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How-To: Make Examples for Scratch+micro:bit đź‘ľ

Step-by-step instructions for making your own Scratch+micro:bit examples, which have been thoughtfully designed to inspire your participants to start creating!

How to use these examples

When preparing to facilitate a creative learning activity, it is important to think carefully about how you're setting up the learning environment. One very important component of this set-up is populating your space with a variety of example projects.

During your workshop, make these examples available to your participants by setting them up as demo stations in your work space. This allows participants to use the examples as a reference if they’re looking for inspiration, have a question, or choose to examine them.

As a facilitator, it is important to avoid walking your participants through every step that went into making an example or having every participant make one of the examples. Simply introduce the workshop prompt or theme, and let people dive right in!

And remember, as a facilitator, you don’t have to have all the answers. Good examples can help with troubleshooting and questions from your participants, so don’t be afraid to refer someone to an example (or a peer’s project) if they’re stuck!

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Learn more about the art of the example in our PLIX Guide to Making Activity Examples.

1. Fun with Enchanted Objects

Here’s an enchanted mustard bottle. By attaching a micro:bit to an object, you can utilize its motion sensors to control your Scratch projects. Here, every time the mustard bottle is shaken, the Scratch project has been programmed to add a mustard splat to the screen.

What we like about this example: This is a simple and fun example designed to inspire your participants and showcase what is possible with Scratch + micro:bits! This project utilizes the micro:bit sensors that can detect movement and shaking.

Materials needed: To make this example, you’ll need one micro:bit & battery pack, a computer, masking tape, and a mustard (or ketchup) bottle!

The Scratch project that controls this enchanted object can be found here, for your reference: scratch.mit.edu/projects/311339992/editor/

Instructions ↓

This (above) is the Scratch block to use with the micro:bit motion sensor. You can use the dropdown menu to select which type of movement you’d like to detect.
1. Take your mustard bottle (or any fun object that can be handheld)...
1. Take your mustard bottle (or any fun object that can be handheld)...

2. ...and tape a micro:bit and battery pack to it.
3. Finally, connect your micro:bit to the

2. Cardboard Musical Instrument

A simple cardboard instrument in action. This project uses the micro:bit pins and the Scratch “When pin connected” block. (There is sound playing as well, just not in this GIF, sorry!)

What we like about this example: This example shows how a participant might utilize the micro:bit pins to interact with Scratch projects.

Materials needed: To make this example, you’ll need one micro:bit & battery pack, a computer, cardboard, alligator clips, aluminum foil, masking tape, scissors, a glue stick, and something to write with!

The Scratch project that controls this cardboard instrument can be found here, for your reference: scratch.mit.edu/projects/311336786/editor/ 

The pins are the holes at the bottom of the micro:bit. They are labeled 0, 1, 2, 3v, and GND.
This is the Scratch block to use with the micro:bit pins. It is shorthand for “When pin 0 is connected to GND (ground)”. You can use the dropdown menu to select which pin you’d like to control, or use multiple blocks to control multiple pins! This functionality is similar to the

Instructions ↓

1. Draw out what you want your simple instrument to look like. You’ll need space for the micro:bit, ground, and however many sounds you want your instrument to make. Here we show two different sounds.
2. Cut out aluminum foil and glue it onto each area you drew out for your instrument.
2. Cut out aluminum foil and glue it onto each area you drew out for your instrument.
3. Make sure the aluminum foil doesn’t overlap! These areas will become conductive buttons to interact with the micro:bit pins, which will then be used to control your Scratch project!
4. Connect the micro:bit pins (0, 1, and GND) to the aluminum areas with alligator clips.
5. Touching both the GND (where it says “Always Touch”) and any of the other pins (Sound 1, Sound 2) will make a connection!
5. Touching both the GND (where it says “Always Touch”) and any of the other pins (Sound 1, Sound 2) will make a connection!
6. Finally, connect your micro:bit to the

3. Other starter examples

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You can find other examples on the Scratch website: scratch.mit.edu/microbit, or make your own!

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