Create a new project by going to makecode.microbit.org and deleting the current blocks (on start and forever) from the Workspace by dragging them to the Block groups area.

We will code our micro:bit to display the word "Hi", using different events. Go over the process and try to spot the differences and when would you choose one over the other

on start, forever, on shake and button A pressed

• on start runs the code inside it as soon as the micro:bit is powered. A very useful place to set up your application.

• forever executes the code inside it as long as the micro:bit is powered. Forever, as long as the micro:bit is running.

• shake is lots of fun since it executes the code inside it when the user shakes the micro:bit. This is possible as the micro:bit can detect acceleration.

• on button A pressed works just like your tv remote or the buttons on a game console. The device detects a button being pressed and runs the code inside it.

We'll start simple and add complexity and concepts as we learn. First a big heart!

Test your progress using the micro:bit emulator!

The image looks great, but an animation is even better!

Always after each set of code, make sure to test on the Emulator.

We can achieve this effect in several different ways, but we'll take this opportunity to introduce the repeat block.

Test, test, test on your emulator!

• LED stands for light emitting diode. LED lighting products produce light up to 90% more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs. How do they work? An electrical current passes through a microchip, which illuminates the tiny light sources we call LEDs and the result is visible light. To prevent performance issues, the heat LEDs produce is absorbed into a heat sink. source

• Some more information from MakeCode.

• In computer science, a loop is a programming structure that repeats a sequence of instructions until a specific condition is met. source

• More information about Loops from MakeCode

Getting a temperature reading from the micro:bit is very simple. We use the provided block temperature (C), wrapped by the show number block.

Don't forget to test your progress using the micro:bit emulator, or a micro:bit, if you have one available.

If-else statements are used to control what the code will execute when a particular condition is fulfilled. In a way, they provide options for our code to make choices.

• Add the if block to our existing code

• Add the comparison block located in the Logic section

• Complete the if block by:

  • Adding the temperature block

  • Change the < (less than) sign in the middle to be > (greater than)

  • Add a number that would indicate a hot temperature

By now you know the routine: test the application in the emulator or on an actual micro:bit if you have one available!

• The if statement executes a statement if a specified condition is truthy. If the condition is falsy, another statement can be executed.. MDN

More about if statements from MakeCode

For more information about the provided blocks regarding logical operators visit:

• Greater than link

• Equality link

• AND link

• OR link

• Not link

Some more information from MakeCode

• logic link

• compare link

his and many other applications created for the micro:bit can be better explored using a battery pack. It is not necessary but gives mobility to the micro:bit.

micro:bit battery pack info

This initial method counts all the way from 1 to 5 as soon as we press A+B. As you can see, we are introducing a new block, show number. This block works just like show string, but it is used to display numbers and do mathematical operations.

As we said, this works, but we have no control over when to count, it just does it and it will never go past 5! Don't forget to test your progress using the micro:bit emulator!

Our code is about to get more powerful as we will introduce a variable, called counter that will keep track of the number of times we press A+B.

Variables are places in the micro:bit or computer where we can store information.

• The first step is to create the variable

• Give the variable a name, in our case Counter

• Now we have access to new blocks!

  • Counter stores and returns the value. In this case, the count

  • set defines what is the value of the variable

  • change, lets us change the value of the variable

All that's left to do is to use our new blocks to count by 1, each time we press A+B

Reading the code.

When the application starts, the Counter variable is set to be zero (0), then when the user presses the A and B buttons at the same time, the variable Counter increases by 1 and then the new value of Counter is displayed.

Make sure you test it in the emulator to better understand the previous sentence!

How did you do? I'm sure you did great!

Solving this problem opens many possibilities as you can count by any number you want. This is our solution to counting by 2.

Hint: we don't always need to count by adding. Changing our variable by -2 will result in subtracting

Asking your students to think about the challenge, to count, helps create deeper connections beyond the micro:bit and coding. It will help introduce Computational Thinking and how we use it in our daily lives.

Computational Thinking

Decomposition: breaking down something complex into smaller, simpler pieces.

Pattern recognition: matching new incoming information with information retrieved from memory.

Abstraction: identifying essential information while ignoring irrelevant details.

Algorithms: following simple steps to solve problems or tackle a challenge.

• A variable is a container for a value, like a number we might use in a sum, or a string that we might use as part of a sentence. MDN

• More about variables from MakeCode

• Variable can have any name you want, but it is considered good practice to provide meaningful names that describe what the variable stores.