How to Program micro:bit
About 3 hours
Ages 8+
What Will You Make?
We will create a coded badge with our micro:bit which we can wear everywhere, and have fun with the code. We will start by making a basic version, creating sequences with the Micro:bit leds
What Will You Learn?
We will take our first steps in programming, we will learn to program the LEDs, to experiment with the micro:bit code.
Program Your micro:bit
Step 1
In order to program your micro:bit using blocks, we are going to go to https://makecode.microbit.org/ and click on “New Project”.
Step 2
Now we see our workspace, divided into three:
Left: This is our simulator, where we can see our code work.
Middle: this is the blocks menu
Right: Here we will work with our code and logic.
Step 3
The first thing we are going to do is go to the menu – “Basic” and select the “Show Icon” block and drag it into our “forever” block, wait a moment and in the simulator section we can see the result.
We click on “Show Icon” and it displays the different options for our LEDs, we choose the happy face and in a few moments we see the change in the simulator.
Step 4
Now we will create an icon from scratch, we want to make our own. Let’s go “Basic” and choose “show leds” and drag it to the “forever” block and remove our “show Icon”. And we draw by clicking on the led matrix.
Step 5
Now we are going to combine them, we are going to put our “show leds” in “on start”, We are going to menu – “Basic” we take the block “pause (ms) 100”, we place it after “show leds” , and we put our “show icon” inside the “forever” block.
Step 6
We see the result in our simulator. In the simulator section, at the bottom of the micro:Bit we have some buttons, the second button is to restart the emulator.
Step 7
Now we can experiment, for example with the pause time, we click on “pause (ms) 100” and select the time we would like.
Step 8
To download the code, we connect our micro:bit to the computer and click on the three dots next to the Download button, select “Connect device”, and follow the instructions to download it.
Ready we can see the result in our micro:bit.
Resources
Media
What Is Happening Here?
Getting Started with MakeCode
We are taking our first steps in programming using a block language, using the combination of these we can create sequences.
Also something amazing about MakeCode, is that you can also program in JavaScript and Python, which allows us to explore different ways of solving problems.
What Is Next?
More micro:bit Projects
You can experiment with sequences, and even create little animations to personalize your badge. You can also check out the other projects in the Maker Camp library, to create a voice recognition AI to turn on your LEDs, or even create a crochet badge to include your micro:bit.
About MoonMakers
MoonMakers — led by Camila and Diego Luna — are a community of creators passionate about knowledge. A Makerspace, an open space with different digital manufacturing machines. And a YouTube channel where we promote science, technology and the maker movement.
MoonMakers have collaborated with companies such as: Sesame Street, Make Community and in Mexico with Educational Television and Fundación Televisa, creating educational content.
We have given workshops throughout the Mexican Republic with: Talent Land, Secretary of Education in Jalisco, Conacyt, Centro Cultural España.
Materials:
- Micro:bit
- Battery base
- Batteries
- micro USB to USB cable
