It's time to break free from the screen and bring your lessons outdoors! The BBC micro:bit, a pocket-sized computer, offers endless possibilities for physical computing and interactive learning. In this blog post, we'll explore how to create a step counter using the micro:bit. This fun and engaging activity, adapted from our "Micro:bit in the Wild" course, can be easily integrated into your classroom.
Step Counter with micro:bit
A step counter is a relatively simple device. If you've used a pedometer or a Fitbit, you understand the concept: the device measures your movement. Most of these devices utilize a sensor called an accelerometer. The accelerometer in the micro:bit detects tilts in all directions (left/right, backward/forward, and up/down). This capability allows the micro:bit to read and measure various gestures, making it perfect for creating a step counter.
Coding Your micro:bit Step Counter
There are several ways to code your micro:bit step counter. The Micro:bit Educational Foundation offers three free options on their website:
- micro:bit Step Counter Activity: https://microbit.org/projects/make-it-code-it/step-counter/
- micro:bit Sensitive Step Counter Activity: https://microbit.org/projects/make-it-code-it/sensitive-step-counter/
- micro:bit Movement Data Logger Activity: https://microbit.org/projects/make-it-code-it/movement-data-logger/
Each step counter varies slightly in accuracy and coding complexity, depending on your students' skill level. However, these are not the only approaches! This is what makes this activity so valuable in the classroom – there's always more than one way to code something!
Attach your micro:bit to your shoe with your shoe laces and snuggle the battery pack into your sock.
Classroom Applications
How can a step counter be used in your classroom? Having done this activity with students of various levels, particularly grades 3-5, I can confidently say it's one of the most active computer science lessons you can get. A step counter is a great introduction to coding and a favorite among students. There's nothing quite like strapping a micro:bit to your shoes and running around the classroom – it's a delightful chaos that computer science could use more of!
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Beyond STEM Classes
Whether you're a computer science teacher or not, there are many reasons to try this activity in your classroom. The coding itself incorporates math concepts, from variables to multiplication and grouping. Additionally, there's a clear science connection in data collection, analysis, and comparison. However, this activity isn't limited to STEM classes!
- ELA: Students could write stories about their walks or something they saw on them. You could tie in literature like “Just Keep Walking,” “A Long Walk to Water,” or “Once a Runner.”
- Social Studies: Students could create maps or recreate historical walks, asking questions like, "How many steps would it have taken to walk the Oregon Trail?"
- Physical Education & Health: Integrate a coding step counter activity to encourage active engagement.
Micro:bit in the Wild
In our "Micro:bit in the Wild" course this summer, we taught this activity to 200 teachers across various grades and subjects in North America. We spent time coding, discussing key concepts like variables, and then – in the middle of class – we asked them to go for a walk! We also assigned them a homework walk, encouraging them to count steps, interact with nature, and code a step counter using their preferred method.
Our Micro:bit in the Wild teachers went for a walk with their step counters during class.
These teachers embraced the challenge! Micro:bits were attached to shoes, kids, and even dogs all over the country, venturing outside the traditional four walls of the classroom. The goal was to take your micro:bit outside, break free from the computer screen, and use this tool to interact with the world around you.
If you are inspired to bring computer science outdoors with your students, be sure to share with us on social media @CodeJoyEdu on most social platforms.
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Want to bring Step Counter and Micro:bit in the Wild to your teachers and students? Contact Us to jumpstart your foray into bringing computer science into the great outdoors!