This the outline for our using the BBC Micro:Bit at KS3 at LLS School.
I have sorted a variety of storage to enable easy classroom management:

Previously, we did this with our Year 7s and Digital Leaders.
I did the following research, and you can see that the UCL unit was exemplary for what I needed.
UCL’s TUTORIALS: Micro:bit – Getting Started / LED Display / Basic Functions / Advanced Functions / Projects with LED Display / Buttons / Accelerometer. CHALLENGES: Consonant or Vowel? / Catch the Eggs / Caesar Cipher – Part I / Caesar Cipher – Part II.
However, some of our lower ability students have struggled with text based programming and the Python IDLE IDE, so I was also keen to give them the option of using the blocks on the BBC Micro:Bit site. This gives them a simulator to use at home (we are not giving out Microbits to Year 9s, just using them in class).
So this is our Scheme of Learning, these are the slides, 9_3_01_Microbit_Introduction, (based on Alexander Hadwen-Bennett’s slides) and this is the List of Programs to try. This is Pete Dring’s Python Simulator (for testing home learning), and the BBC site’s Block programming editor and index here.
Update: following the success of the Microbits enthusing students, as a department, we have identified opportunities for the following:
Year 7 – we have added Microbits to the current Year 7 Graphics unit by using the various BBC Block programs to show 5×5 pixels working; different brightnesses; images and animations. This will build on Block programming in Unit 2 Scratch.
Year 8 will be the current Microbits 1 Unit development work of Python, but with an optional easier pathway using blocks.
Year 9 will be a Microbits 2 Unit with binary between Microbits and Bit:BotRobots. I have just ordered 18 from Rapid Electronics (Sept17). I can fit 6 in a box like the ones above.

*Please check out EduBlocks by @all_about_code – I will be looking at this in Year 7 too*
** I am presenting on microbits at #exabytes17 with @jonwits and @romillyc on Friday July 7th
*** I am running a 2 day course at York Stem Centre “Micro:bit in secondary computing CY224” with @PDDring and @CLCSimon on 20th and 21st November 2017.
Worth £13 each https://www.amazon.co.uk/BBC-BBC2546862-micro-bit-go/dp/B01G8WUGWU?th=1
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Jul 3 2017
Differentiated work using the BBC Micro:bit in and out of class
I have sorted a variety of storage to enable easy classroom management:
Previously, we did this with our Year 7s and Digital Leaders.
I did the following research, and you can see that the UCL unit was exemplary for what I needed.
UCL’s TUTORIALS: Micro:bit – Getting Started / LED Display / Basic Functions / Advanced Functions / Projects with LED Display / Buttons / Accelerometer. CHALLENGES: Consonant or Vowel? / Catch the Eggs / Caesar Cipher – Part I / Caesar Cipher – Part II.
However, some of our lower ability students have struggled with text based programming and the Python IDLE IDE, so I was also keen to give them the option of using the blocks on the BBC Micro:Bit site. This gives them a simulator to use at home (we are not giving out Microbits to Year 9s, just using them in class).
So this is our Scheme of Learning, these are the slides, 9_3_01_Microbit_Introduction, (based on Alexander Hadwen-Bennett’s slides) and this is the List of Programs to try. This is Pete Dring’s Python Simulator (for testing home learning), and the BBC site’s Block programming editor and index here.
Update: following the success of the Microbits enthusing students, as a department, we have identified opportunities for the following:
Year 7 – we have added Microbits to the current Year 7 Graphics unit by using the various BBC Block programs to show 5×5 pixels working; different brightnesses; images and animations. This will build on Block programming in Unit 2 Scratch.
Year 8 will be the current Microbits 1 Unit development work of Python, but with an optional easier pathway using blocks.
Year 9 will be a Microbits 2 Unit with binary between Microbits and Bit:BotRobots. I have just ordered 18 from Rapid Electronics (Sept17). I can fit 6 in a box like the ones above.
*Please check out EduBlocks by @all_about_code – I will be looking at this in Year 7 too*
** I am presenting on microbits at #exabytes17 with @jonwits and @romillyc on Friday July 7th
*** I am running a 2 day course at York Stem Centre “Micro:bit in secondary computing CY224” with @PDDring and @CLCSimon on 20th and 21st November 2017.
Worth £13 each https://www.amazon.co.uk/BBC-BBC2546862-micro-bit-go/dp/B01G8WUGWU?th=1
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By Chris Sharples • Differentiation, Micro:bit, Physical_Computing, Posts •