Skip to content

Design challenge

Protecting animals on land

Computational thinking, Design & technology, Global Goals, Networks, Programming | MakeCode | 7-11 yrs

Lessons summary

In the Spot the species project, students explore the wildlife in their local habitat and create a species counter using the BBC micro:bit. 

In the second activity, students learn about the illegal wildlife trade and create an anti-poaching collar using the radio function on the micro:bit. 

Learning objectives

  • to learn more about wildlife in your local environment and elsewhere
  • to consider the importance of biodiversity
  • to consider how technology can help protect animals
  • to build working micro:bit prototypes to record and protect species
  • to analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
  • to be responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

Additional skills

Researching, presenting, creative thinking.

You will need

Downloadable resources:

  • Lesson plan
  • Lesson slides
  • HEX files

Other resources:

  • clipboards (optional)
  • paper - large sheets (optional)
  • paper - writing (optional)