Developed as part of the Extending the CS Pipeline: Enhancing Rigor and Relevance in Middle School CS Project.

This five-to-seven day lesson package introduces middle school students to the foundations of physical computing through hands-on activities using Micro:bits. Throughout the unit, students explore how computers can interact with the physical world through inputs, outputs, sensors, and user interaction. By combining coding with physical devices, students begin developing an understanding of how technology responds to people and environments in real-world systems.

Students begin by exploring the components and capabilities of the Micro:bit while learning the basics of physical computing and device interaction. As the unit progresses, students create and test interactive programs, practice debugging and revising code, and examine how algorithms provide step-by-step instructions for solving problems. Through collaborative activities such as the “mystery algorithm” challenge, students compare multiple problem-solving methods while considering concepts like accuracy, efficiency, and constraints in computing systems.

The unit culminates in an open-ended creative physical computing project in which students design and build their own Micro:bit-based creation. By the end of the unit, students will have developed foundational coding skills while also strengthening creativity, collaboration, computational thinking, and problem-solving abilities through authentic hands-on learning experiences.

This lesson package includes:

• Lesson Plan & Overview

• PPT Slides for Classroom Instruction

• Introduction to Micro:bit - Student Worksheet

• Code & Create Project - Student Worksheet