Gadget Book: Coding with the micro:bit – Create Cool Programming Projects

A new book – “Coding with the micro:bit – Create Cool Programming Projects” – teaches children how to use the BBC micro:bit.

Update: The book has now been published, with an updated title

After introducing its hardware and software features – including the built-in microphone, speaker, and touch sensor added in micro:bit version 2 – it goes through a range of projects, for example processing a temperature sensor, some simple interactive games, and an alarm system…

Aimed at kids aged 7+, it is due out next month and is part of the publisher’s ‘The QuestKids do Coding’ series.

The publisher, Easy Steps, writes:

“Coding with BBC micro:bit introduces children to the hardware and software features of the micro:bit, including the built-in microphone, speaker, and touch sensor added in micro:bit version 2. They will learn new skills such as how to code a micro:bit to play music, send messages, display pictures, and detect light. Once they have mastered these skills, the book guides them through 10 exciting projects.”

The 10 mentioned projects are:

The 99 game
Heads or tails
Steady hand game
Temperature display
LED control
Trespasser alarm
Fortune teller
Compass
Radio communication
Bag alarm

For each project, a ‘Try This’ section also suggests other ways for readers to try out their new knowledge, to help inspire their own projects with the micro:bit.

Note that each project has been designed to work with both versions of the micro:bit.

Author

Dan Aldred is a Computer Science teacher and a freelance resource writer and hacker. He is a Raspberry Pi Certified educator and is the author of Raspberry Pi Projects for Kids.

Among other accomplishments, Dan led the winning team of students for the first Astro Pi competition, whose code is now orbiting Earth aboard the ISS. He has also authored a set of international micro:bit teaching resources with ARM and runs the TeCoEd website and YouTube channel.

Coding with the micro:bit – Create Cool Programming Projects

Title: Coding with the micro:bit – Create Cool Programming Projects
Author: Dan Aldred
Publisher: Easy Steps Limited
Date: October 2023
Pages: 96
Price: £14.99
ISBN-13: 9781787910003

See also: Gadget Book: The Magic Conveyor Belt