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Meet the Micro:bits
Coding is easy and fun when students meet the micro:bits. Learn to write and download code, so you are ready to create your own scientific tools!
Meet the Micro:bits
Coding is easy and fun when students meet the micro:bits. Learn to write and download code, so you are ready to create your own scientific tools!
Student Edition
(English/Spanish)
Student Edition
(English/Spanish)
Student Edition
(English/Spanish)
California Wildfires
Watch Class Movie
teacher Prep
Lab sheet & activites
Class Movie
Watch Class Movie
Class Movie
Teacher Prep Movie
Lab Materials Needed
Blockey Koa Crate
from Kea STEMCrate
- 1 Springy Spring Scale per student
Student Lab Sheet
Coding a Rice Grain
"I liked the binary coding because I like science and math!"
4th grade student quote while doing this lab.
Students learn how we use patterns to store information in a computer's language which is called binary code. The information is stored in on/off patterns Your students can make their own patterns on a small rice grain just like a pit tag in the research movie!
The Patterns of Binary code
Journal Article Link
Watch Class Movie
Class Movie
Class Movie
teacher Prep
Teacher Prep Movie
Teacher Edition Lab Sheet
Lab Assistant
The new version of the lab sheet is in the STEMTaught Journal page 77. It uses "1" and "0" instead of letters.
Making Binary Patterns
Lab sheet & activites
Student Lab Sheet
The new version of the lab sheet is in the STEMTaught Journal page 77. It uses "1" and "0" instead of letters.
Lab Materials Needed:
From Kea:
1 Toby tweezers per student
1 Petri dish per student
Additional materials:
at least 16 rice grains per student
a small lump of clay per student
1 microscope per student
1.5 ml vials to hold the rice grains and a roll of string or yarn for students to make a necklace for their coded rice grains.
Practice making patterns made of two elements
Remember: You can make binary patterns out of anything as long as your pattern is only made of two elements.
These examples of patterns are shown in the video. You can discuss with your students why each of these patterns are binary patterns.
The binary pattern in the PIT tag that is inserted into the fish is a magnetic pattern that can be read by an antenna. This is the same technology that is used in microchips used to identify pets.
In-class Video 1: Play this video to get students interested while reading the STEMTaught Journal on page 71, "Saving Endangered Fish With Binary Code".
This Video is for students
In-class Video 2: Play this video to get students interested while reading the STEMTaught Journal on page 76, "Antennae on Research Rafts Detect The Fish."
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This Video is for students
This Video is for teachers
Watch this video to prepare for the hands-on lab where your students will write binary codes on on rice grains using a microscope.
