Audible emotion badge

What is it?

Display happy and sad icons and play happy and sad sounds on your BBC micro:bit by pressing buttons A and B. This is a great project to encourage students to talk about their feelings.

How it works

• When you press button A, the micro:bit shows a happy icon on its LED display and plays a happy sound.
• When you press button B, the micro:bit shows a sad icon on its LED display and plays a sad sound.
• Inputs allow us to put data into a computer or device. In this project, the inputs are pressing buttons A or B.
• A detectable action, like a user pressing a button, is sometimes called an event in computing.
• An output is the processed information that is sent out from a computer. In this project, the output is the icons shown on the micro:bit's display and the sounds that are played from the micro:bit’s speaker.

What you need

• a V2 micro:bit
• MakeCode editor
• battery pack

Code your project

Here are the blocks you need to make the project - now put them together.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Open the project to find the blocks you need using the buttons above.
2. Find and select the show icon happy block.
3. Put it inside the on button A pressed block.
4. Find and select the play giggle until done block.
5. Put the play giggle until done block inside the on button A pressed block underneath the show icon happy block.
6. Change the sound giggle to happy in the play giggle until done block.
7. Find and select the show icon sad block.
8. Put it inside the on button B pressed block.
9. Now select the remaining play giggle until done block and put it inside the on button B pressed block underneath the show icon sad block.
10. Change the sound giggle to sad in the play giggle until done block.
11. Download the program to your micro:bit, attach a battery pack, and try it out!

Make it your own

• Try out some other sounds in the play giggle until done block. There are 10 to choose from.
• Choose different icons to display such as angry, confused or surprised.

Example of a completed project

Take a peek at some completed code.