Skip to content

Unit of work

Getting active

Computational thinking, Programming, Sciences | MakeCode | 7-11 yrs

Lessons summary

This series of five lessons is aimed at pupils aged 10-11 years. They are introduced to variables and develop their understanding of planning, coding and debugging through a mixture of unplugged and practical programming activities.

Pupils use variables to design and program the micro:bit to be star-jump and step counters. They then use random numbers and selection to code a times table test and an activity selector.

The sequence comprises five lessons of approximately 60 minutes each:

  1. Describing with variables
  2. Using variables in algorithms and programs
  3. Analysing, programming and evaluating step-counters
  4. Code random number times table tests
  5. Programming and evaluating a family activity picker

Learning objectives

  • can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
  • are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology

Additional skills

Creative thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, debugging, evaluation.

You will need

Downloadable resources:

  • Lesson plan
  • Lesson slides
  • Student handouts
  • HEX files

Other resources:

  • colour marker pens
  • MakeCode editor
  • micro:bits (optional)
  • paper - large sheets
  • printouts of slides
  • stacking games
  • student work from previous lesson
  • whiteboards & dry-wipe marker pens