Student design and build a device that prevents a chunk of ice from melting. They test their devices under a heat lamp using a microbit that is collecting temperature data. Students analyze the temperature data and make revisions to their designs to reduce heat transfer before the actual experiment when they test their structures with a chunk of ice.
Variation: prevent hot paraffin wax form solidifying.
Microsoft MakeCode (2020) has a video to help with the programming of 2 microbits to collect the temperature data.
Coding Tip: Microsoft MakeCode has youTube videos of different science experiments and shows you how to program the microbit.
Additional Activities
These activities are some ideas that I would love to try to integrate into my classroom.
Collect data on the temperature in your car to help students understand the Greenhouse effect and the dangers of leaving pets and children in a car on a sunny day (Microsoft MakeCode, 2020).
(Grade 7 ON Curriculum Heat in the Environment)
Students design a structure that protects an egg when dropped to the ground. Students then use a microbit that collects acceleration data to test their designs (Microsoft MakeCode, 2020). If the microbit reports that the egg would most likely break, students make revisions to their designs before they actually test their design using an egg.
(Grade 7 ON Curriculum Form & Function)
Use a microbit, moisture sensor, pump, tubing and bread board to build a water pump that automatically waters a plant when the water gets dry.
InkSmith Climate Action Kits contain all the supplies and are available on the InkSmith website.
(Grade 3 ON curriculum Strand B)
Design an experiment that uses a microbit to determine how much light is needed to make a plant grow or uses a microbit to find the most reflective materials in the school.
Watch the video to learn how to collect light data using the microbit (Microsoft MakeCode, 2019)
Microsoft.org shares an idea of using microbit to make a weather station. Make a weather vane using the microbit as a compass. Record the sunlight level using the light sensor. Create a thermometer using the temperature sensor. Watch the video to see how to build a device that collects water and wind data (Digital Moment, 2020).
(Grade 1 ON Science curriculum Strand E)
Digital Moment. (2020, Feb 11). How to measure wind & water with micro:bits [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7Jw-Eps_Hs&t=200s
Microsoft MakeCode. (2020, January 2). Science experiments 03 temperature sensor [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHDYsy6xyE4
Microsoft MakeCode. (2020, January 31). Science experiments 06 egg drop [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnDJFdC3Nd4
Microsoft MakeCode. (2019, February 1). Behind the makecode hardware - light sensor on micro:bit [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKhCr-dQMBY
Ontario. Ministry of Education. (2022). Ontario Elementary Science and Technology Curriculum. Retrieved from
https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum/science-technology/grades/grade-1/strands