1-hour micro:bit workshop challenge(s)

The maker movement’s tricky little pal, Josh Ajima, solicited ideas for a 1-hourBBC  micro:bit workshop on Twitter.


Here is my idea for a simple task that can build in complexity while using a fair amount of programming and ingenuity, without peripherals for the micro:bit. It may be programmed in Microsoft MakeCode or Scratch 3.0. Lots can be accomplished within an hour without instruction.

Providing illustrations would require too much time and effort on my part. Keeping the prompts vague and open-ended is a deliberate pedagogical strategy discussed in our book, Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom, as well as in this recent blog post, The Subtlety of Prompt Setting. This set of evolving prompts allows each user, regardless of prior experience or ability level, to experience success and make the challenge their own.

So, here you have it. Dr. Stager’s 1-hour micro:bit workshop challenge for learners of all ages…

  1. Program the micro:bit to behave like a die rolled by a player
  2. Instead of displaying a number, display a die face
  3. Add some effects to make it look (or sound) like rolling a die before it settles on a “side”
  4. Roll your die and have it send the value to appear on a friend’s micro:bit
  5. Make the die rolled in your hand make something else happen on a friend’s die, like flash an LED x times
  6. Use your micro:bit Die with Scratch to control an animation or interact with a board game you program

Time’s Up! STEM is over for this year!

August 1, 2019: These and other challenges may be found here.