack (one for each group, and extras to be the “roosts”
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Labels for the roosts
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Laptop with microUSB cord
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OR Tablet with Micro:bit app installed
- Whiteboard & marker/ paper and writing utensil for each group (to map where the “roosts” are)
- Local BC bat profiles from Nature Kids BC (one for each group, can be repeats)
- (Optional) Pipe cleaners (to physically make Micro:bits into bats)
Key Questions
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How did you engage in the design cycle? How did failure help in the process?
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What did you learn about local bats?
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How does the activity relate to eholocation?
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How did the Micro:bits help/hinder?
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What might you do differently with your map next time?
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When might you use coding again to help solve a problem?
What To Do
If this is your first time using a micro:bit, we recommend you familiarize yourself with the First Steps as outlined on the micro:bit website here.
Note: If coding on computers or laptops, we highly recommend using Micro:bit classroom which allows you to lock student’s screens, send them code, and edit their code. More information on using micro:bit classroom here.
Introduction
Today we will be getting hands and engaging in the Design Cycle, Coding, local Bats and a little bit of mapping all at the same time!
We will start off by talking about tinkering and the design cycle, then we will do some coding with MakeCode and Micro:bits, we will then turn our Micro:bits into bats! And use them to search and find hidden Micro:bit “roosts” that I have hidden all around the room (or playground, garden etc.). You will do a little mapping of where you find the “roosts” and we will wrap everything up!
Design Cycle
1. Ask the learners, “What does Tinkering mean to you?”
2. Once they have shared their ideas, offer a simple introduction to Tinkering and the Design Cycle. Ex. “Tinkering to me means playing with things, trying stuff out, seeing what does and does not work, making adjustments, asking questions, problem solving. We also engage in the design cycle! The Design Cycle is an iterative process that you can go through again and again. It can broadly be defined as the steps Question, Imagine, Create, Test.
Coding
1. Ask the learners, “What is coding? What coding have you done?” (Give learners an opportunity to activate their prior knowledge and share their experiences with coding)
2. Once they have shared their ideas, offer a simple definition of coding. Eg: “Coding is giving very specific instructions to a computer, or piece of technology, to ask it to do what we have requested.”
3. Introducing the challenge “Today we are going to engage in the design cycle, and code these Micro:bits so they behave similar to bats and find a place to roost.”
4. Introduce the Micro:Bits & code
• The Micro:bit has Inputs (SENSORS such as buttons A&B, and receiving radio signals) and Outputs (RESPONSE, such as sending radio signals and LED lights)
See video here.
This poster can also be helpful.
• Demonstrate how MakeCode pieces are like puzzle pieces, and you can piece the code blocks together to create your code, or instructions.
Consider giving the learners a few minutes to play around with the MakeCode and fit puzzle pieces together.
The Code used in this activity is taken from Micro:bit’s Proximity Beacon.
5. Explain the proximity beacons / radio signals
Ex. While you were out of the space, I created “roosts” where bats like to sleep/rest etc. during the day. These “roosts” are Micro:bits that are coded to continually sending a radio signal. Like this one (hold up the test roost. You can also show the code on the roosts if you like).
Your job, is to create code to turn your Micro:bit into a “bat” and receive radio signals from the roosts, display how strong the signal is, to help the “bat” determine how close it is to a roost. (you can demonstrate here, using a “bat” Micro:bit and the “test” roost).
I am going to share with you the puzzle pieces you need, I want you to imagine, create, test and tinker with the code. Please use this “test” roost while you are tinkering with the code.
Share the following coding blocks with the learners
Let the learners tinker with it! Chances are they are going to fail, and that is GREAT! Encourage them to ask questions, imagine how they may change the code, create those changes, test it out, and so on. They are engaging in the design cycle! Let them!
You will need to explain to them how to download their code. Connect Micro:bit to the computer, click download, pair if needed, and done! Every time the learner changes code and wants to test it, they will need to download again.
TIP: Micro:bits seem to work best if they have only 1 power source at a time. Therefore, unplug the battery before plugging the Micro:bit into the computer to download, and unplug from the computer before attaching a battery pack.
6. Engage with the learners as they code and go through the design cycle!
7. Eventually you will feel it is time to move on. Get the class’s attention, and take some time to have the learners share what they did with their peers, have them share how they worked through the design cycle. You can pull up any interesting code on a screen through Micro:bit classroom if a group wants to share their code. You can ask “did you ask questions? Did you imagine what you would code? Did you create that code? Did you test it out? Did that create more questions? And so on”.
8. Feel free to share the completed receiver code with the learners if they did not get there themselves. They can download this onto their “bat” Micro:bit. Have them test it out on the “test” roost if you like.
Bat Roost Search & Map
1. Have them familiarize themselves with the bat profile they have been given, paying attention to the preferred roost(s) of their bat. If you have time, encourage them to be creative and make their bat out of pipe cleaners around the Micro:bit/batter pack (make sure they can still see the LEDs on the front of the Micro:bit).
2. Reiterate that there are bat “roosts” hidden around the space, and their next challenge is to use their “bat”, the coded Micro:bit, to locate the “roosts”.
Ask them to create a map of where the roosts are as they find them. Indicating on the map the roosts that their particular bat is interested in.
• You may need to remind learners to leave the “roosts” where they are when they find them so other groups can discover them as well
• This part is where all the learning comes together, and the “magic” happens! Enjoy the excitement and smiles!
Reflect!
Reflect with the learners, see recommended questions at the start of the resource.
Extensions
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Go outside and look for potential bat roosting spots, create a map of where they are!
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Imagine and create a bat box as a class. Test it out by putting it up and making observations about it’s use. What questions does this create?
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Summer activity for the learners: try coding a Micro:bit to be a counter and do a Bat count!
Other Resources
