Teach-Primary-Issue-19.4

You realise you have struck of vein of educational gold when the children begin to spontaneously make links between areas of the curriculum and drive the learning forward themselves. That is exactly what happened with our datalogging disco. Having already investigated the link between physical activity and mental health, the children then wanted to explore which type of music would be best to trigger movement and boost their moods, as a result. So, that is what we did, and it became an authentic, rich, cross curricular experience that we all loved! 1 | DANCE YOUR SOCKS OFF The first step in the process is to model how the code works. Now that might sound a little dull, so you need to add your own prancing, pirouetting pizazz! As attention-grabber for the lesson, I used my prepared code and the micro:bit strap (provided in the box) to attach the micro:bit to my wrist. This already piqued the interest of the class, but when I then started spontaneously dad-dancing around the classroom, there was no going back. They were hooked. Before I triggered any serious medical conditions for myself, I stopped and turned off the micro:bit, ending the data collection. We then discussed what it was I had just been doing and why. The children equated the micro:bit with a fitness tracker, which was a helpful means of them understanding what datalogging is. At that point, we downloaded the data that had been collected during my frenzied cavorting (achieved easily by downloading the data to a device, opening it and waiting for the datalogging website to automatically open and tabulate your data). What the children witnessed was a really clear line graph, mapping my movements against time. The physical ‘demonstration’ at the start of the lesson helped the START HERE MAIN LESSON WHAT THEY’LL LEARN l How to combine basic coding blocks with the pre-loaded datalogger coding blocks l How to select and set variables within the datalogger l How to download and view the collected data in graphical form ICT First of all, make sure you have the most recent, Gen 2 micro:bits, as you’ll need the additional sensors they have. Now, please take a breath if the mention of micro:bits brings on a hot flush. You do not need to be a coding genius to engage with this activity. We used the pre-made datalogging code from micro:bit MakeCode website ( tinyurl.com/tp-MBdl ) , which you just need to download. Then make sure you access the ‘extensions’ in the coding toolbar and turn on the ‘datalogger’ coding blocks. And you’re ready to go! I would always recommend having a trial run of the code yourself first and, in this case, it is also a good excuse to have an after-school boogie! Studying statistics needn’t be a slog. With the help of a micro:bit, it can become a boogie wonderland, says Marc Bowen KS2 LESSON PLAN raglanciwvcprimary.co.uk Dance your socks off at the datalog disco 72 | www.teachwire.net