Unit 3 - Year 1 Lessons

Overview

Students will complete Unit 3 Year 1 activities using coding and physical computing workflows.

Target skills:

Computational Thinking
Physical Computing
Creative Problem Solving

Tools:

Micro:bit
MakeCode

Outputs:

Student-created program(s) or interactive project(s) saved to class folder.

Week 1 - Micro:bit Basics

Lesson 1 - Micro:bit: Pair, Flash, Show Icons

Goal: Connect a micro:bit, pair it in MakeCode, and display/animate icons.

Prep

One micro:bit per student (pairs are fine), USB cable, and a computer.
Students sign in with KEAdigi Google account.

Safety / Handling

Show the USB-micro connector orientation (flat vs rounded) before students plug in.

Open the Editor

Open Google > Bookmarks > File Code > Microbit Code.

Pair & Download (first time)

Click Download > Next > Pair > choose BBC micro:bit > Connect > Download.
Subsequent downloads are faster (paired device remembered).

Blocks to Know

On Start / Forever
Show Icon

Make a Heart Appear

Drag Show Icon (heart) to On Start and Download to flash.

Animate Icons

Move the block to Forever so it loops. Add additional icons to make a short movie.

Optional Tips

Create a longer sequence by adding multiple icons and brief pauses.

Troubleshooting

If an old program remains, re-Download to overwrite. Press Reset to replay.

Lesson 2 - Micro:bit Mini-Project

Prompt: Make a small looping LED story (e.g., a character or name moving across the LEDs).
Encourage creative icon sequences and simple timing changes.

Week 2 - MakeCode Arcade: “Chase the Pizza”

Lesson 1 - Tutorial Run

Goal: Complete the Chase the Pizza tutorial and export a playable project.

Open Arcade

Go to https://arcade.makecode.com/# (bookmarked). Sign in with KEAdigi account.

Find the Tutorial

Scroll to Tutorials > select Chase the Pizza.

Work Through Steps Together

Follow each NEXT step on the left panel. Keep class in sync.

Save / Share

Save to the student account; show how to Download a .png project or export a GIF if desired.

Lesson 2 - Customize Your Game

Encourage small variations to practice cause/effect:

Change player sprite, background, or timing/velocity.
Add pickup and background sounds.
Try a different score condition or item speed.