KS3 Computing fundamentals - micro:bit

This unit of work offers 6 complete lessons aimed at consolidating computing fundamentals for pupils in the first year of secondary school (England KS3 Year 7). Students are introduced to the core concepts of computational thinking, programming and computer systems through unplugged activities and physical computing with the BBC micro:bit.

No prior learning is assumed and this is an ideal introduction for students to ensure they have a shared understanding of these important elements of computing.

The lesson sequence includes:

1. Computational thinking: paper aeroplane algorithms
2. Computational thinking: prototyping
3. Programming: modifying code, testing & debugging
4. Programming: iteration & selection
5. Computer systems: parts of a system
6. Evaluation & showcase

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Learning objectives

• understand and apply the fundamental principles & concepts of computer science.
• gain practical experience of writing computer programs to solve problems.
• evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies analytically to solve problems
• be responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.

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Additional skills

• problem-solving
• collaboration
• creative thinking

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Included resources

• Lesson plan Word documents
• Lesson slides PowerPoints
• Student handouts

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England KS3 computing curriculum links

Students should be taught to:

• design, use and evaluate computational abstractions that model the state and behaviour of real-world problems and physical systems
• use logical reasoning to compare the utility of alternative algorithms for the same problem
• use two or more programming languages, at least one of which is textual, to solve a variety of computational problems
• understand the hardware and software components that make up computer systems, and how they communicate with one another and with other systems
• understand how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system
• undertake creative projects that involve selecting, using, and combining multiple applications, preferably across a range of devices, to achieve challenging goals, including collecting and analysing data and meeting the needs of known users
• create, re-use, revise and re-purpose digital artefacts for a given audience, with attention to trustworthiness, design and usability